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 11 January 2023

Setting update 248 (Final reminder - starting school applications; checking eligibility for 2 year old FE; transition events; early years training)

Starting School Applications - final reminder

The deadline for applying for a school place is Sunday 15 January 2023 for all children born between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019 so there are only a few days left.  Please check with all your families that, if their child is in this age band, they have submitted their application for a school place - even if they are considering deferring their child's school start.

Checking Eligibility for 2 year old Free Entitlement (FE)

Back in September during the Autumn Term Headcount data submission, we noticed that we were receiving a large number of claims for children for 2 year old FE who were not eligible for the funding. To ensure that you are not left with a large bill that a parent cannot or refuses to pay, please be reminded of how to check that a child's eligibility has been confirmed with their Local Authority:

• For families who have applied via West Sussex
• Parents will be sent a letter (usually via email), which will confirm the child's six digit eligibility code and the month from when funding can start from.
• None of our eligibility codes contain letters, so if a parent gives you an alpha-numeric code, please advise the parent to check their inbox for an actual letter, or to email freechildcare@westsussex.gov.uk if they haven't yet received a response to their application.
• If you are unsure, you can contact us at free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk or call 01243 777807.

• For families who have applied via another Local Authority
• Each Local Authority has different set ups, so always ask to see the letter or email that is sent confirming a child's eligibility.
• When submitting a headcount claim for these children, please ensure that you add the code and local authority details to the notes box as set out in the Headcount guidance.

Transition Events

The dates and venues for the Transition Events are as follows:

Bookings are currently open for schools and will open to early years settings shortly, following  the completion of changes to the Learning and Development Gateway (#247). Please make a note of the dates of the relevant sessions and plan to allow staff to attend.

The Transition Events are an opportunity for schools and pre-school settings to meet together to briefly discuss the children transitioning into school and to identify children who will need a Supported Transition into school. These events are in addition to your other transition activity which help children to make a positive start to school life. Feedback from these events is positive about the time it saves in making contact but the key to success is good attendance from both schools and early years settings, so please prioritise these events.

For more information about the events, transition processes and the paperwork to share with schools, please see our Early years transitions webpages.

Translated Scarlet Fever and IGAS Information Letter for Parents

These translated letters informs those working in settings, and parents attending those settings, about the symptoms of Group A Streptoccous (GAS), Scarlet Fever, and Invasive Group A Streptoccous (iGAS), and what action to take if cases are confirmed in settings. The original letter has been translated into the following languages:

• Arabic
• Bengali
• Gujarati
• Italian
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Punjabi
• Romanian
• Somali
• Spanish
• Ukrainian
• Urdu

Early years training update

Refreshing Teaching and Learning. EYFS Pedagogy and Characteristics (Webinar) is a half day webinar suitable for any practitioner working within the EYFS. As part of ongoing professional development, practitioners need an in depth understanding of elements of best practice. Participants will strengthen their knowledge and understanding of key principles of effective teaching and learning, as well as explore how we can best support their progress and wellbeing. The cost is £26 per place.

• Thursday 2 February - 1.00pm to 4.00pm - EYT 23/276

Courageous Creativity: Playfully Engaging Young Children with Learning After Deprivation or Trauma is a face-to-face course, made up of two half-day sessions, is for anyone working in Early Years, as well as Reception Years in Schools. It is suitable for those working with looked-after children, recent adoptees and refugees. Each session consists of a presentation, followed by a practical, hands-on workshop. You will investigate imaginative, playful, and creative techniques to re-engage young children with their learning such as skills to grow the imagination with active story-telling and related small-world play. Explore how to foster high expectations for creativity by introducing Growth Mindset Theory in drawing and making contexts. Learn ways to promote holistic learning by actively working with parents and carers to provide tools to enhance screen-free play at home. The cost is £52 per place. 

• Wednesday 1 and 8 February - County Hall North Horsham - 9.30am to 12.30pm – EYT 22/2111

Understanding unconscious bias in the early years (Webinar) is suitable for all practitioners working in Early Years and would be a good course to cascade to staff. Learn the impact of unconscious stereotyping and how it may affect our work with children. Explore how to create a positive approach to difference, inclusion, and diversity within the setting. The cost is £26 per place.

• Tuesday 7 February – 9.30am to 12.30pm - EYT 23/296 

Child Development (Webinars) refers to the sequence of physical, language, thought and emotional changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood. Our four courses are designed to refresh or enhance practitioner skills about specific age groups. The cost is £26 per place. Each session runs from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

• Intermediate Child Development - Beginning with babies (0-2 years) - Friday 20 January - EYT 23/425
• Intermediate Child Development - Talking about toddlers (2-3 years) - Wednesday 1 February - EYT 23/426
• Intermediate Child Development - Playful pre-schooler (3-4 years) - Tuesday 7 February - EYT 23/427
• Intermediate Child Development - Ready for school (4-5 years) - Tuesday 21 February - EYT 23/428

To book, simply visit the Learning and Development Gateway and search for the course by typing the EYT code.

Upcoming key dates

• 19 JAN 23 - Spring Headcount day
• 27 JAN 23 - Portal closes for Spring headcount claims
• W/C 20 FEB 23 - Spring Actuals payment due

Information, guidance and support

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

• West Sussex County Council (WSCC)
• Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings
• Health protection in education and childcare settings
• Early Years Alliance
• Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY)

Other information and guidance (WSCC)

• Practice support (EYFS, Diversity and Inclusion, health and wellbeing, transitions, legislation, regulation and safeguarding)
• Supporting families in your childcare setting (includes CLaWBA, integrated reviews)
• Tools for schools and settings (supporting the inclusion of all children in early years)
• Business support (Free Entitlement, marketing, finance, recruitment, advertising)
• Training and qualifications
• Network meetings/events (Learning and development, INCO SENCO, business and welfare)
• Online Provider Portal (submission dates, help guides)

For help to access information

• Email the Family Information Service, or call 01243 777807.

To request additional support for your setting

• Complete a Targeted Setting Support request form.

What to do if your setting needs to close

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:

• SettingSupportCrawley@westsussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportHorsham@westsussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportMidSussex@westsussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportChichester@westsussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportAdurWorthing@westsussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportArun@westsussex.gov.uk

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. 

Links to our most recent setting updates

• #247 (Mandatory Census 2023 and Free Entitlement actuals; FE funding rates 23/24; last chance to apply for HAF funding; school applications deadline 15/01/23; DfE childminder mentor programme; learning and development gateway replacement; level 3 qualification consultation; new training courses this term)
• #246 (Safeguarding focus: staff supervision and LADO e-learning module. Early years census 2023 - advance notice; early years training update - January courses) 
• #245 (Scarlet Fever management webinar; Starting School applications - one month to go; checking eligibility for 2 year old FE; DfE childminder mentor programme; early years equality - campaigning for better funding; setting fees; slides from network meetings)           
• #244 (Rise in Scarlet Fever, Level 3 cold weather alert; Spring Term FE claims - 30 hour code deadline reminder; sufficiency update deadline approaching; consultation on level 3 early years educator qualification; flu vaccination information for early years providers; proposed changes to Worthing primary school places)             
• #243 (Safeguarding focus: safe arrivals and departures; safer sleep in winter; safeguarding training; spring term courses; support for families with English as an additional language; starting school questionnaire; invest4 grant fund; national professional qualification in early years leadership; casting long shadows - new report from the first 1001 days movement; foundation years vodcast on improving the home learning environment; opportunity to help develop support for children with SEND; SEND and inclusion newsletter)

Please do NOT reply to this email

Queries - family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk

Please note that it is the setting's responsibility to forward this broadcast to all staff working within your organisation

Family Information Service

First Floor, The Grange, County Hall, Chichester, PO19 1RG
www.westsussex.gov.uk/earlyyearsandchildcare

01243 777807  |  family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk