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 24 November 2021
COVID-19 - Christmas Activities
In the light of rising case numbers, we recommend that you consider your plans for any Christmas activities within your setting and how you will keep children, families and your staff safe. Please review your current plans in the light of current government guidance, your own setting risk assessment and contingency framework and then consider if there are any additional measures you can put in place to minimise the spread of infection.
Free Entitlement Spring Term Estimates – Submission Deadline Friday
A reminder that the Online Provider Portal (OPP) is 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 Friday 26 November 2021 at 11.59pm.
Help and guidance:
For help and guidance view our quick and easy Estimate video guide, or you can refer to the Estimate help guide PDF version.
Please note, we only require estimate information at present and we will request your actuals (child-level) data in due course.
30 hour code deadline reminder: In order for children to access an Extended FE place in the Spring term their 30 hour code must be issued by HMRC by 31 December 2021. Any existing codes with a grace period ending 31 December 2021, or earlier, must also be reconfirmed by this date. Please note, the online eligibility checker is always available to check a child’s 30 hour code is valid for the upcoming term.
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.
Safeguarding poster for settings
A new poster is available for settings to display, detailing what those who work with children who have a concern about a child should do. The new poster can be found on the West Sussex County Council website on our Legislation, Regulation and Safeguarding page (found under the heading 'Child protection and safeguarding' then 'Tools and formats'). For a direct link to the poster, please click here.
Holiday Activities and Food Programme 2021
It’s not too late to be part of the Winter HAF Programme. If you are running clubs for at least four hours a day, four days a week for one week of the holidays and can offer a hot meal each day, then the council would like to hear from you.
The HAF programme funds holiday places for children eligible for free school meals. Watch this video see what happened over the summer. Contact haf@westsussex.gov.uk for more information.
Early Years Professional Development Programme - Final Reminder
The deadline for signing up for the free Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP) is Tuesday 30 November 2021. If you are eligible and interested in taking part, please make sure you sign up before the deadline. If you are eligible, you should have received an email from EYPDP2022. We are aware that EYPDP may contact additional settings in the next few days. If you do not think you have received any emails from the organisers but are interested in taking part, please contact info@eypdp2022.com. For more information, please see previous broadcast emails.
Fire Safety for Early Years Providers
This three hour course is for all Fire Wardens and Fire Marshals within Early Years. It will introduce you to basic fire safety training in the workplace and provide you with the opportunity to use portable firefighting equipment. An outside demonstration of this equipment will be undertaken, providing there are suitable local facilities.
The aim of this course is to provide you with a greater awareness of fire safety provisions and your additional responsibilities before, and in the event of, a fire.
If you apply what you have learnt in this course you will be able to:
- Have an awareness of human behaviour in fire.
- Identify the causes and mechanism of fire.
- Assess the precautionary measures installed in a building.
- Recognise how a fire risk assessment is made.
- Identify the legislation relating to fire safety in buildings.
- Identify and understand the different types if fire extinguishers.
There is a course running on Friday 28 January 9.30-12.30 at Arundel Fire Station. For more information, and to book into this course, please search for course code FRS 22/171 or search Fire Safety - Early Years on the Learning and Development Gateway. The cost of the training is £125.
Early Years Special Interest Group - Supporting Children with English as An Additional Language
During the National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC) Conference 2021, which took place on Saturday, it was announced that an Early Years Special Interest Group is being formed, and the first nation-wide meeting will take place via Zoom on 29 November, 4.30-6pm. Dr Rose Drury, an Early Years Education Consultant with over 20 years' experience, specialising in English as an Additional Language (EAL), will speak at the meeting.
The group and the meeting are open to any early years practitioners. The group will meet termly to network, share experiences, resources and good practise.
To participate in online events and to be kept informed of relevant early years material, please sign up using this link.
Working with Children who have English as an Additional Language (Half Day Webinar)
This half day webinar is for those working within an Early Years setting.
Some children are fortunate to grow up learning more than one language. Children who have more than one language in their early years have been found to benefit from excellent language skills later in life.
A child’s first language needs to be reflected in settings to ensure family experiences are being reinforced and valued. A feeling of belonging contributes to a sense of worth and a child's language development.
The aim of this webinar is to:
- Introduce you to the legal framework in relation to working with children who have English as an additional language (EAL).
- Identify the role and value of working in partnership with the family and other professionals.
- Examine the needs of children who are learning a new language.
- Consider ways of celebrating diversity across the setting.
- Explore the importance of policies and practice and working within an anti- discriminatory framework.
The cost is £25 per place.
- Wednesday 16 February 2022 – 9:30am – 12:30pm – Course Code: EYT22/189
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
Calling All Superheroes! (Half day webinar)
This half day course is suitable for all levels of practitioner. The aim is to support you to recognise the benefits of superhero play and learn ways to realise it within your setting.
Children are surrounded by stories of real-life heroism and fictional superheroes, so it is natural that many engage in superhero play. However, this type of play is not without its challenges. We often see children engaging in rough and tumble or playing with weapons and it is difficult to know how to respond appropriately. This course will address these difficult issues and encourage delegates to embrace superhero play and its many benefits.
This course is linked with self-regulation, the Expressive arts and design (EAD) area in the EYFS and the characteristics of effective learning.
The cost is £25 per place.
- Tuesday 18 January 2022 – 9:30am – 12:30pm – Course Code: EYT22/174
Tamsin Grimmer, who delivers this course, has written a book that this course is based on. The book is also called ‘Calling All Superheroes.’ We currently have a Facebook competition running as we have two copies of this book to give away. For a chance to win a copy of this book please visit our Facebook page. The competition is pinned to the top of the page at https://www.facebook.com/WSEYT
To book a place on the course, 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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#190 (DfE data capture, new online provider portal guidance web pages, ministerial letter to parent and carers of children and young people with SEND, safer recruitment, EYPDP, a look at springtime crafts)
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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)
- 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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