Dr Mona Sakr has developed a new baby room booklet and free Continued Professional Development (CPD) Accredited online course with Community Playthings.

Both resources explore how the environment can support babies’ development, drawing on Reggio Emilia principles. It includes practical steps to help you make simple improvements to your baby room.

Working in the baby room | CPD training | Community Playthings

After a successful three years, the funded activity programme ends in August 2025. The National Heritage Lottery funding has allowed the park to be showcased and a range of activities to be provided, to educate, entertain and support physical and mental health.

There are still a wide range of activities planned for this summer. Please see the link below for further details, and share these with your families and staff, so that they can make the most of them before the programme closes.

As communicated recently at our Provider Forum, we are updating how you will receive and apply for SEN Inclusion Funding. These changes will take effect from September 2025 and are outlined below: 

1. All settings will receive £74.67 per occupied place. This will be paid automatically to all settings in August. This funding should be used to embed Ordinarily Available Provision to support your setting in becoming more inclusive. ​ 

1. Settings can still apply for SEN Inclusion Funding to support children with additional needs that fall into Bands 3, 4 and 5. These cases will be discussed at a Mainstream Inclusion Partnership (MIP), which will replace the SEN Inclusion Funding Panel.  

We will be providing resources and training in September to support you with these changes.  

The SEN Inclusion Panel will still be going ahead on 1^st July. This is an opportunity to apply for funding for the next academic year. You can apply for this funding using the current application form; this will not be the new MIP process.  

We will continue to provide you with regular updates on these changes, however, if you do have any questions or would like to get involved, please contact the project lead: charlotte.dyett@hounslow.gov.uk.   

Please see below flyer for our fully funded event on Saturday, 5 July at our partner setting: Maytree Nursery and Children's Centre, SW4 4EG.

• Training from Annette, our childminder partner, using a key book to use in your setting linking it to EEF evidence and approaches
• Maths training linked to executive function skills- 1^st part in a series of free training exclusively for childminders in our network
• Free resource
• Great community of local childminders to network with over a free lunch

Preventing neglect, abuse and exploitation

The guidance has been updated and changes have been made to the contact details in point 109 from ‘Foundations (What Works Centre for Children and Families) (policy@foundations.org.uk)' to the ‘Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements Unit (Child Protection and Safeguarding Division – DfE) (safeguarding.reform@education.gov.uk)'

Do you have team members who would like to gain a level 3 qualification?

Time Training – Level 3 Apprenticeship Early Years Educator

Starting September 2025 and January 2026. Time Training will be offering the Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship online, with live teaching once every four weeks alongside tutorials.

For more information click here

Pen Green – Early Years Educator Routes

Pen Green offer 2 routes for team members to complete a Level 3 Early Years Educator Qualification. For more information please click here