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Bulletin 376

26 January 2026

Welcome to our Early Years and Childcare Bulletin. Previous Bulletins are available at: Cheshire East Early years and Childcare Bulletin

Liquidlogic

Business Support

Primary School Applications – Supporting Information Deadline

Please share the below information with your families:

If your child is due to start primary school in September 2026, please remember that any supporting information for your application must be submitted by 16 February 2026.

If you need to send documents or have any questions, please contact the Admissions Team: admissions@cheshireeast.gov.uk 0300 123 5012

Safeguarding

National Updates

New Ofsted report cards and grades video explainer: a guide for parents

Ofsted have heard from leaders that they would like support explaining the new grades and report cards to their parents. Ofsted's new YouTube video explainer has more information on exactly what Ofsted’s new grades mean, including how they report on safeguarding.

Early years settings may find this helpful when explaining their grades and report cards to parents.   

New Ofsted blog - Early years inspections: frequently asked questions

Since Ofsted published the renewed inspection framework on 9 September 2025, they have put on lots of online and face-to-face engagement with early years settings to answer your questions. Ofsted have published the most frequently asked questions in a blog so you can see all the answers in one place.

Click the button below to read the blog.

Local School Nature Grants Scheme

The aim of the grants is to promote outdoor learning among young children by providing schools and early years providers with outdoor resources and training. Successful applicants will include children in their decision making, whilst incorporating local communities.

The grants provide an assortment of nature equipment up to the value of £500 and a two hour training session.

Eligible equipment includes but is not limited to:

• Woodland activity kits
• Growing kits
• Seed packs
• Gardening kits
• Pollinator kits
• woodworking kits
• Seating planters
• Fireboxes

The deadline for applications is Friday 13th March 2026.

For more information and to apply, click on the button below.

Webinar: how the National Education Nature Park works for early years

Join the National Education Nature Park on Wednesday 4 February, 12.30-13.00 for a webinar to find out how the Nature Park programme can support you with your everyday teaching and learning.

You'll learn what the National Education Nature Park is, how it's been tailored for early years settings and to meet early learning goals, and how to get started in your setting.

Click the button below to register for the webinar.

In the meantime, you can also check out the guide to the Nature Park for early years.

SEND

ADHD and Autism Support Resources for Children and Young People in Cheshire East

In the summer of 2025, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board in Cheshire East Place launched a new web-based resource to support children and young people up to age 25 with suspected ADHD or autism, along with their families. Developed in collaboration with Contact, Genuine Partnerships, and the Cheshire East Parent Carer Forum, these resources were co-produced with parents, practitioners, and neurodivergent young people, led by a neurodivergent graphic designer and a local parent carer project manager.

Visit www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/pathway to explore the platform.

Family Hubs

SEND Drop In: Disley Library and Community Centre – Friday 6th February 9.30am-11.00am

Please share the below information with your families about the SEND Drop In.

There will be a range of professionals attending the drop in:

SEND 0-19+ Health Practitioners – (On behalf of health visitor/school nursing services Cheshire East) for parents of children and young people for support, signposting and guidance with all SEND related issues and helping to understand why your child may be struggling and ideas that may help.

Cheshire East Portage Team – Representatives from Cheshire East’s Start for Life Portage team will be here explaining their offer and to offer support particularly for our youngest residents. They will also be offering a Stay and Play for our youngest residents.

Cheshire East Inclusion and Transition Team – A representative from Cheshire East’s support team will be here to discuss your concerns around transition to school and how your child can be supported in education.

Just Drop In – Another amazing local charity that support children and young people that are finding life hard. They are committed to helping them with their mental health and well being. 

Training

Bright Futures Live Webinar - Understanding the Renewed Ofsted Inspection Framework

Book your place here: https://www.training.bright-futures.co.uk/courses/understanding-the-renewed-inspection-framework/

Spring Term Training available on the Early Years Training Hub

The ChESS Early Years Training Hub has been updated with lots of training opportunities for the spring term, please take a look and book on now!

Upcoming training next week:

Role of the DSL - 2nd February 2026 9:30 - 15:30 Oakenclough Family Hub

This one-day training course provides information and guidance to practitioners new to the role of the DSL or those wishing to refresh their knowledge. The training includes safer recruitment and induction of new staff members, liaising with staff members and other agencies, recording of safeguarding information, escalation of concerns, online safety, allegations against staff, the role of the LADO and policy and procedure development.

Understanding Schemas - 3rd February 2026 18:00 - 20:30 (Microsoft Teams)

This two-and-a-half-hour training course will provide knowledge and understanding of schemas and how they appear in children’s play. It has been specifically designed for early years and childcare practitioners to help recognise, plan for, and support schemas within a play-based curriculum. This training will help you identify the most common types of schemas and understand how they influence children’s learning and behaviour. You will explore strategies for supporting these natural patterns of play through individualised planning, enabling you to extend learning opportunities in meaningful ways. The session will provide a bank of engaging activity ideas to nurture development and align with each child’s unique interests, fostering curiosity, problem-solving, and confidence.

Learning Language in the Outdoors - 4th February 2026 13:00 - 14:30 (Microsoft Teams)

How does being outdoors make you feel? In this session Cheshire East Chatters discuss the research behind learning in the outdoor environment and introduce their group activities booklet containing lots of exciting, practical activities to support children's communication skills in your outdoor space.

Progress check at age 2 - 5th February 2026 18:30 - 20:00 (Microsoft Teams)

“When a child is aged between two and three, practitioners must review their progress and provide parents and/or carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the prime areas. The summary must highlight areas in which a child is progressing well, areas in which some additional support might be needed, and focus particularly on any areas where there is a concern that a child may have a developmental delay, which may indicate a special educational need or disability. The summary must describe the activities and strategies the provider intends to adopt to address any issues or concerns” (EYFS, 2025). Explore the process of writing a good quality progress check including when to do it, what to include and how you can work in partnership with parents/carers and other professionals to put in place appropriate early support and intervention in order to best meet the individual needs of the child. Delegates will be given access to a variety of resources that can be used when completing this statutory assessment.