25 April 2025

EEAC update 54

EEAC updates are published every Friday, during term time.

This is an additional update.

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Past editions are also available to view on our web page

Join us at our FREE Early Years Conference to celebrate early years practitioners who are working to improve outcomes for children in Staffordshire.

You will gain insight from early years experts and settings about supporting individual children and the significance of early years practitioners on children’s wellbeing and development.

Hear from:
Darrell Woodman - The Art of Being Brilliant - workshop based on the UK’s first big piece of research in Positive Psychology focusing on learning new habits of thinking and behaviour that will sustain personal ‘brilliance’.

Greg Bottrill - author of the bestselling ’Can I Go And Play Now?’, ‘School of the Magic of Children’ and ‘Love Letters To Play’.

Laura Henri-Allain MBE - international award-winning producer, storyteller, educationalist, keynote speaker and consultant. She is the creator of the well-loved, award-winning first Black British animation, JoJo and Gran Gran.

Catherine McLeod MBE - Chief Executive of Dingley’s Promise since 2015, growing the organisation from a small local charity to a national one that delivers training and influences policy.

This conference will support you to:

• celebrate early years practice across Staffordshire.
• respond in innovative ways to nurture the unique child.
• recognise the commitment practitioners have made to their own professional development, including through the Early Years Professional Development Programme and Dingley’s Promise.
• develop knowledge and skills to support personal wellbeing both in and out of work.
• stimulate your professional learning and understanding of young children.
• network with other early years practitioners and learn more about services in Staffordshire

For further details and to book your place on the EY Practitioner Hub, click the link below. Maximum 2 delegates per setting. We look forward to welcoming you.

SEND Inclusion Funding (SENIF) update

Settings can access SEN Inclusion Funding without children being known to Early Years Forum.

Applications for SENIF funding must be submitted by Wednesday 30 April 2025 for eligible children who are due to start school in September 2025. This will ensure eligible children attending Staffordshire schools in September 2025 receive transition funding to support transition plans in their feeder school during the Autumn term. Applications for funding can be found here Staffordshire Connects | Early years special educational needs and disability funding for settings

Click the link below for Early Years Forum and SEN Inclusion Funding dates for the academic year 2025-2026.

Free training opportunities

Lunch and Learn: Early Years Forum updates

This session, aimed at EY Managers and Leaders and EY SENCos, will focus on sharing the latest updates on Early Years Forum.

It aims to help you understand the latest process for referral to EY Forum and the EY Forum Triage process.

Tuesday 29 April 2025 9am to 10am via MS Teams, or

Tuesday 29 April 2025 12pm to 1pm 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.

Term Funding Periods

Summer term funding and Easter 2025

The Summer Term funding period covers the period 1 April to 31 August. This means that settings can claim the first 2 weeks of the summer term before the Easter holidays, and then resume after the break to claim a maximum of 13 weeks funding. This ensures parents are not missing out on 2 weeks funding they are entitled to before Easter.

These 13 weeks, added to the 11 funded weeks in Spring Term and the 14 funded weeks in Autumn term, total 38 weeks funding across the academic year, as shown in the table above.

For any queries or help contact the Finance team on 01785 854009 or email eefportal@staffordshire.gov.uk.

Encourage parents to apply or reconfirm their working parent code before the end of the period to be valid for next term. The deadline to apply for a code was 31 March to be valid to use from 1 April. Regularly review the dashboard on your EY Portal for those codes which are shortly due reconfirmation and let parents know. Signpost parents to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to find out about the expansion of the entitlements for working families and how to save money on their childcare.   Parents can call the Childcare Choices customer interaction centre on 0300 123 4097. Parents will now be able to apply for codes for children turning the relevant age by 31 August in order to claim a funded childcare place in Autumn term. Parents who apply for their code early may need to reconfirm their code before their child takes up their place in September.   Eligible children will be entitled to 30 hours a week from 1 September.  A child’s existing code can continue to be used as before, and parents do not need to apply for a new or additional code to take up a 30 hours place from September. Parents with an existing code will need to reconfirm at the normal time to maintain the validity of their child’s code.

Childcare Choices Partner Communications Toolkit

Childcare Choices have produced a 'Partner communications Toolkit' containing templates and resources you can download to help you raise awareness with parents of the financial support available for childcare costs and the benefit of early education.

The 'Campaign Creatives' page allows you to share messages via your social media accounts, emails, on your website, or within your setting. These resources are available in a number of languages including Gujarati, Romanian, Ukrainian and Urdu.

Use these resources alongside our existing Early Education and Childcare Toolkit.

EY Area SENCO Team helpline 

To request a helpline call back:

• Email: EYSENIS@staffordshire.gov.uk
• Type the words ‘Tuesday helpline’ in the email subject
• Include a brief summary of your query and contact details including a contact phone number in the email

You can email at any time, requests are collated for the next helpline date.  Each Tuesday, a member of the team will operate the helpline.  If Tuesdays are not a suitable time to call back, please note this in your email and we will try to accommodate your request. 

To make a request for consultation, download the request form on Staffordshire Connects | EY SENIS Team. Instructions and guidance are included on the form.

Please note - the EYSENIS team do not have a direct phone number. They can be contacted by email: EYSENIS@staffordshire.gov.uk.

This update is produced and distributed by Staffordshire County Council. If you wish to follow up on anything in this update then please contact us by email at eeac@staffordshire.gov.uk

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