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Broadcast for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex from West Sussex County Council - Early Help Service
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Tuesday 29 June 2021
DfE data capture
Please note this data is now collected fortnightly. Therefore the next collection will be on week commencing 5 July 2021.
Clarification on Testing and Self-Isolation
Following the item in the previous broadcast (Setting Update #165), we understand this has caused some confusion for which we apologise. We are working with Public Health colleagues to clarify key areas and will aim to provide this to you as soon as possible.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Disapplications
The Department for Education (DfE) have highlighted an update that has been made today to the EYFS disapplications guidance. This update is to:
- link to the current version of Ofsted’s early years inspection handbook, published on 28 June 2021, for inspections taking place from 1 September 2021.
- clarify that the period in which the EYFS disapplications can be used ends on 31 August 2021.
- clarify that if government restrictions and requirements are lifted before 31 August 2021 the disapplications can no longer be used as the necessary conditions for using them will no longer be met.
The DfE are aware that some sector bodies and providers are raising concerns about ongoing challenges with recruitment in the sector, particularly around level 3 qualified staff. Due to the limited legal scope of the current disapplications and the very specific circumstances in which they can legally be used, the DfE do not think that they are the right policy response to the current recruitment challenges and they were not intended or designed to be used in this way. However, they are committed to working with the sector and Local Authorities to fully understand the scale of the challenge over the coming weeks and months and ensure that the right response and messaging is in place.
In the meantime, the DfE thought it would be helpful to draw your attention to the following section of the COVID-19 guidance for early years providers, which covers existing flexibilities within the EYFS with regard to staffing ratios. There are no plans to change this guidance when the disapplications end in September.
Varying staff to child ratios - Paragraph 3.30 of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) states ‘Exceptionally, and where the quality of care and safety and security of children is maintained, changes to the ratios may be made.’ The DfE consider the extent of COVID-19 to be an exceptional temporary circumstance in which the staff to child ratios set out in the EYFS can be changed if necessary. Early years settings and schools, however, remain responsible for ensuring the safety and security of children in their care.
Free SENCO Training
The National Association of Special Educational Needs (nasen) run an accredited Early Years SENCO Award, funded by the Department for Education (DfE). They are hoping to be able to run the training course again in the autumn term 2020. This DfE funded award, run by nasen and developed by School Improvement Liverpool, is a 12.5 day course, which runs over a 3-4 month period. After undertaking a series of online written tasks and an observation in the setting, attendees are awarded a Level 3 Early Years SENCO Award, which is accredited by CACHE. Participants must be Early Years SENCOs currently working in PVI settings or childminders within the Local Authority. If you would like to take part in this programme, if it becomes available, please email FISInclusionTeam@westsussex.gov.uk with your contact details and the details of the setting you work in and we will contact you when we have more information.
If you are interested in taking part you may also wish to book onto the Pre-SENCO course as preparation for the training. The course consists of three two-hour sessions delivered via webinar. Participants will receive a certificate once they have attended all three sessions.
Nasen are also offering a free webinar Meeting the Needs of Every Child aimed at providing Early Years Practitioners with a thorough understanding of inclusive practice for SEND in Early Years settings.
What will this course cover?
- Responsibilities of a PVI setting towards children with SEND
- The role of the SENCO and the Key Person
- What effective inclusive practice looks like in a PVI setting
- How to use nasen's free resources and face-to-face training materials
Who would benefit from this training?
- Early Years practitioners
- Childminders
- New SENCOs
The course runs for two hours on 29 July 1.00pm to 3.00pm or 12 August 6.00pm to 8.00pm - please follow the link to book 29 July or book 12 August.
Training to support children’s creativity, confidence and progress
To book the following courses, search for the course code on the Learning and Development Gateway. If you have any questions, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
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Roll out the role play (half day webinar) will support you to provide exciting role play opportunities that promote maths, literacy, social skills and cultural diversity. Understand how to stimulate interest through the use of low-cost resources. Content aligns with the revised Early Years Foundation Stage 2021. The cost is £25 per place.
- Tuesday 6 July - 1.00pm to 4.00pm - EYT 21/1791
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Working with Children who have English as an Additional Language (EAL) (half day webinar) will support you to meet the needs of children’s individual language development through offering a range of play and learning opportunities. Explore best practice, resources, routines, activities and experiences that support children and work in partnership with their parents and carers. All course times are 9.30am to 12.30pm. The cost is £25 per place.
- Thursday 8 July - EYT 21/1956
- Thursday 18 November - EYT 21/1957
- Wednesday 16 February - EYT 22/189
All early years providers must follow a new reformed EYFS framework from September 2021. View the new framework and how the changes affect you.
Please inform the Family Information Service if your setting needs to close or is re-opening. 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 closing due to COVID-19 please ensure you read and follow all the steps in the PHE South East Health Protection Team ' Managing Suspected and Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Early Years and Childcare settings' flowchart.
In the event of your setting having a confirmed COVID-19 case, if Public Health or the Department for Education have stated you must close for any period of time you must inform the Family Information Service. However, if Public Heath have not explicitly stated in correspondence to you that the setting must close, we would expect you to make contact with your Early Years and Childcare Adviser (EYCA) to talk through your circumstances, where possible, before making the decision to close the setting. If you are not able to make immediate contact with your EYCA then please email your nearest Early Help Hub using the following email addresses:
Where there are not clearly evidenced reasons why the setting had no option to close, there could be implications for funding received as per the government guidance.
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:
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#165 (PCR tests for close contacts, COVID-19 contingency framework, HAF funding may still be available, SEND under 5's, enhance your nurturing techniques)
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#164 (DfE data capture, large group activities during the summer term, final reminder - EY funding to support health and physical development, FE autumn term estimates now open, FE summer term payments, communication courses, supporting children in EY settings who may have experienced trauma)
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#163 (DfE data capture, transition day, large group activities during the summer term, EYFS reforms, INCO/SENCO training, meeting the needs of every child)
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#162 (Changes to the planned ending of COVID-19 restrictions and transition days in schools, reminder - EY funding to support health and physical development, changes to the EYFS and Development Matters)
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#161 (Reminder - HAF programme, early years transition webinars, newly published courses suitable for all staff)
- 2 Jul - Autumn term Estimate submissions close (FE providers)
- w/c 12 Jul - Autumn term Estimate payments expected (FE providers)
- 1 Sep - Autumn term Actuals submissions open (FE providers)
- 1 Sep - New EYFS framework effective
- 16 Sep - Autumn term headcount day (FE providers)
- 24 Sep - Autumn term Actuals submissions close (FE providers)
- w/c 18 Oct - Autumn term Actuals payments expected (FE providers)
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