With you, with the child. Every step of the way.
Broadcast for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex from West Sussex County Council - Early Help Service
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Tuesday 6 October 2020
Reminder - this week's DfE data capture
This week's DfE data capture for the numbers of children currently accessing early years provision is open now, and will close at the end of Wednesday (midnight). Please use this link to complete your return.
School Readiness Integrated Review
The school applications and Starting School Questionnaire are now open, so please make sure you are sharing information about this with the parents/carers of children in your setting born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017. For more information, please see setting update #92 (Thursday 1 October).
If you can safely display the Starting School Poster in your setting, a copy can be found here.
Early Years and Childcare Representatives
We recently asked for applicants to become representatives of the early years and childcare sector at two strategic meetings. We are pleased to announce the following:
- Claire Kenyon from Busy Lizzie's Nursery in Chichester will be the representative on the SEND and Inclusion Strategy Board, and
- Suzanne Charlesworth from Kamelia Kids Day Nursery and Beach School in Worthing will be the representative on the Children's Subgroup of the Health and Wellbeing Board.
Congratulations to you both and thank you for committing the time to be part of these significant groups. We know that both of them are keen to hear your views so that they can represent you effectively in their roles.
West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSSCP)
WSSCP have recently upgraded their website to ensure it meets the new web accessibility regulations. They have also introduced a Professional Zone section. This section requires a username and password and is designed to hold information that is not appropriate to be available to the general public. This may include, reports, documents and resources relating to a variety of subjects.
If you would like to request a username and password to be able to access this area of the website please email Lucy.Short@westsussex.gov.uk.
Helping children play to learn
I CAN are collaborating with PACEY (the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years) to help parents support their child’s learning through play. Parents of children aged 0-5 can now join the ‘Play to Learn’ Facebook group where they will be sharing simple activities to do at home for little to no cost. To join the group or refer a parent you know, visit the Facebook page.
Guidance for using the West Sussex Speech and Language Monitoring Tool
This guidance has been updated to include updates to the stammering guidance and making referrals to the Speech and Language Team. Please read the guidance to make sure you are following the correct processes for children who need additional support with their Communication and Language Development.
Development Matters vodcast
Foundation Years hosted a vodcast on the new Development Matters, non-statutory curriculum guidance which supports the delivery of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework. The vodcast is available to watch here. You can also access an audio-only version on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Q and A session on Development Matters, Communication and Language
You are invited to join a discussion, run by I CAN, on the new Development Matters guidance for early years settings, with a focus on communication and language. I CAN trustee Jean Gross CBE will be chairing an online Q and A session with Dr Julian Grenier, Headteacher at Sheringham Nursery School and Louisa Reeves, Head of Impact and Evidence at I CAN on 12 October at 4.00pm. Questions can be sent in advance to media@ican.org.uk or via twitter to @ICANcharity using the hashtag #DevelopmentMatters. For more information visit their website.
COVID-19 Resources on the Foundation Years website
The Foundation Years website now has a new COVID-19 Resources Hub. This has been developed by that National Children's Bureau (NCB) in partnership with the Department for Education and a number of early years organisations. It seeks to bring useful, free resources for early years providers and parents together into a single, easily accessible place. NCB invites you to send any suggestions for content to foundationyears@ncb.org.uk.
The Foundation Stage Forum
The School Effectiveness team have renewed the West Sussex subscription to Foundation Stage Forum for 2020-21. If you need support to access this, please contact early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Please inform the Family Information Service if your current operating status changes. Email family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk and include your setting name, Ofsted URN, the date you intend to close/open, and any changes to your operating hours. If you inform us of re-opening, you will be reinstated on the public list and appear on our website www.westsussex.gov.uk/fis.
If you have not been able to open at this time, you should already have submitted a COVID-19 Recovery Plan and sent a copy by email to the FIS. This is so that we can look at the barriers you have identified and support you to re-open as soon as practicable. If we have not received your plan, you will be contacted by your EYCA to support you further.
All providers please complete a short online survey, once a week. The link to the survey is different each time. A link will be provided in each Thursday update for the following week, and the survey will be open for three full days each week from Monday to Wednesday, closing at midnight on the Wednesday. The latest link to the survey is also available on our website.
If a family you know are struggling to ensure they have food for their family, collect medication, or are in need of any additional support, contact West Sussex County Council Community hub.
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#92 (SEND consultation reminder, school readiness integrated review, Christmas crafts webinar)
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#91 (Updated PHE flowchart, EYFS disapplications, job support scheme, legal duty to self-isolate, lockdown lessons, freepost address, Yoopies warning)
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#90 (SEND consultation, updated guidance, FE Actuals, 30 hours code issue reminder, childminders and self-isolation, Networks, attachment and trauma training)
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#89 (Early years healthy development consultation)
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#88 (Reporting of positive COVID-19 cases update, Fever following immunisations, testing kits, Translations of COVID-19 parent information, Risk assessments for children with EHCPs, 30 hrs codes, Training for managers)
We have a range of online training available for you to access for your staff to ensure they have the most up to date information to support them in their role:
- w/c 19 Oct - FE Actuals payment expected
- 11 Nov - Spring Term FE Estimates submissions open
- 27 Nov - Spring Term FE Estimates submissions close
- 07 Dec - Spring Term FE Estimates submissions payment expected
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