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 5 October 2022
Starting School Applications
The school applications process is now open for families with children born between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019 who are due to start school in September 2023.
You should have received a pack of Starting School leaflets and a Starting School poster for your setting. The poster should be displayed within your setting for parents to read and the leaflets should be distributed to the families of children who are due to be starting school in September 2023. If you need additional copies of the poster or leaflet embed link to leaflet, please print using these PDFs.
You may have some parents who have a child in this age range who are unsure if they want their child to start school in September. Please talk to these families about the potential benefits and risks of delaying their child’s start to school and make sure that they understand the need to apply for a school place, which can be declined later if no longer needed. It is important that all families with a child in this age group apply for a school place before the deadline of 15 January 2023.
Ofsted Roadshows
Ofsted is running a series of Education Inspection Framework (EIF) curriculum roadshows for maintained nursery schools and any school with pre-reception children attending but we have been asked to promote them to PVI settings as well.
Two representatives per setting are welcome to attend but each person attending will need to register separately. There is no charge for attending one of these events and spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are interested in attending an event, there are some FAQs, or please find below details of the dates (for the closest venues), session times and links for registration.
New Foundation Years vodcast and blog out now
Vodcast for senior leaders on assessment and good practice under the new Early Years Foundation Stage: Gill Holden, Programme Lead of the Early Childhood Unit at the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), speaks to Candi Roberts, Headteacher at Claremont Primary School in Tunbridge Wells. They discuss how practice has changed with regards to observation and assessment, what the benefits have been for teachers and children and much more. You can see this vodcast here.
New blog on the role of the early years workforce in supporting communication and language skills: Amy Loxley, Lead Speech and Language Adviser at I CAN, the children's communication charity, looks at the importance of good quality universal provision, identification, targeted support and more. You can read the blog here.
Autumn Term Network Meetings
The Learning and Development Network Meetings (new name EYFS Leaders Networks) and the INCO SENCO Networks are available to book. These are still free of charge and hosted at venues in each area. To book, search for the EYT code on the Learning and Development Gateway.
- EYFS Leaders Network (Mid Sussex) - Monday 17 October 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 22/2444)
- EYFS Leaders Network (Adur & Worthing) - Wednesday 19 October - 2022 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 23/385)
- EYFS Leaders Network (Arun) - Wednesday 19 October 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 23/388)
- EYFS Leaders Network (Horsham) - Thursday 20 October 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 22/2441)
- EYFS Leaders Network (Chichester) - Friday 21 October 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 23/391)
- EYFS Leaders Network (Crawley) - Friday 21 October 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 22/2443)
- SENCO/INCO Network (Horsham) Monday 31 October 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 22/2442)
- SENCO/INCO Network (Mid Sussex) - Monday 31 October 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 22/2445)
- SENCO/INCO Network (Adur & Worthing) - Wednesday 2 November 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 22/2425)
- SENCO/INCO Network (Arun) - Thursday 3 November 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 22/2432)
- SENCO/INCO Network (Chichester) - Thursday 3 November 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (EYT 23/392)
- SENCO/INCO Network (Crawley) - Thursday 3 November 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm (booking information to follow)
- Childminder Network - Wednesday 16 November 7:00pm to 8.30pm (booking information to follow)
- Childminder Network - Saturday 19 November 9.30am to 11:00am (booking information to follow)
Specialist Advisory Teachers (SATs) – Early Years SEND Transition
In last week's broadcast Setting Update #234, the new roles of the Specialist Advisory Teachers (SATs) were introduced. The flyer provided contained an incorrect email address for Tracy Swaffer. Her correct contact details can be found in the updated flyer, along with further information and details of the team.
- W/C 17 OCT - Autumn actuals payment expected
- 31 DEC - Sufficiency for Autumn term deadline
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
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 consult the guidance to check when to inform Ofsted.
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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#234 (Safeguarding focus: safer recruitment - guidance on online searches of shortlisted candidates; childcare survey deadline approaching; committee run provision; introduction to specialist advisory teachers - EY SEND transitions; Ofsted education recovery series; respiratory outbreaks and prevention and control webinar; pre-school immunisations; HAF summer feedback)
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#233 (Childcare needs survey update; autumn FE actuals - deadline this Friday; tax-free childcare search route now live; early years stronger practice hubs advisory group; updated FAQs and webinar recording; updated quality improvement criteria; virtual reality demonstrations)
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#232 (Increase in Scarlet Fever; autumn term FE actuals claim; setting review meetings; early years inclusion support plan; HAF Christmas 2022 expressions of interest now open; government consultations final reminder; childcare needs survey; Flu immunisation for early years; food poverty a growing concern)
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#231 (Government consultations - time is running out; autumn term FE actuals claims; DAF and EYPP autumn claims; starting school questionnaire and school applications; BookTrust update; childcare survey; EY stronger practice hubs webinar; EYFS reforms: one year on, lessons learned and future direction)
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#230 (Autumn term FE actuals now open; claiming FE for Afghan families; childcare needs survey to share with families; stronger practice hubs webinar recordings)
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