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The Summer Actual Headcount window closes at the end of this week (Sunday 5th May), so please ensure that you submit your claims on time.
If you have already submitted your completed headcount and need to make some changes, you can still do so up until it closes, but please remember to re-submit your claim so that the changes come through to us.
The Department for Education have opened an Early Years Foundation Stage Government Consultation, seeking view on proposed changes to the Safeguarding Requirements in the EYFS. They are consulting on proposals to strengthen the EYFS safeguarding requirements and make them more comprehensive for early years providers.
The consultation is open to all Early Years Foundation Stage Government Consultation - Department for Education - Citizen Space.
On 5 April 2024, Ofsted published updates to the following inspection handbooks and guidance:
The documents now include information about our new complaints process following the consultation over summer 2023. The handbooks also align with ‘Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy’. We have not made any changes to our inspection methodology.
The ‘Big Listen’ is underway, and will run for 12 weeks, closing on the 31 May 2024. Please take part if you haven’t already and share widely - we want to hear as many views as possible.
On 21 March 2024, DfE announced the funding criteria for the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) autumn 2024 cohort. The following groups will be eligible for scholarship funding for the NPQEYL:
- Aspiring or current teachers and leaders employed in the 50% most deprived schools based on the proportion of students that attract Pupil Premium funding.
- Aspiring or current early years leaders who are employed in the 50% most disadvantaged PVI nurseries based on the proportion of children that attract Early Years Pupil Premium funding or 2-year-old disadvantaged childcare entitlements.
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Childminders on the Ofsted Early Years Register or who work with an Ofsted–registered Childminder agency.
To find out more about the NPQEYL, click here.
Experience-based route
The 2023 consultation on changes to the EYFS included a proposal to introduce a new experience-based route, for early years practitioners without the required qualifications to gain approved status to work within staff:child ratios. Following a positive response to this proposal, the DfE announced its intention to proceed with introducing an experience-based route. The experience-based route (EBR) aims to recognise the valuable experience and skills of the sector and give early years providers more flexibility to use their staff effectively and count additional staff in level 3 ratios.
The DfE launched a 4-week consultation to test how the EBR could work, including questions about the proposed decision-making model, eligibility criteria and process requirements. We want to hear from as many people and organisations as possible to help us reach our decisions. Responses to this consultation are required by 20 May 2024.
Have your say and fill out the consultation here: Experience-based route for early years practitioners - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
University of Cambridge EY practitioner research
Researchers at the University of Cambridge are asking early education practitioners to complete a 10-minute survey about current practice and how you develop their skills.
The survey is here: https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6DX1XSADuDOzy2W
This survey is part of a large project to design activities to deliver the Early Years Library in nursery classrooms. The EYL is an online resource with the most common practices of evidence-based successful interventions for early literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional development.
Book your place at A Better Start's annual conference
Registration has opened for the A Better Start annual online conference, ‘Collective Change: Learning from A Better Start’, which is taking place on Monday 10 June.
Through a mix of presentations and facilitated discussions you will hear directly from ABS practitioners, parents, and directors about how they have made improvements at both local and national levels.
To book your place at this free online event go to Collective Change: Learning from A Better Start Tickets, Mon, Jun 10, 2024 at 9:30 AM | Eventbrite
As you are hopefully aware the government has launched a national wraparound programme, to achieve the ambition of supporting all families who need it to access wraparound childcare from 8am to 6pm. With the expectation that Parents should expect to see an expansion in the availability of wraparound care from September 2024. Funding is available to deliver the wrap around programme objectives.
Due to the tight timescales involved we have scheduled two Teams meetings, 11am and 3:30pm on Thursday 9th May 2024, apologies for the short notice, which will explain the next steps ( you will only need to attend one). In order for the discussions to be as comprehensive and meaningful as possible, your attendance is expected as far as is reasonable for you to do so. If you cannot attend, please can you send a suitable representative.
Following the meeting a form will be sent to all schools and providers which will need to be completed and returned to the Local Authority by Wednesday 22nd May 2024
If you wish to attend the 11am meeting please use the following link:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NjkwMjg1NTMtNzNkYi00MjVmLWJkN2YtNGRhODk2MTYzMjg5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22b6c13011-372d-438b-bc82-67e4c7966e89%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%224452094d-5af6-47d3-a47f-3ec4125d6af4%22%7d
If you wish to attend the 3:30pm meeting please use the following link:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MDhhMmY2OGItMDk3OS00NmNjLTg0ZjEtMmYwYWRmYzNkZmUz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22b6c13011-372d-438b-bc82-67e4c7966e89%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%224452094d-5af6-47d3-a47f-3ec4125d6af4%22%7d
Thank you for your continued support, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.
Rachel Reynolds - Admissions Manager – School Admissions Team (Rachel.Reynolds1@shropshire.gov.uk)
Help for Early Years Providers has a wealth of resources, case studies and toolkits intended to support to support the health and wellbeing of practitioners in the early years sector. Those working in the early years make a huge difference to young children's lives, and it is crucial settings support and encourage the health and wellbeing of their staff, and practitioners know where they can turn if they need support. This will create a positive learning environment for children, where their personal, social, and emotional development is encouraged.
Visit the Help for Early Years Providers early years practitioner wellbeing support page and read our Foundation Years blog post for more information and resources on how to support your own wellbeing, and provide support to those around you.
This webinar, organised by the UK Trauma Council, will explore what complex trauma means and the impact on children and young people. It takes place 16th May 5pm- 6.30pm and is free to attend.
Find out more: UKTC Insight Series - UK Trauma Council
The Early years child development training is an online programme that is free to access. It has been designed by early years professionals to help early years practitioners build and strengthen their knowledge and understanding of child development.
Module 7: Effective curriculum and assessment is now available and covers:
- effective implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) learning and development assessment requirements
- planning and implementing your curriculum effectively
- using non-statutory and statutory guidance to inform curriculum planning and implementation
- considering different factors that impact on effective curriculum implementation
- purposeful observation and assessment.
This new module is now available along with 6 other modules including child and brain development, personal, social, and emotional development, communication and language, physical development, and mathematics.
You can complete the training modules in any order, at any time. Sign in to your account and visit the My modules page of the training to access this new module. If you haven’t yet accessed the training, and would like to learn more and register, please visit Early years child development training.
Whilst we wait to hear more about the future direction of UCS, Shropshire Council is able to confirm that CPD relating to statutory functions will be delivered by the LA from September. This predominantly relates to Safeguarding, Early Years and Educational Visits.
Early Years Funding Code of Practice
Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework for Childminders
Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework for Group and School-Based Providers
Early Years CPD
Early Years Information Pages on the SLG
Early Years Resource Library
Funding Diary Dates (headcount windows and payments)
Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF)
Parent Declaration Form (Summer 2024 to Summer 2025)
Recruitment:
Shropshire SEND Local Offer
Support Request Form (SEND)
Remember we are all home based now so we do not attend Shirehall on a regular basis. If you are sending us anything it is best to do it by e-mail if at all possible, this includes any invoices for funding you may be expecting. If you have to send items by post then you should expect a longer delay then previously. If in doubt then please get in touch before you do anything.
Neville Ward
Service Manager, Early Years and Childcare
Tel: 01743 254552
Email: neville.ward@shropshire.gov.uk
Alison Rae
School’s Improvement Commissioner Adviser Early Years Foundation Stage
Education Improvement Service
Tel: 01743 254467
Email: alison.rae@shropshire.gov.uk
Beverley Jones
Education Improvement Service
Early Years Consultant
Tel: 01743 254454
Email: beverley.jones@shropshire.gov.uk
Charlotte Percival
Safeguarding Officer
Tel: 01743 254147
Email: charlotte.percival@shropshire.gov.uk
Sue Carroll
SEND Lead Early Years / Severndale case manager
Tel: 01743 254242
Mobile: 07458124424
Email: sue.carroll@shropshire.gov.uk
Judith Pilkington
Early Years Intervention Officer
Tel: 01743 254287
Email: judith.pilkington@shropshire.gov.uk
Funding queries
Beth Parry-Jones, Brydie Porter & Sarah Jones
Email: NEF@shropshire.gov.uk
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