 L3 SENCo Accreditation
We have 10 part funded places to offer to settings for the 2025-26 SENCo Level 3 Accreditation.
To be eligible, you must be working in a Portsmouth Early Years setting and the setting must not already have a L3 SEND Practitioner who previously accessed the course with a 'free' place.
The offer to access the L3 at the reduced rate of £508 will be based on a first come, first served basis and you must email eyworkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to register your interest.
You should:
- Be an Early Years SENCo already or be interested in the role
- Have the commitment and backing of your Manager
- Have a L3 qualification in Early Years or Childcare
If you miss out on a part funded place, you can still access the L3 accreditation. The full cost will be £1015. Online booking for the non-funded places will re-open when we have allocated part-funded places.
The dates for L3 are: 11/9/25, 25/9/25, 9/10/25, 23/10/25, 13/11/25, 27/11/25, 11/12/25, 15/1/26, 29/1/26, 12/2/26, 12/3/26, 26/3/26 and you must be committed to attending all sessions.
L2 SEND Accreditation
We have 10 'free' places for group based practitioners and 10 'free' places for childminders.
These places will be based on a first come, first served basis and you must email eyworkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to register your interest.
If you miss out on a 'free place', you can still access the L2 accreditation. The full cost will be £215. Online booking for the non-funded places will re-open when we have allocated funded places.
L2 group based dates are: 20/10/25, 10/11/25, 24/11/25 full day sessions in Civic Offices.
L2 childminder dates are: 12/1/26, 24/1/26, 9/2/26, 23/2/26, 9/3/26, 23/3/26 all sessions are 6-9pm on Teams.
The Elizabeth Foundation Training
We are pleased to announce that we have been working in partnership with the Elizabeth Foundation to provide brand new training to Early Years settings on developing listening skills. This links to our priority of supporting communication and language across the city. We have 20 'free' places on the daytime face to face 'Learning to Listen and Listening to Learn' training and 20 evening Teams places for childminders.
The 5 face to face sessions will be delivered at 9:00am - 1:00pm at Civic Offices and the 5 Teams sessions will be delivered at 6:00pm - 9:00pm on each of these dates: 13/10/25, 02/11/25, 08/12/25, 19/01/26 and 02/02/26. You MUST attend all sessions to take part in this free training.
There will then be a 1 hour feedback session for all on 02/03/26 at 9:00am - 10:00am on Teams.
Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please book using the buttons below...
 Foundation Years is pleased to share the recording and supporting slides from the recent live event: Nurturing Nutrition – Building Healthy Foundations in the Early Years.
Hosted by Begin Bright, this informative session featured insights from the Department for Education, Ofsted and early years nutrition experts. The event explored the importance of nutrition in early childhood and provided practical strategies to support healthy eating habits in early years settings.
Whether you attended live or are catching up, the recording is a great opportunity to reflect on your current practice, gain expert guidance and access useful resources that promote children’s health and wellbeing.
We encourage all early years educators, setting leaders and support staff to watch and share the materials with their teams.
 Portsmouth residents are asked to take a short survey to say if the city should be part of the Government's plans for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
LGR would see existing councils replaced by bigger ones, covering wider areas. It would mean Portsmouth City Council no longer exists as it currently does and local services delivered in a different way.
The City Council's survey runs until Sunday 29 June (midnight) and as many local views as possible are wanted. The survey asks if Portsmouth should be part of LGR, and if it is forced by Government to be included, which councils Portsmouth should merge with.
 These meetings offer a valuable opportunity for professionals across Portsmouth to come together, share knowledge, and stay informed about the support available for children and families in our community.
You are invited to the upcoming face-to-face MATS meetings, which will be more interactive based on your feedback.
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South/Central MATS: King’s Church, Somers Road, Southsea PO5 4QA, Tuesday 15 July, 9:30 - 11:30am
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North MATS: Castle View Academy, Allaway Avenue, Paulsgrove PO6 4QP, Wednesday 16 July, 9:30 - 11:30am
The Early Help and Prevention Service apologise for the short notice - securing venues took a little longer than expected. They appreciate your understanding and hope you can join them.
What to Expect:
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Information Stalls showcasing services and support available for families over the summer.
- Family Hubs update and information
- HAF updates and information
- Interactive conversation: Families First – Shaping Tier 2 Support Together
This workshop will introduce the new Families First Partnership Programme, explore recent government reforms, and provide a space for you to share your insights and experiences.
Discussion Topics:
- What’s working well and what could be improved in Tier 2 support?
- If you could redesign the Family Support Plan (FSP), what would it look like?
- What are the biggest challenges your organisation faces in supporting children and families?
The Early Help and Prevention Service would love to hear your voice and ideas as they shape the future of family support in Portsmouth.
 The Department for Education (DfE) in partnership with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) invite you to the ‘Protective Preparedness For Education Settings’ a webinar focussed on counter terrorism protective security and preparedness for education settings.
The DfE’s ‘Counter Terrorism Protect & Prepare Team’ will provide you with an overview and update on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 commonly known as, ‘Martyn’s Law’, and its implications for the education sector. You can find more information about Martyn’s Law by visiting - GOV.UK.
NaCTSO will also provide a briefing on how to consider counter terrorism protection and preparedness across education settings. You can find out more about scalable counter terrorism preparedness by visiting ProtectUK | Home.
If you would like to learn more about how you can protect your education setting, staff and learners from terrorism, please click the links below where you can sign up and access further details.
Monday 7 July 2025 - 12:00 - 13:00
Tuesday 15 July 2025 - 12:00 - 13:00
Wednesday 16 July 2025 - 12:00 - 13:00
Wednesday 23 July 2025 - 12:00 - 13:00
 Just a reminder of the post: “How we look at the use of Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) in our inspections of early years settings” which has been published on the Ofsted: early years blog.
 DfE and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have become aware that some early education settings are temporarily excluding children who have recently been vaccinated, even if they feel well enough to attend. UKHSA has asked DfE to circulate a message from its Director of Public Health Programmes – Dr Mary Ramsay – explaining why such policies are unnecessary and can have serious unintended consequences for children and the early years settings they attend.
 Take a look at the poster at the button below showing the free summer and autumn event from Thames Valley and South Central Early Years Stronger Practice Hub. Contact admin@tveysph.org to book your place of for more details.
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