Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#14/2025 - Wednesday 9 April 2025
This week's newsletter includes:
- Business Focus - Updated Childcare Sufficiency Assessment
- Ofsted consultation on inspections - have you had your say?
- Are you prepared for the new climate change requirements?
- Free safeguarding training
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
Updated Childcare Sufficiency Assessment
Each year, we update and publish an annual childcare sufficiency assessment ‘Securing Sufficient Childcare in West Sussex’. This document uses information from a range of sources to identify possible gaps in childcare provision and can support new providers to identify where there is likely to be a demand for childcare and what type of childcare is most needed. It also informs local planning to ensure ongoing sufficiency of childcare.
The updated annual report covers the period of 01 September 2023 to 31 August 2024 and can be found on our web page.
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In newsletter #5/2025 we let you know that Ofsted had launched their consultation on proposed changes to the way they inspect education. As early years and childcare providers it is important you have your say and share this consultation with parents/carers in your setting.
This consultation closes at 11.59pm on 28 April 2025. You can complete the survey by visiting the GOV.UK web page here.
The Department for Education (DfE) has set a target for all education settings, including early years and childcare settings, to 'nominate a sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan'.
As part of this work, Sustainability Support for Education is running a series of free online events on creating a climate action plan. There are events aimed specifically at early years and childcare providers available. You can find out more about these events here.
To help early years and childcare providers to meet these new expectations, Early Years Alliance is preparing to release a new environmental sustainability toolkit later this summer, which will include:
- comprehensive guidance on how to operate in an environmentally-sustainable way
- create an effective climate action plan
- support children to learn how to care for the environment
If you would like to be among the first to hear about the release of the new toolkit, you can register your interest here.
You may also be interested in registering with Eco-Schools: Early Years which provides access to free resources, training and activities.
In April, May and June 2025, all West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSSCP) training taking place during these months will be free to attend for all organisations. Please be aware that the WSSCP cancellation policy will still apply if practitioners book and do not attend or do not cancel their place at least 5 days before the start of the course.
A new charging and cancellation framework is currently being developed across the Pan Sussex Partnerships (Brighton and Hove, West and East Sussex) and it is anticipated that this will be in place by September 2025.
You can find details of WSSCP courses held in April, May and June in the training calendar.
The new early years training programme has been released and courses are now bookable. The programme for 2025/26 contains many courses that were fully booked last year. It also includes newly introduced courses for this year and the continuation of the £10 ‘Expansion Support Training Offer’ on a range of courses.
Please see the two featured courses below that are running over the summer term. To book, click the course name below. You can also visit our booking portal 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
- w/c 7 April - summer term estimate payments due
- 18 April - spring term Sufficiency deadline
- 21 April to 16 May - portal open for summer term actuals
- 8 May - summer term headcount day
- w/c 2 June - summer 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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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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#13/2025 (Childcare Expansion capital grant funding – applications open for further projects; Specialist Advisory Teachers for Early Years SEND Transition (EYSATs); Department for Education's (DfE) invitation to the South-East region Roadshow in Brighton; Operation Encompass update; Help us shape Early Years services; Free toilet training posters and handouts; Early Years Training)
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#12/2025 (Deadline approaching - Early Years Funded Entitlement summer term 2025 estimates; Deadline approaching - Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families - summer term 2025 code; The Department for Education frequently asked questions guidance about charging; Ofsted Education Inspection Framework and the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework; Early years qualifications – new check service; New Ofsted webinar; Transition events; BBC Tiny Happy People survey; Early Years Training)
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#11/2025 (Safeguarding Focus - Safer recruitment for staff from overseas and those who have lived abroad; Recording attendance of children and visitors; Reminder - Provider Declaration 2025/26; New resource to support setting's Early Years Pupil Premium spending; Reminder - Operation Encompass briefings; World Oral Health Day – new resources to download and share; 'Little Moments Together' campaign ;Pelvic floor exercises for new parents)
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#10/2025 (Early Years Funded Entitlement summer 2025 term estimates now open; Operation Encompass information; New careers in early years and childcare website; Ordinarily Available Inclusive Practice copies posted to you; National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership; SEND and Inclusion Newsletter - Spring 2025; Early Years Training)
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#9/2025 (Business Focus- Paying employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices; Provider Declaration for 2025/26 - number of funded weeks in spring and summer terms 2026; Information on supporting special education needs and disabilities; Early years and childcare workforce review – deadline extended; Confused about staff-to-child ratios?; Workplace recycling changes from 31 March 2025 - early years and childcare providers impacted; New website - Careers in early years and childcare, 1 week to go; Webinar for early years providers: improving the way Ofsted inspects education; Changes to apprenticeship expectations for adult learners; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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