 We are delighted to welcome Lydia Bowles as the new LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) for Portsmouth. Lydia can be contacted on the usual email address LADO@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or telephone number 023 9288 2500. Please update your policies and notice boards accordingly and ensure your teams are aware.
 Huge congratulations to all involved at Honeypot Nursery who have successfully gained the Dingley's Promise 'Mark of Achievement'. The Mark of Achievement reflects passion and commitment to inclusive practice in the early years.
 You can find out more about Dingley's Promise Mark of Achievement here. Well done Honeypot Nursery!
 The Department for Education is introducing new flexibilities for childminders from 1 November to help more childminders join and stay in the profession. The new flexibilities will:
- Create a new category of childminder (childminder without domestic premises) who work entirely from non-domestic premises
- Increase, from 3 to 4, the total number of people that can work together under a childminder’s registration (including the childminder)
- Give childminders and providers of childcare on domestic premises (CODPs) more flexibility, allowing them to spend more time operating outside of domestic premises, such as a community hall or school
- Increase the number of people needed for CODPs to operate from 4 or more, to 5 or more people providing care. Note: CODPs that were registered, or applied to register, before 1 November can continue operating with 4 or more people.
The department has published an article on the Foundation Years website to give an overview of the changes and answer main FAQs.
If childminders wish to expand their provision, run from non-domestic premises, or re-register considering the new flexibilities, they should contact our QSO team via EYDelivery@portmouthcc.gov.uk to discuss their plans and ideas.
 The DfE has updated their EYFS for groups and EYFS for childminders to reflect the new childminder flexibilities. These updated guides will be effective from 1 November 2024. Providers should continue to use the current guides until then. This Ofsted blog lists the changes to both frameworks. Here is a link to the current and updated EYFS frameworks.
 Evaluating the impact of Ordinarily Available Provision
As colleagues may be aware, the Portsmouth OAP has been disseminated widely and broadly speaking, is believed to be well understood and used by settings in the city. However, through the work on the SEND&AP Change Programme, a need to evaluate the impact of the OAP has been identified. ISOS has been commissioned to conduct this evaluation. ISOS are currently engaged in fieldwork and they have asked that the survey be passed to as many settings as possible to enable a wide range of practitioners to contribute to the evaluation process. The survey is suitable for all types of setting and can be completed by setting leaders as well as SENCOs/other staff. We would like to encourage as many practitioners as possible to complete this survey. Thank you in advance of your contribution to this important process.
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 Please be aware that the information on the Local Offer website about specialist provision has been improved so that all the information about schools can be found via one page.You can find these new pages here.
 The neurodiversity service currently has limited business support capacity due to staff vacancies. This is limiting the number of telephone calls that they can answer. Those wishing to contact them are being asked to email them with the following information and they will respond as soon as possible:
- Child's/young person's full name
- DOB
- NHS number (if known)
- Consent (if it is school/other agency, consent from parent to share/contact ND, if parent then consent to contact school/other agencies regarding the young person's care)
- School/setting they attend
- Registered GP practice (N.B must have a Portsmouth registered GP)
- Email of parent
- Phone number of parent
- What is requested from the service
 Please share with families with children starting school next year. The course begins on 4 November.
Get Set Go is aimed at children starting school in September 2025. It is a PEEP course for parents and their child to support school readiness. The five weekly sessions will each cover a different topic.
The sessions cover five areas of learning:
- Personal, Social & Emotional Development
- Communication & Language
- Early Literacy
- Early Maths
- Health & Physical Development
This will be delivered through parent learning, school related activities, providing opportunities for fine motor skills, gross motor skills, outdoor learning, and story time.
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 During October half term, don't forget to promote our fantastic free app and website - 50 things to do before you're five. It's packed full of no cost or low cost activities which support learning. 50 things will help to develop and expand vocabulary, give families a focus for learning and playing together and make taking part in activities around the city fun!
This Autumn, why not try #14 'See the Stars', #17 'Hocus Pocus Potions,' #27 'Little People Park Keeper', #33 'Home from Home' and #47 'Great Portsmouth Baking'. These could be focus experiences to share with parents.
You can download the app here and view the website here. Please share our 50 things to do before you're five flyer with families.
Keep an eye on the Family Information Service social media and do share our posts with your families! You can follow us on Facebook or on Instagram.
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