Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#45/2024 - Wednesday 6 November 2024
This week's newsletter includes:
- Wraparound childcare grant funding reminder
- Spring term National Professional Qualification Early Years Leadership news
- Hampshire County Council inclusion conference 2025
- Information Commissioner's Office tool to develop bespoke privacy notices
- Ofsted videos for early years and childcare providers
- West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership newsletter October 2024
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
In newsletter #35/2024, we told you that applications were open for the expansion or creation of wraparound childcare provision available from September 2024. So far, the panel has agreed over £250,000 worth of funding on projects across West Sussex to support the expansion or creation of wraparound childcare provision from September 2024.
To support the continued expansion of early years and childcare provision, the Early Years and Childcare team, along with a number of key stakeholders, have produced this comprehensive guidance. This guidance is for anyone wishing to establish Early Years and Childcare Provision in a school. It will support you with your wraparound childcare plans, from the initial planning stage and through to opening your provision.
Schools and Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) providers must ensure that their intended offer does not duplicate or replace existing provision available in their local area. PVI providers applying for funding must have their applications endorsed by the schools in which they currently, or intend to, serve.
There is still plenty of time to apply for grant funding. Please refer to the Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding web page for the revised funding application windows and further information.
If you have any questions, please email wraparoundchildcare@westsussex.gov.uk.
In newsletter #37/2024 we let you know about the NPQEYL programme. The GLF West Sussex Teaching School Hub had record numbers of applications for the autumn 2024 cohort.
If you, or someone in your setting missed out on applying for the autumn cohort, there will be a second cohort of all National Professional Qualification’s running in Spring 2025. Funding for this cohort is currently unknown. However if you, or anyone you know, is interested in undertaking the NPQEYL, please complete the Expression of Interest form on the GLF website. By completing this form, you are not signing up to undertake the programme, but to receive more information when it becomes available.
On the GLF West Sussex Teaching School Hub website, you will find an overview of the programme along with a webinar outlining the programme in more detail. For specific questions, please contact khall1@glfschools.org.
Hampshire County Council will be holding an inclusion conference on Saturday 1 March from 9.30am to 4.00pm in Winchester.
The ‘We’ve tried that, and it didn’t work’ conference will focus on understanding strategies and how to make them more effective.
The event will include:
- workshops,
- networking opportunities, and
- a keynote speech by Bryony Rust, a speech and language therapist, on making the most of your unique connection with each child.
You can book the early bird price until 31 December 2024 and the full price from 1 January 2025 onwards. Non-Hampshire, out of county settings will incur a surcharge. See this flyer for more information and book your place on the website.
Under data protection law, any organisation that collects personal information must explain why and what they do with it. These can be provided through a privacy notice, displayed on a website or included within other communications.
To help early years and childcare providers create custom privacy notices, the ICO offers a free privacy notice generator that produces tailored, up-to-date notices, free of charge. The tool can be found on the ICO website along with information about data protection.
You can also view West Sussex County Council's privacy notices here. It is important that you share the “Parents accessing early years and childcare provision” privacy notice with families who attend your setting.
Ofsted has recently added three additional Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) videos to their YouTube channel:
The October edition of the WSSCP newsletter is now available.
As we enter the month of November, please see below two courses that are running later this month. To book a place, click the course name below. You can also visit West Sussex Services for Education and select your required course.
If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Useful information
All private, voluntary and independent early years and childcare providers who currently offer EYFE must complete the Stage Two survey. The deadline for completing the survey is 11:59 pm on Sunday 8 December.
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.
We’re committed to providing excellent support to all providers we engage with. Please take a moment to complete our Early Years and Childcare Provider Feedback Survey and let us know about your experiences. Your feedback will help us improve our service and better support settings like yours. You can visit the web page or scan the QR code.
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#44/2024 (Business focus: E-learning business support; The West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership: invitation to November Partnership Group meeting; Brighton and Hove childminder conference - November 2024; Childcare Works Hub; Early years provider business opportunity; Early Years Training)
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#43/2024 (Early Years Funded Entitlement - autumn term actuals payments; Autumn term Post Headcount Exceptional Payment requests for children aged 9 months to 2 years; Inclusion/Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator networks autumn 2024; Updated childhood immunisation web page; Early years and childcare workforce steering group; Passionate and inspiring leaders wanted for a project in secondary schools; Changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework; Update - Ofsted Big Listen)
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#42/2024 (Safeguarding focus: Supervising mealtimes – preventing choking; Free support groups for early years practitioners; Childhood immunisations – new web page; Autumn term network presentations; SEND and Inclusion Networks; Brilliant Babies to Terrific Toddlers – A Tool for Reflection; Help Ofsted to develop their understanding of vulnerability & inclusion; Best Start in Life Ofsted report; Early years provider business opportunity; Early years training)
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#41/2024 (Starting school applications; Transition events; Advertise and update your childcare vacancies; Early years SEND assessment guidance and resources; New training module available - supporting individual differences and needs; New Ofsted blog post; Early Years Training)
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#40/2024 (Business focus: Have you ever thought about employing an apprentice?; UK Health Security Agency Outbreak Packs for Education Settings; Supporting physical development in the early years; Promoting careers in early years and childcare at local job fairs; Early years provider business opportunity; Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub newsletter - September 2024; Presentations for early years practitioners; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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