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 Derbyshire’s Wraparound Childcare Newsletter - Autumn 2025
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As the long summer days slowly begin to wind down, we’d like to welcome you back to this new academic year with fresh energy and excitement. With Autumn filling the air and routines back in place, we’re looking forward to the year ahead, filled with plenty of opportunities for reflection and growth. Take a moment to sit with a cuppa and read through the below newsletter to keep up to speed with a whole host of key updates and changes which will support you in delivering the highest-quality wraparound provision.
As always, if you have any further wraparound queries or are looking for advice, please don’t hesitate to contact the individual DCC teams listed within each section or visit the Out of School Alliance website using the following link: About us | Out of School Alliance
Contents:
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You will probably already be aware that from November 2025, Ofsted will be introducing a new approach to the way it carries out inspections. But what will that look like and how will it impact wraparound providers?
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The new Ofsted toolkits
Wraparound providers registered on the Ofsted Early Years Register will be inspected against the new Early years inspection toolkit, which includes the following seven sections:
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Safeguarding
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Inclusion
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(Curriculum & Teaching**)
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(Achievement**)
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Behaviour, Attitudes and Establishing Routines
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Children’s Welfare & Wellbeing
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(Leadership and Governance*)
*When there are no early years children present and/or on roll, Ofsted will only evaluate this evaluation area.
**These evaluation areas do not apply to wraparound and holiday providers.
Inclusion
Inclusion will now have a focus in every inspection. According to Sir Martyn Oliver (2025):
“If (providers) are getting it right for their most disadvantaged children, their vulnerable children, their children with SEND, they will be getting it right for all of their children and learners.”
Report cards and new gradings
From November 2025, Ofsted will be implementing new report cards that aim to provide a clear summary of an educational provider's strengths and areas for improvement, using a new five-point scale. They include a visual snapshot, written explanations for each evaluation area and have links to full reports and past documents. Safeguarding will have its own separate evaluation and will be graded as either ‘met’ or ‘not met’. Any area assessed as ‘urgent improvement’ will be re-inspected within 6 months.
Cycle of inspections
From April 2026, Ofsted will begin to phase in 4-yearly inspection cycles for wraparound providers, as opposed to the current 6-yearly cycle.
Wraparound providers on the Childcare Register
As a new academic year starts, we hope this section of the newsletter finds you prepared and ready to face, not only the new term, but a revised Early Years Foundation Stage framework.
So, what has changed for 2025 and how can the Early Years Improvement Service support you and your safeguarding role?
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Changes to the EYFS framework
For the first time, the framework is clear that all early years providers need clear whistleblowing procedures. This means that you are required to:
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Implement appropriate whistleblowing protocols and make sure your staff or any assistants are informed on when and how to report their concerns.
You will also need to provide clear steps for staff who feel unable to raise issues within the setting, such as contacting the NSPCC and Ofsted.
There is a new section covering child absence which requires you to:
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Have and maintain a formal attendance policy which is shared with all parents as well as following up on any unreported or prolonged absences.
Section 3.96 will support you with this new requirement under Information about the child which says “settings, where possible, should now hold more than two emergency contacts”
You will find changes to safer recruitment where the framework introduces new, tighter requirements around staff references, to ensure that all personnel working with children are suitably vetted and assessed. The DfE have published an employment reference template which can be used to either obtain or provide a reference: Early years employment reference template - GOV.UK
Safer eating has a new section housed under Health – Food and Drink. This information includes;
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Where children must be whilst eating and how staffing should be organised to support this.
- Special dietary requirements, preferences, food allergies, intolerances and any special health requirements have been obtained before the child is admitted to the setting.
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Clear guidance on preventing choking incidents.
A reminder that the EYFS Nutrition guidance was published in May 2025 and the updated ‘Food and drink’ section mandates that settings must pay due regard to the DfE’s ‘Early Years Foundation Stage nutrition guidance’: Early Years Foundation Stage nutrition guidance
Finally, there have been changes to both Safeguarding training and Safeguarding policies.
These requirements aim to create clearer, more enforceable standards for provider accountability.
Training
We have a range of safeguarding training which is available to book through Eventbrite. All safeguarding training is fully compliant with the Annex C requirements of the EYFS Statutory framework.
Model safeguarding policies & audit
A reminder that on SchoolsNet we have our model safeguarding and child protection policy, and handy safeguarding audit. The audit is linked to the safeguarding and welfare requirements found in section 3 of the EYFS framework and helps you to review the steps you must or should take to keep children safe and promote their welfare.
Safeguarding top tips
We know that the “to do list” is endless when it comes to safeguarding but our September top tips include:
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Make sure you know what has changed for 2025.
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Take time to implement the changes that are needed (both in your policies and procedures).
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Share the updates with all the staff and volunteers you work with.
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Identify any risks that you may have, and action change as needed.
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Book onto quality training.
As you may be aware, the National Wraparound Childcare Programme has been introduced to increase the amount of out of school provision available to parents. Since the programme launched in September 2024, over 1,500 wraparound places have been created in Derbyshire. Funding has been received by schools and PVI providers to create wraparound provision which is supporting families at more than 80 schools across the county.
The local authority is working towards the government’s ambition for all primary school aged children, who want it, to be able to access wraparound provision (8.00am to 6.00pm) by September 2026.
The Wraparound Programme Funding is still available and we are continuing to accept applications to support various models of delivery to meet parental need. The funding aims to remove barriers to setting up new provision (or expanding upon existing provision), including removing the financial risk when demand is not yet guaranteed.
If you are interested in either expanding your current wraparound offer, creating new provision or would like further information, please email the Sufficiency Team: CS.SufficiencyService@derbyshire.gov.uk.
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We are pleased to share with you all a DfE announcement received at the end of August…
‘’We’re absolutely delighted to share some fantastic news with you. As part of its Best Start in Life mission, the government today announced that over £600 million has been confirmed for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for the next three financial years (from 2026/27) which equates to just over £200 million each year.
The HAF programme provides enriching activities and nutritious meals supporting health, wellbeing and learning readiness as well as supporting parents and carers. This multi-year settlement will enable more strategic planning, innovation, and long-term partnerships, supporting value for money and ensuring that children and young people continue to benefit from enriching holiday experiences and nutritious meals.’’
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