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.
Newsletter for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex
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Wednesday 11 October 2023
Measles and MMR vaccination
Measles is highly infectious, if left unvaccinated, nine out of ten children can catch the disease if just one child is infectious. Measles cases are rising across the country, with over 102,000 children starting primary school in England at risk of catching the disease.
The back to school MMR guidance from the NHS includes information you can share in your setting. You can display the NHS Vaccine Poster and NHS MMR Poster in your setting and share them in communications with families. Please use these resources to increase awareness and encourage parents to get their children vaccinated.
Experts and Mentors programme
In newsletter #283 we reminded you of the Department for Education's (DfE) Early Years COVID-19 Recovery Experts and Mentors programme. The offer to settings includes:
- leadership support,
- coaching for leaders,
- mentoring for practitioners, and
- whole-setting support depending on needs.
The DfE are now looking for additional candidates to take part in the full programme (this does not include childminders), commencing January 2024. Experienced early years professionals are invited to apply for the roles of Expert or Mentor. More information and a link to the application forms can be found on the Pen Green website. Successful applicants are required to attend two and a half days of training in November. Applications close on 13 October 2023.
To find out more or request support you can visit the Experts and Mentors Programme webpage or the Childminder Mentors Programme webpage.
Reminder - The West Sussex Early Years and Childcare Strategy survey
In newsletter #284 we let you know about our survey relating to the development of the West Sussex Early Years and Childcare Strategy. The survey closes on Friday 20 October 2023. We would welcome input from settings into its design and identifying the priority areas to be developed. As we understand there is an increase in the number of young children requiring additional support, along with resource pressures, in settings.
You can read more about the process and complete the engagement survey on YourVoice.
Advanced warning of downtime
Please be advised that the Online Provider Portal will be unavailable Tuesday 17 October 2023 between 6.00pm and 10.00pm, whilst essential maintenance takes place. Please note, parents and carers will not be able to submit 2 year old Free Entitlement applications and our Family Information Service website will also be unavailable to the public during this time.
Update - childminders start-up grant
The childminder start-up grants scheme will open for applications by 30 November 2023.
As announced in March 2023, the government are offering:
- £600 for those registering with Ofsted, and
- £1200 for those registering with a childminder agency.
The scheme:
- will operate in England only, and
- is only open to new childminders (these are individuals who have not been previously registered with Ofsted or a childminder agency within 12 months prior to applying for the grant).
Recipients must complete their childminder registration between 15 March 2023 and 31 March 2025 before applying for the grant. Childminders must apply for the grant within two months of registering to become a childminder or the scheme launching. This means if you registered between 15 March 2023 and 30 November 2023 you need to apply before the end of January 2024.
Further guidance will be published once the scheme launches, which we will share with you via our weekly newsletter.
Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
The Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub (KEYSPH) are delivering the Stronger Practice Hub programme in the South East of England, which is part of the Department for Education’s Early Years COVID-19 Recovery programme. KEYSPH would like to invite you to attend one of six virtual Welcome Webinars during which they will launch the Hub out to providers in West Sussex as well as to our other five local authority areas. This flyer provides you with links to book onto the webinar of your choice.
Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP)
The Education Development Trust (EDT) are currently recruiting practitioners for cohort three of the training. Applications will close around the end of November to start the training in January 2024. There will be one final cohort starting in April 2024. To find out more about the programme, or to sign up to take part, please see the EYPDP website or read this flyer. You can also join a EYPDP3 Discovery Webinar to find out more.
If you have a number of practitioners who are eligible (please see the EYPDP website for eligibility criteria) and interested in taking part, we suggest that you book some practitioners on to take part in cohort three and some in cohort four.
Dingley’s Promise - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) national research
Dingley’s Promise provides nursery provision for children with SEND and inclusive training for Early Years practitioners. They are passionate about change and use their platform to spread awareness of the issues that children with SEND face in early years settings.
They want to understand the current experience of early years settings supporting children with SEND, as well as the experience of their parents. They have launched two surveys, one for settings and one for families, to ensure all voices are heard. This work is particularly important as the expansion of childcare offers, announced in the Spring Budget 2023, develop over the next few years. This is due to the potential risk of the attainment and access gap widening.
Taking part in this survey will help shape the national picture for children in the Early Years with SEND. Please complete the early years providers survey and share the parent survey with families in your setting to ensure all voices are heard.
Early Education and Childcare Coalition
The Early Education and Childcare Coalition (EECC) was launched on 7 September 2023. The EECC has been formed with the aim of using its collective voice alongside robust research to ensure that all political parties commit to early education and childcare reform. It is an independent group that unites parents, children, providers, those working in the sector and the wider business community.
UNISON is one of the founding members of the EECC and they believe that every child should be able to enjoy quality provision delivered by well-paid professionals. You can join the EECC campaign to support change within the sector by completing this online form. There is also the option to join alternative organisations that support the EECC by visiting the membership webpage.
Useful links:
Early Years Training
Opening Up Children’s Encounters with Books (Webinar) aligns fully with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and focuses on increasing literary encounters beyond the book corner. It will inspire you to treasure and extend children’s love of books as they journey towards becoming confident readers. The key word for this course is "books" and costs £27 per person.
- Tuesday 17 October – 1.00pm to 4.00pm
Clap, Play, Sing your Way to Literacy is a face-to-face half day course. It aims to enhance understanding of providing engaging and successful learning opportunities that promote literacy development in the early years by exploring action, rhymes and songs. The key word for this course is "literacy" and costs £27 per person.
- Tuesday 14 November – 1.00pm to 4.00pm - Worthing, BN13 1PR
To book please log on to the Learning and Development Gateway, search for the relevant course using the corresponding key word. If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
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.
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.
We have a range of online training available for you to access for your staff to ensure they have the most up to date information to support them in their role:
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#286 (Changes to raising safeguarding concerns for children; warning - online provider portal downtime; keeping us updated with your staff changes; early years representative for the schools forum; starting school applications; black history month 2023; physical development in early childhood - Early Education blog; early years training; mental health matters in West Sussex)
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#285 (Safeguarding focus - safe sleep guidance; 10 step guide to sharing information to safeguarding children; autumn term 2023 headcount closes this Friday; final reminder - EYFS assessment support survey; committee run provision registration requirements; National Deaf Children's Society - early years networking groups; early help - supporting families networking event; free theraplay workshops; early years training)
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#284 (Right from the Start - Early Years and Childcare Strategy; children's workforce guide to qualifications and training; listening to unheard children report; early help - support available at family hubs; gypsy, traveller, roma, showmen, boater cultural awareness training; ICON week 25 to 29 September; early years training)
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#283 (Inclusive practice in early years settings; Department for Education Covid-19 Recovery Programme; starting school applications; Transition Events 2024; Early Years Foundation Stage Assessment Support survey; final reminder - changes to Ofsted’s post-inspection arrangements; new fire safety legislation; reminder - submit your Termly Provider Update form and Sufficiency information; early years training)
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#282 (Free Entitlement Autumn term actuals - now open: introducing the Setting Support Phone line; new Targeted Setting Support form; Setting Review Meetings; fully-funded level 3 early years SENCO training; EYFS leaders networks; talking clearly - webinar)
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