EY Finance news
Early Years Census 2025
A reminder that the Census closes today Friday 7 February 2025.
Completion of this information is mandatory for all settings (except Academies who have opted to complete the School Census).
If you have any problems completing this please contact the Early Years Finance team as soon as possible on 01785 854009 or email eefportal@staffordshire.gov.uk, quoting your Provider Portal ID.
The Autumn Amendment Task will be open next week from Monday 10 to 14 February. This is your opportunity to make any changes to your Autumn Term claim.
If you have any queries contact the Early Years Finance team on 01785 854009 or email eefportal@staffordshire.gov.uk, quoting your Provider Portal ID.
Toilet training guidance
The DfE has published new toilet training guidance on the Help for Early Years Providers website. This will help educators understand how to support babies and young children with toilet training in EY settings. The guidance includes information and resources on:
- when to start toilet training,
- how to toilet train,
- common toilet training challenges,
- supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities,
- working in partnership with parents and carers.
Click the link below to visit the guidance on the DfE website.
New Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship
The DfE has announced a new Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (EYTDA) leading to Early Years Teacher Status.
A degree level apprenticeship gives everyone from junior staff to senior leaders the opportunity to easily move into a specialist career in the early years sector. The EYTDA enables employers to invest in the staff they already employ and provide progression opportunities, whilst allowing them to remain in their current role and continue to contribute to the running of the setting.
This apprenticeship will put foundations in place to provide a highly qualified workforce to support the next generation of young children whilst enabling future early years leaders and teachers to earn whilst they learn.
The first early years teacher degree apprenticeships are expected to start in 2026. For more information click the link below.
To register your interest email EYTDA.ENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk
Free training opportunities
Lunch and Learn: Disability Access Fund (DAF)
Friday 14 February 2025 12pm to 1pm via MS Teams
This short online session, aimed at EY Managers/Leaders, EY SENCOS and Practitioners will help you understand:
- what DAF funding is and the eligibility criteria,
- how to apply for DAF funding,
- how to use the DAF funding effectively,
- how DAF funding can enable further reasonable adjustments in your setting.
All places must be booked through the Practitioner Hub. Click the link below to book your place on the EY Practitioner Hub.
Wraparound Inclusive Practice Pathway - understanding behaviour and de-escalation strategies
This face-to-face session, aimed at wraparound care providers, will explore our understanding of behaviour, recognising that behaviour is complex and impacted by many factors. It will cover preventative strategies we can implement to manage behaviour and how to create a positive environment, de-escalation strategies for challenging situations, and restoring relationships following challenging situations.
Wednesday 5 March 2025 10:30am to 1:30pm
Northfields Centre, Magnolia Avenue, Stafford, ST16 3BZ
All places must be booked through the Practitioner Hub. Click the link below to book your place on the EY Practitioner Hub.
Wraparound Inclusive Practice Pathway - an introduction to relational and restorative practice
This face-to-face session, aimed at wraparound care providers, will introduce the principles of RRP and how these can be practically applied in settings. Sociological and psychological theories that will be explored include: social discipline window, social capital theory, shame, window of tolerance, restorative enquiry and effective statements.
Monday 24 March 2025 10:30 to 2pm
Trentham Room, Staffordshire Place 1, Tipping Street, Stafford ST16 2DH
All places must be booked through the Practitioner Hub. Click the link below to book your place on the EY Practitioner Hub.
Wraparound Inclusive Practice Pathway - raising the attainment of our disadvantaged youngsters (RADY) and wraparound care
This online session, aimed at wraparound care providers, will encourage consideration of the untapped potential of our disadvantaged learners and how their work can support better attainment in regular school time. Explore how this can be achieved through target and attainment uplifts and equity in teaching and learning, ensuring the attainment of our disadvantaged learners is a golden thread throughout school policies, and focusing on the proportional representation of our disadvantaged learners in all aspects of school life.
Tuesday 25 March 2025 9am to 11am via MS Teams
All places must be booked through the Practitioner Hub. Click the link below to book your place on the EY Practitioner Hub.
Wraparound Inclusive Practice Pathway - autism and sensory differences
This online session, aimed at wraparound care providers, will explore how individuals with autism may experience sensory difference. Learn about the characteristics and differences in sensory processing for children and young people with autism, and explore how helpful, practical strategies can create sensory friendly environments for all children and young people, not just pupils with autism.
Monday 31 March 2025 6pm to 7:30pm via MS Teams
All places must be booked through the Practitioner Hub. Click the link below to book your place on the EY Practitioner Hub.
Parental conflict and the impact on children
This online session, aimed at schools and settings, provides an introduction and overview of the topic of “parental conflict” and what the evidence tells us about how children and young people may be impacted when their parents’ relationship is distressed and/or communication is poor. The session will provide details of how schools and settings can obtain support for parents whose own relationship challenges (whether together or separated) may be negatively affecting their children’s outcomes.
5 March 2025 4pm to 5pm via MS Teams
To book, email children.families.training@staffordshire.gov.uk with the delegate name, setting name, email address, name of course and date. (Please do not contact the EEAC team).
When couples become carers–parental relationships where children have SEND
This online session, aimed at anyone who works directly with children & young people who have special educational needs, disabilities, long-term illness or are neurodiverse and their parents/families, explores how having a child with additional needs or disabilities may impact on the couple / co-parent relationship and consider what professionals can do to support effectively. The course aims to:-
• Consider the range of stressors on a co-parent relationship
• Explore the research around parental relationships and SEND
• Reflect upon the impact on relationships of having a child with SEND
• Consider what parents need from us and how we can acknowledge their relationship pressures.
12 March 2025 1:30 to 4:30pm via MS Teams
To book, email children.families.training@staffordshire.gov.uk with the delegate name, setting name, email address, name of course and date. (Please do not contact the EEAC team).
Early Years updates for schools
These face to face sessions, aimed at teachers and practitioners working in nursery and reception classes in schools, will help you stay informed with the latest insights and updates from the EY sector and offer an opportunity to collaborate with other school-based EY colleagues to discuss and share practice. Facilitated by an EY Teacher Consultant, the session will allow practitioners to keep up to date with emerging trends and enhance and elevate their practice. It will help you to:
• develop a deeper understanding of the latest national updates in early years and reflect on their impact on the sector,
• discuss local developments in early years across Staffordshire,
• network with other schools and foster a community of knowledge and improvement.
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10 March 2025
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4pm to 5:30pm
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Princefield First School, Penkridge, ST19 5EP
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12 March 2025
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4pm to 5:30pm
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Maybank Infants School, Basford Park Road, Maybank, ST5 0PT
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17 March 2025
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4pm to 5:30pm
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Bridgtown Primary School, North Street, Cannock, WS11 0AZ
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18 March 2025
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4pm to 5:30pm
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Dunstall Park Primary School, Austen Drive Tamworth B78 3BQ
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Schools may send a maximum of two practitioners. All places must be booked through the Practitioner Hub. Click the link below to book your place on the EY Practitioner Hub.
Funding for your before and after school club
What would you do with £20,000*? (*Average funding awarded)
Could you open for longer? Employee more staff? Create new provision?
To find out more visit Wraparound childcare programme.
Email sarah.atkins@staffordshire.gov.uk to arrange an initial discussion.
Dingley's Promise
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The Dingley's Promise training modules which are free to EY settings, practitioners, and parents of EY children in Staffordshire, offer a free and comprehensive module around supporting robust and successful transitions including strategies and ideas to support settings.
Click the link below for more details and to register.
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Mark of Achievement
Settings can now achieve their very own Mark of Achievement to reflect their passion and commitment to inclusive practice in the early years. Dingley’s training has been specifically designed to provide practical skills and knowledge to help practitioners support the growing numbers of children with SEND.
With the Mark of Achievement, your setting is recognised for embracing the training within your teams and the dedication to transforming the lives of children with SEND through inclusive practice.
Click the link below for more details on the Mark of Achievement.
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Coffee morning for parents
East Staffordshire Family Hub will be hosting an informal coffee morning for parents of early years children who may be concerned about their child’s development.
The event will be an opportunity for parents to gain advice and guidance, as well as signposting to other support they may not be aware of. A range of professionals will be available to talk about individual children’s needs, including speech and language therapy, the Autism Inclusion Team, the Family Hub manager, and EY SEND Practitioners.
Click the link below to see the poster, which can be printed and displayed in your setting and shared with your parents. Further posters will be available shortly in other languages.
Tuesday 25 February 2025 10am to 11am
East Staffordshire Family Hub Waterloo Street, Burton, DE14 2NJ.
Under 2’s speech and language screening tool
The screening tool is intended for practitioners working with children around the 12-month milestone mark and forms part of the current speech and language pathway to access specialist support.
Following the launch of the under 2's speech and language screening tool on the Early Years Practitioner Hub, click the link below to access the resource which can be found at the bottom of the EY SENIS webpage.
'Do Something BIG' campaign
The DfE’s Do Something BIG recruitment campaign is continuing to highlight the huge difference early years educators make to young children and how rewarding working in the sector can be.
Throughout February they are running a series of Do Something Big careers events across the country. The campaign directs potential applicants to use DWP’s Find a Job vacancy platform to search for EY roles in their area, providing a valuable opportunity for employers to showcase their vacancies.
Listing EY vacancies on Find a Job - which is free to use - is a cost-effective way of ensuring they are seen by a large pool of candidates and will help connect more job seekers with the opportunities they’re looking for.
Simply create an account to post any current or upcoming jobs in your setting, using the term ‘early years’ in job advert titles; select ‘Education and childcare jobs’ as the job category. Watch these video tutorials(YouTube) to help you create an employer account and post your jobs.
You might like to advertise vacancies for free on the Staffordshire Jobs and Careers website, where there is a dedicated Early Years and Childcare section.
Click the link below to take you to the Staffordshire Jobs and Careers website.
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