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Bulletin 405

14 September 2026

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

The Early Years and Childcare Bulletin is issued every week during term time and a condensed version during the school holidays. 

Liquidlogic

Autumn Term Headcounts

The portal is now open to submit your headcounts for the Autumn term until Friday 18^th September 26.

Please check your live register is correct, children’s hours are entered accurately and any children who have left are removed.   

Also accept any new children who have now started from your future starter register.

You can then submit your headcount, using the submission wizard in the early year’s menu of the portal.

Please call the FEEE team on 01270 685888 for any assistance.

Business Support

Sign up to Tax-Free Childcare if you’re a childcare provider

Click on the button below to find out how to sign up to Tax-Free Childcare and get a childcare provider account to receive payments from parents using Tax-Free Childcare.

Safeguarding

Ofsted outcomes of Needs Attention or Urgent Improvement

We would like to remind all early years providers to notify the early years and childcare team: earlyyearsandchildcareteam@cheshireeast.gov.uk as soon as possible if their setting receives any outcomes of Needs Attention or Urgent Improvement during their Ofsted inspection.

Early notification enables us to offer appropriate support, advice, and guidance to help providers address any actions identified through the inspection process. Our aim is to work collaboratively with settings to support continuous improvement and ensure the best possible outcomes for children and families.

Thank you for your continued commitment to delivering high-quality early education and childcare across Cheshire East. If you have any questions or would like to discuss support available to your setting, please do not hesitate to contact the early years and childcare team.

Cheshire East Safeguarding Children's Partnership Priorities

The Cheshire East Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (CESCP) has identified a set of shared priorities to help achieve its vision for children and young people across Cheshire East. These priorities form the foundation of our work to strengthen the protection, safety, and wellbeing of children and young people. To learn more about the priorities, click on the button below.

National Updates

New research identifies three programmes that boost young children’s development

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) have published new independent evaluations to give settings greater confidence about approaches that can help children get the strongest possible start in education.   

The following programmes have been recognised as EEF Promising Programmes. This means these approaches have demonstrated evidence of delivering meaningful, cost-effective improvements in children's outcomes and are currently available for early years settings to use:

• NELI Preschool: a 20-week oral language programme for 3 - 4 year old children, centred around shared storybook reading and guided play. 
• Talking Time: an intervention that aims to improve the oral language skills of children aged 3-5 years old through structured activities for children and professional development for staff.
• Emotion Coaching: a professional development programme for early years practitioners that aims to helps 3-4 year old children develop self-regulation. 

For more information about EEF Promising Programmes click the button below.

SEND

PSED, SEND or SLCN consultation

If you have concerns about a child's development in your setting, you can complete a request for a PSED, SEND or SLCN consultation. You will need to complete the online form and upload a parent/carer signature via the Cheshire East Young People and Families portal. Once the referral has been made our Portage, Quality and Inclusion Practitioners (PQUIP’s) or Cheshire East Chatters will get in contact with you to discuss the child's development and any advice and next steps to support them.

Please see the link below and instructions to complete a request for consultation:

https://childrenandfamilieseportal.cheshireeast.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/home

After opening the link, select the ‘forms for professionals’ button.

Next select the ‘Request for Consultation with Early Years and Childcare Team’ button and complete the form.

Family Hubs

Training

Autumn Term Training now available on the Early Years Training Hub

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

Upcoming training next week:

Enhanced Safeguarding Awareness – 22nd September 2026 18:00 – 20:30 (Microsoft Teams)

This session expands on the Basic Safeguarding Awareness training session. The session covers the safeguarding responsibilities of practitioners and the DSL, Safeguarding Practice Reviews and neglect. There will also be a brief overview of online safety, safer sleep, safer eating and allergies.

New and Aspiring Managers – 23rd September 2026 09:30 – 12:30 (Microsoft Teams)

This course is suitable for new managers, deputy managers, senior staff and those who aspire to be in a management position. This course will support you to develop your knowledge and skills to move into or within your management role. This training will cover statutory requirements, vision and values, leadership and management, managing staff, supervision and wellbeing.

Trauma and Attachment in Early Childhood – 24th September 2026 18:30 – 20:30 (Microsoft Teams)

This session is part of a series focussing on supporting the three different age groups of children within the Early Years. This training will look at practice and provision in the preschool room, consideration will be given to providing an enabling preschool environment and to reflect upon your preschool curriculum.

WellComm – 25th September 2026 09:30 – 12:30 (Oakenclough Family Hub)

Would you like to receive practical support on how to integrate WellComm activities into daily best practice within your setting? Or try out WellComm screening and explore activities from the Big Book of Ideas? During this session there will be opportunities to discuss and define terms relating to communication and how these relate to the WellComm screening tool, examine the rationale behind using WellComm to screen, track and monitor individual children and discuss the practicalities of setting up targeted groups.