The West Sussex approach puts the child first. We work with children, families, communities, our partners and schools in a restorative, strength based way. Strong relationships are at the heart of what we do.
Broadcast for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex from West Sussex County Council
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Wednesday 10 November 2021
DfE data capture required next week
The next monthly Department for Education data capture for the numbers of children currently accessing early years provision will open on Monday 15 November, and will close at midnight on Wednesday 17 November. Please use this link to complete your return. As our Setting Update emails are weekly, this is your only reminder in advance of the survey opening - we recommend you add it to your calendar.
Our Setting Update emails changing to 1.00pm on a Wednesday
Following some feedback from settings, please note that from next week these emails will be sent out at 1.00pm on a Wednesday instead of 4.00pm.
COVID-19 Case Numbers and Reporting
Case numbers of children in early years settings in West Sussex, while still relatively low, are rising. The numbers of reported cases may be lower than the actual number of cases as many young children with COVID-19 may not be symptomatic and young children are not taking part in regular asymptomatic testing. While not wishing to raise anxiety, settings should consider the implications of rising case numbers and refer to their risk assessment, or contingency plans, to consider if they wish to introduce additional measures to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19.
Where you have a positive case of COVID-19 of a child or staff member in your setting, please refer to the managing_confirmed_cases_flowchart. While you do not need to report all cases to the Family Information Service (FIS) you must notify Ofsted, or the childminder agency with which you are registered, of any confirmed cases in your setting, whether a child or a staff member. Settings should also tell Ofsted if they have to close the setting as a result. It is a legal requirement as set out in paragraph 3.52 of the early years foundation stage statutory framework. Settings can read ‘tell Ofsted if you have a COVID-19 incident at your childcare business’ to ensure that all the required information is included in their notifications.
You should also notify the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA - previously Public Health England) via the Department for Education COVID-19 helpline on 0800 046 8687 if 10% or more children and staff, who are likely to have mixed closely, test positive for COVID-19 within a 10 day period. For settings with 20 children or less, this would mean contacting UKHSA after two positive cases in children in the setting.
If you are experiencing rising case numbers and would like support, please contact FIS (family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk). Although you no longer need to notify the FIS of all positive cases of COVID-19 within your setting, you must contact FIS if you are considering closing or reducing children's access to their usual education entitlement as a result of cases within your setting or linked to staff members.
COVID-19 - Updated Guidance for Pregnant Employees
Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees has been updated to reflect changes surrounding shielding requirements and to provide more information on vaccines.
Free Entitlement Spring Term Estimates – Opens Today
The Online Provider Portal (OPP) is now open for you to submit your Spring term estimates for Free Entitlement (FE) 2, 3 and 4 Year Olds www.westsussex.gov.uk/ecsportal.
- Headcount Day for Spring term is 20 January 2022.
- The deadline for estimate submissions is 26 November 2021.
If, after viewing the guidance available on our website you have any questions, please email free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk or phone the Family Information Service on 01243 777807.
Hold the Dates - Transition Events
This year we are planning to run Transition Events again, following two years of not being able to run them due to COVID-19. The events will run between Monday 16 May and Friday 27 May 2022. The events are an opportunity for schools and settings to meet together to discuss the children starting school in September 2022 and to start to plan the additional transition activity needed to support children in making a positive start to their time in school - including visits and supported transition meetings. We are currently booking the venues for the sessions and will provide you with more details in the coming weeks. If you are able to offer a venue that you think would be suitable for holding the events, please email the Early Years Training Team - early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Area Inclusion and Improvement Workshops
Over the next academic year, West Sussex are working with early years practitioners to deliver a locality-based programme with the aim of improving outcomes for all children and narrowing the attainment gap.
The project, which has been funded by the Area Inclusion and Improvement Boards, is aimed at creating closer working relationships between pre-school settings and schools to develop a shared and consistent understanding across West Sussex of high quality inclusive early years provision.
The programme will be led jointly by a practitioner from an early years setting and a teacher working in a school in your locality. They will deliver four workshops over the coming year. The funding has meant that we can provide these workshops free for your early years leads to attend.
The first sessions have already run but if you have missed this and would like to attend you can book onto session two. Please do not rebook a space if you have already attended session one.
View this flyer for further information, course dates and links to book your space.
To allow our Early Years and Childcare Advisors to focus their support to where it is most needed, we ask that you check for information online before you contact us.
COVID-19 guidance
Other information and guidance (WSCC)
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Practice support (EYFS, Diversity and Inclusion, health and wellbeing, transitions, legislation, regulation and safeguarding)
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Supporting families in your childcare setting (includes CLaWBA, integrated reviews)
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Tools for schools and settings (supporting the inclusion of all children in early years)
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Business support (Free Entitlement, marketing, finance, recruitment, advertising)
- Training and qualifications
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Network meetings/events (Learning and development, INCO SENCO, business and welfare)
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Online Provider Portal (submission dates, help guides)
For help to access information
To request additional support for your setting
All early years providers must follow a new reformed EYFS framework from September 2021. View the new framework to see how the changes affect you, and access updated Learning Journal materials online.
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 ' What happens if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in an educational setting' 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.
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#188 (COVID-related closure notification, key spending review announcements, support to early years settings, EYPDP invites to participate, FIS on Facebook, talking clearly)
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#187 (Under 5's safeguarding conference, safeguarding training, early years teacher status)
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#186 (COVID-19 guidance update, notification reminder, contact tracing, COVID-19 testing during half-term, CO2 monitors, HPT change to out of hours enquiries, FE autumn term payments, learn - explore - debate, mental health aware, SEND newsletter)
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#185 (DfE data capture, starting school questionnaire, videos on implementing EYFS reforms, EYFS profile handbook, EYPDP phase 2 update, EY updates from the virtual school, provider survey, Christmas HAF - last chance to submit expressions of interest, child protection conferences)
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#184 (DfE data capture, important changes to reporting COVID-19 cases in your setting, self-isolation hub, Public Health England name change, FE children starting between 20/09/21 and 8/10/21, starting school applications, LoCASE business grants, step away from the star chart: strategies for responding to children's behaviour)
- NOW - Spring term Estimate submissions open (FE providers)
- w/c 15 Nov - Early Years DfE COVID-19 Return - open 15-17 Nov
- 26 Nov - Spring term Estimate submissions close (FE providers)
- w/c 6 Dec - Spring term Estimate payments expected (FE providers)
- w/c 13 Dec - Early Years DfE COVID-19 Return - open 13-15 Dec
- 4 Jan - Spring term Actuals submissions open (FE providers)
- 4 Jan - Annual Early Years Census submissions open (FE providers)
- 15 Jan - Applications close for starting school places (Primary, infant, junior)
- 20 Jan - Free Entitlement headcount day for Spring Term
- 28 Jan - Spring term Actuals submissions close (FE providers)
- 28 Jan - Annual Early Years Census submissions close (FE providers)
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