Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#25/2024 - Wednesday 19 June 2024
This week's newsletter includes:
- Early Years Funded Entitlement autumn 2024 term Estimates now open
- New Early Years Funded Entitlement leaflet
- Business opportunity in Shoreham-by-Sea
- Childcare Expansion Capital Funding - expressions of interest
- Gypsy, Roma and Traveller month - June 2024
- Ethnic Minority Traveller Achievement Service resource
- Early Years Training
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The Online Provider Portal is open for you to submit your autumn 2024 term Estimates for all EYFE, including the new 9 month old offer.
- Headcount Day for autumn 2024 term is 19 September 2024.
- The deadline for estimate submissions is Friday 5 July 2024.
- Payments are scheduled to be received by providers who have no outstanding queries regarding their estimate figures week commencing 15 July 2024.
Please remember that estimates for 2 Year Old EYFE for Working Families and Local Authority Issued 2 Year Old EYFE will be a combined figure.
If you are open for more than the standard weeks and are claiming stretched funding at headcount, please follow steps 9 and 10 of the guidance to ensure you are claiming correctly.
If, after viewing the guidance available on our website you require further support, in the first instance please email free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk, or phone the Family Information Service on 01243 777807.
We are pleased to inform you the new EYFE leaflets for parents/carers is now available. These are the leaflets we ask you to share with all parents/carers accessing EYFE in your setting.
We will be sending out copies of the leaflet to all early years and childcare providers registered to offer EYFE. The amounts provided will be based on a portion of the children you claimed for as part of your summer term claim. You can expect delivery of these leaflets over the next one to two weeks. Please do not contact us to order EYFE leaflets until you have received this initial amount.
If you require more leaflets after you have received the initial amount we have posted to you, you can email family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk with the amounts you require.
We are pleased to share an exciting business opportunity suitable for a high quality early years and childcare provider who wishes to work alongside a family centred primary school. This opportunity is based in Shoreham, within the facilities of Buckingham Park Primary School, Buckingham Road, Shoreham-By-Sea, BN43 5UD. They are a thriving primary school with capacity for a nursery to be fully included in the ethos of the wider school.
Based on positive parent consultation, it is anticipated that this opportunity will cater for children aged 2-4, with potential to expand provision to include under 2’-s. Opening times, including whether the setting is term time only or all year round can be negotiated with the successful provider. For further information, and to express your interest about the opportunity, please contact Kim Brown kbrown@buckinghampark.co.uk by Friday 28 June.
Any provider wishing to explore this opportunity should ensure they seek appropriate legal advice as well as carrying out due diligence in terms of business planning and cash flow forecasting. Following this, should you require support from an Early Years and Childcare Advisor, you can request new business support via the online form.
As announced in the special newsletter on 31 May 2024, expressions of interest (EOI) are now open for projects that will increase the physical capacity of early years and/or wraparound provision in local areas where demand is likely to exceed existing supply. WSCC will also consider projects that will adapt or improve facilities to expand their use or make places available for a wider range of needs, including for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
For more information, and to submit your EOI, visit the Childcare Expansion Capital Grants EOI page. The deadline to complete the EOI form is Friday 21 June 2024. If you have any questions relating to the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant, please email ChildcareExpansionGrants@westsussex.gov.uk.
June marks GRT History Month across the UK. Through celebration, education and raising awareness, GRT History Month helps to tackle prejudice, change the story, and amplify the voices of GRT communities in wider society. Friends, Families and Travellers have created a graphic, which details how you can be an ally to the GRT community. They also have GRT History Month resources available.
If you are looking for ways to celebrate GRT History Month you may be interested in this list of GRT books. Richard O'Neill, who is included in this list, has written a number of popular books for children, many of which celebrate different aspects of Traveller culture. He was born and brought up in large traditional, fully nomadic Romani Gypsy family, travelling throughout the North of England and Scotland.
EMTAS have developed a useful resource pack for early years practitioners working with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and refugee children. The pack includes resources and training you may find useful in your setting.
Please see below three courses that we think are brilliant for all early years and childcare providers. These are bookable on the Learning and Development Gateway and can be found by clicking the links on the titles below.
Please remember that you are required to book a space first on the Learning and Development Gateway and then pay via the payment steps and link, which are shown on the course page. Your space is not confirmed until both booking and payment are completed. If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Useful information
- 19 June - Portal scheduled to open for autumn term estimates
- 05 July - Portal closes for autumn term estimates
- w/c 15 July - Autumn term estimate payments due
- 30 Aug - Sufficiency deadline for summer term
- 02 Sep - Portal scheduled to open for autumn term actuals
- 19 Sept - Autumn term headcount day
- 27 Sept - Portal closes for autumn term actuals
- w/c 21 Oct - Autumn term actuals payments due
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:
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 EYCA team using the following email addresses:
Where there are not clearly evidenced reasons why the setting had no option but to close, there could be implications for funding received as per the government guidance.
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24/2024 (Business focus - Changes to holiday entitlement; Sign up arrangements regarding Early Years Funded Entitlement for 9 month olds; Post Headcount Exceptional payment request for children starting between 6 May - 14 June; Early Years Funded Entitlements for 9 month olds - key messages for parents/carers; Childcare Expansion Capital Funding - expression of interest; Early Years Foundation Stage Leaders Network slides; Masters in Early Years Education with Early Years Teacher Status; Early Years Training)
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#23/2024 (Online Provider Portal downtime, Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) for 2, 3 and 4 year olds – Summer Term Payments, Business Opportunity for Early Years Provision in Horsham, Starting School, Get ready for summer – Encourage families to check vaccinations are up to date, Oral Health Support in Early Years, Early Years Training)
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#22/2024 (Safeguarding focus - Coping with a crying baby and safer sleep resources; Advanced warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Early Years Evidence Store expands to explore self-regulation and executive function; Final reminder Ofsted's Big Listen consultation - for adults and children; Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub newsletter - May 2024; Early Years Training)
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#21/2024 (Free Communication Friendly spaces event - change of time; Help for early years providers - new nutrition content; New Ofsted blogs; SEND and Inclusion newsletter - May 2024; Reminder - Ofsted's Big Listen consultation; Reminder - Early Years Foundation Stage safeguarding consultation; National Smile Month 2024; Early Years Training)
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#20/2024 (Business focus - Free business planning courses; Online Provider Portal downtime; Termly Provider Update; Final reminder - Wraparound Programme Funding; Reminder - Consultation on an experience-based route for Early Years practitioners; Coping with a Crying Baby and Safer Sleep - Free webinar; Childminding Week 2024; National Numeracy Day 2024; Now module available - Effective curriculum and assessment; Virtual school newsletter; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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