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 17 November 2021
Reminder - DfE data capture required this week
A Department for Education data capture for the numbers of children currently accessing early years provision is required this week. It is open now, and will close tonight at midnight. Please use this link to complete your return.
New Online Provider Portal information and guidance web pages
We are pleased to announce that we have enhanced our help and guidance content for the Online Provider Portal (OPP).
You will find the new improved content on our website westsussex.gov.uk/EarlyYearsAndChildcare. There is also a direct link to it from the OPP itself (on the homepage after you sign in) for quick access to help guides.
Improvements include:
- a dedicated web page for every task,
- clear explanations about what to complete and when,
- new help guides (PDF format), and
- updated how-to videos (YouTube).
Please take the time to check out the new content. We always welcome feedback for any part of our website – you will find a comments box at the end of any page, or email us through the Family Information Service.
Free Entitlement providers - please be advised that the page called ‘When to use the portal’ is now the place where you can find submission and payment dates for termly estimates and actuals, and dates for the annual census and declaration. This replaces the old blue PDF document that contained a table of dates. You will also find these dates in the Upcoming Key Dates section at the end of every Setting Update email.
Minister Quince's letter to parents and carers of children and young people with SEND
Will Quince MP, Minister for Children and Families, has written an open letter to parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), their families and those who support them.
In the letter, the Minister reaffirms his commitment to delivering the SEND Review and the importance of supporting the most disadvantaged children and young people. He outlines his plans to continue to visit schools, nurseries and colleges around the country to directly hear first-hand from children, young people, parents and carers, school, college and local authority staff as well as meet with SEND organisations and experts so they can influence proposals.
Alongside the letter, the Department for Education has published information about the members of the SEND Review Steering Group. The new group was set up to assist the department conclude the SEND Review at pace and advise on proposals to be set out in a SEND Green Paper to be published in the first three months of 2022. For further information on the group, visit GOV.UK.
Safer Recruitment
We would like to remind you of the vital importance of all settings following the safer recruitment processes when taking on new staff members and volunteers. This is crucial in creating a culture that safeguards and promotes the welfare of children in your setting by deterring and preventing people who are unsuitable to work with children. All settings must refer to and follow the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework 2021 and must have regard to Keeping Children Safe In Education 2021. Safer recruitment practices include obtaining a full employment history, taking up references and identifying and clarifying any gaps in the candidates employment history. There is additional guidance available at Safer Recruitment and Managing Staff - (westsussexscp.org.uk) and practitioners should ensure that they access regular safeguarding training to make sure that their knowledge is thorough and up to date.
Early Years Professional Development Programme
We have previously shared information with you about the Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP) (#185 ). If you are interested in taking part, but are unsure if your setting is eligible, please email family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk. The training sessions will be delivered in daytime, twilight, evening or at the weekend to support all practitioners to be able to take part. If you have had any difficulty in signing up, please contact info@eypdp2022.com. The closing date for practitioners to sign up to take part in this free training is 30 November 2021. For more information about the programme, please see the information on the EYPDP website.
A look at Springtime crafts – Embedding genuine creativity (Taster Webinar)
This two hour webinar is aimed at practitioners working with 3 – 5 year olds in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
This engaging and motivating webinar will provide you with a refreshing array of spring time resource ideas and pedagogical approaches which ensure that children’s individuality and developmental needs are central to planning and provision.
The aim of this webinar is to emphasise strong messages about sustaining child-centred, playful practice which promote independence and creativity in learning.
The cost is £15 per place.
- Tuesday 25 January 2022 – 7.00pm to 9.00pm – EYT22/319
To book, search for the course code on the Learning and Development Gateway. If you have any questions, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk
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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#189 (DfE data capture, change of time for these emails, FE spring term estimates open, transition dates, area inclusion and improvement dates)
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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)
- NOW - Spring term Estimate submissions open (FE providers)
- NOW - Early Years DfE COVID-19 Return - closes today
- 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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