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Newsletter for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex from West Sussex County Council
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Wednesday 2 August 2023
New vodcast on the Early Years Professional Development Programme
Foundation Years have shared a new vodcast with Lyn Challender from the Education Development Trust (EDT). The vodcast provides an overview of the Department for Education's Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP). The EYPDP is focused on supporting practitioners who work with children aged 2 to 4 in order to improve outcomes in three areas:
- communication and language,
- early mathematics, and
- personal, social and emotional development.
Cohort two starts in September 2023 and Cohort three starts in January 2024. Expression of interest applications for Cohort three are currently open and you can apply via the EDT online portal. You can find out more about the EYPDP by visiting the website.
Customise your Early Years Child Development Training
The Department for Education (DfE) have listened to feedback that users want to be able to complete the early years child development training modules in any order. They do still recommend that the modules are completed in consecutive order as the training has been designed to build on previous modules, this is especially relevant for the first two modules. However, the DfE hope the flexibility this change brings will enable users to complete the training in a way that works best for them.
The flexible online course:
- has been developed by early years experts,
- has been tested with early years practitioners and experts,
- has been refined based on feedback,
- gives practical advice for supporting babies and children in early years settings,
- reinforces understanding through videos, learning check questions and short end of module tests,
- allows users to pause and restart the training at any time and now start the modules in any order, and
- offers the chance to download certificates of achievement for each module.
The first five modules of the training cover:
- child development,
- brain development,
- personal, social and emotional development,
- communication and language, and
- physical development.
These modules are available now. Further modules will be added throughout 2023 with a mathematics module due to be launched early in the autumn term. You can set up an account or sign in via the website to undertake this free training.
Reminder - Working Together to Safeguard Children: changes to statutory guidance consultation
We wanted to remind you of the consultation from the Department of Education (DfE) who are seeking views on revisions to Working Together to Safeguard Children. This was first announced in our weekly newsletter #272 back in June.
The consultation closes on 6 September and you can respond to the consultation via the online survey.
Early Years Training
A look at writing readiness and pencil grip (webinar) is for practitioners working with 3 and 4 year olds. The aim of this webinar is to understand typical developmental stages and needs in children’s journey towards becoming confident and competent at writing. It aims to strengthen your professional knowledge and ability to provide appropriate and enjoyable mark making resources and activities. The cost of this course is £17 per person. The key word for this course is "pencil".
- Thursday 28 September - 7.00pm to 8.30pm
- Tuesday 27 February - 7.00pm to 8.30pm
A Look at Our Words – The impact of what adults say (webinar) is for anyone working in early years. Some of our daily spoken and unspoken messages might include unconscious societal assumptions related to gender, social class, ethnicity, or culture. The aim of this webinar is to support you to develop your awareness of the power and impact of your words and communication behaviours on children. The cost of this course is £17 per person. The key word for this course is "words".
- Thursday 16 November - 7.00pm to 8.30pm
To book please log on to the Learning and Development Gateway and search for the course using the corresponding key word. If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
- 31 Aug - Summer term Sufficiency deadline (all providers)
- 04 Sep - Portal opens for Autumn term Actuals
- 29 Sep - Portal closes for Autumn term Actuals
- W/C 23 Oct - Autumn term Actuals payments due
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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#276 (Safeguarding Focus: keeping your safeguarding knowledge up to date; new consultation - early years funding formula; early education toolkit to support refugee or migrant children; Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers 2023 - Beech Tree Childcare)
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#275 (FE - Autumn Term estimate payments; final reminder - EYFS consultation; revised EYFS from September 2023; Virtual School - free support groups; summer oral health; paediatric first aid)
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#274 (Contingency fund calculations; consultation from UK Health Agency - education setting guidance pack; final reminder - starting school questionnaire consultation; reminder - childminder mentor programme; Ofsted blog; summer network presentations; SEND and inclusion newsletter)
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#273 (neglect questionnaire; reminder - EYFS consultation; National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership; supporting children's mental health and well-being in the early years; early years and childcare online courses; portable appliance testing)
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#272 (Safeguarding focus: sharing safeguarding information to support transitions; possible business opportunity in Adversane; Foundation Years online event; new consultation - working together to safeguard children; Vodcast on the EYFS consultation; West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership training; budgeting tips for the summer holidays; new guide from Health and Safety Executive)
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