Hounslow Council will be receiving a capital funding allocation from the DfE on 1 February 2024. This will be used to increase the physical capacity of early years provision in local areas where demand is likely to exceed existing supply. The EY capital funding:

• is intended to support the expansion of childcare places for eligible children aged 9 months to 3 years from working families and is not related to wrap around care projects. Full guidance can be found here - gov.uk/government/publications/childcare-expansion-capital-grant-funding.
• is provided for capital purposes only and cannot be used for revenue expenditure of any kind, such as training or staff costs, resources/assets that do not meet the definition of capital expenditure including toys, books and clothing.

Projects that will adapt or improve facilities can be considered but it is not intended that work to improve suitability or accessibility includes routine maintenance or refurbishment required primarily because of building condition. Routine maintenance and refurbishment remains the responsibility of the building owner/landlord.

The application form can be found here - Childcare Expansion Capital Grant Funding - Application Form.  Please complete and submit by 12 p.m. on Friday, 26 January 2024.

Summer 2024 is the last term you can receive funded support from the DfE for the Experts and Mentors Programme.

The deadline to apply is Friday, 9 February 2024.

Please email the Early Years Advisory Team if you are interested or would like further information at earlyyearsadvisory@hounslow.gov.uk 

As part of the DfE Education Recovery Programme, Best Practice Network has been provided with funding and has been offering the Early Years Level 3 SENCO qualification. This is for a Level 3 practitioner in a private, voluntary or independent setting. It is also appropriate for Ofsted-registered childminders and childminder agencies.

Funding for this package closes at the end of this academic year and the final course will take place in April 2024.

If you have been thinking about completing this qualification, then don’t delay, visit Early Years SENCO - Level 3 | Best Practice Network for more information about the course and how to apply.

The Prevent Duty Guidance has been updated and came into effect on 31 December 2023. The updated guidance can be found here. 

Documents to support educational establishments across the borough include a New Prevent leaflet:  What is Prevent and how to stop radicalisation. The link below provides access to the Prevent Duty Guidance Refresh document, Stakeholder Pack for Education. 

It's now less than a month until Safer Internet Day with the theme of "Inspiring Change? Making a Difference, Managing Influence, and Navigating Change Online"

The UK Safer Internet Centre has recently released an exclusive collection of short films, designed to captivate and educate children and young people aged 3 to 18 years old. These films serve as starters for meaningful conversations, making them perfect for educators and professionals eager to participate in Safer Internet Day activities.

You can access the films here: