Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#18/2025 - Wednesday 7 May 2025
This week's newsletter includes:
- Summer term 2025 actuals claims - action required
- Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families codes – new online request for support form
- Termly Provider Update
- Childcare Expansion Capital Grant funding - deadline approaching
- Early Language Support for Every Child - Free Event
- National Wraparound Childcare Programme Grant Funding
- National Professional Qualification Autumn 2025 update
- West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership - free training
- Grant/funding opportunity
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
In newsletter #16/2025, we notified you that the Online Provider Portal is now open for you to submit your Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) claims for the '9 month plus', '2 year old' and '3 and 4 year old' terms.
To support your claim, please see our information to consider when submitting summer term 2025 actuals claims document. For a step-by-step guide on how to claim, please refer to the 'How to claim child-level funding (actuals)' help guide on our web page.
As a reminder, please see the key dates below:
- Headcount day: Thursday 8 May 2025
- Deadline for submissions: Friday 16 May 2025 at 11.59pm
We have developed a new form to support you with EYFE for Working Families eligibility code issues. This new form can be found on our working families eligibility checker web page in the 'Still having issues with the code?' section. If you have used the online eligibility checker and followed the help guides available to check the validity of the code, you should complete this form to request support in the following scenarios:
- you need help determining if the eligibility code is valid for the upcoming term
- you are unable to submit an EYFE for Working Families code as part of your headcount claim but believe the code should be valid
- a parent has provided you with exceptional circumstances for missing the Department for Education’s termly application or reconfirmation deadline
- the parent has provided you with evidence that they applied/reconfirmed on time but the code is not valid and the eligibility code’s start date is between 1-14 January, April or September. For eligibility codes with a start date after this range you will need to signpost parents to the HMRC compensation route
- you would like to make an appeal against a previous decision
The new online form will ensure we have all the information we require to enable us to deal with your code issue as quickly and efficiently as possible. Once submitted, we will endeavour to provide a decision within 10 working days and will respond directly to the email address you provide on the form.
For further information on how to check a code is valid for the summer term please refer to the "Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families - summer term 2025 code" article in newsletter #12/2025.
Have you submitted a Termly Provider Update form lately? We ask early years and childcare providers to complete a provider update form once a term, which amounts to three times a year. The update form is submitted via the Online Provider Portal.
By submitting a Termly Provider Update you are receiving free advertising for your business on our Family Information Service website, which receives thousands of views per month. Visit our advertising your childcare business web page to find out more about how keeping your information up to date can benefit you. If you do not update your details we will remove you from the public list on our website and you could be missing out on free promotion for your business.
Portsmouth City Council are pleased to share details of a forthcoming conference showcasing the work of the Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) Project. This work has taken place as part of the Department for Education, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision (SEND and AP) Change Programme activity in Portsmouth.
This is a great opportunity to learn about the successes of ELSEC as well as engage in practical activities with the ELSEC Team. It will provide a brief update regarding the SEND and AP Change Programme from across the region.
Portsmouth City Council are keen to have representation from speech and language therapy teams, early years settings and early years local authority teams from West Sussex, Brighton and Hove and East Sussex
The event is completely free, but places are limited. Please see the event flyer for more information. Please email: Nikki.ledwidge@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to register your free place.
In newsletter #13/2025 we let you know that applications are open to invite further projects to apply for Childcare Expansion Capital Grant funding. This funding is to support the creation of additional early years and/or wraparound childcare places. The deadline to submit your application is Friday 23 May 2025. Please visit the Childcare Expansion Capital Funding web page for further information and to apply.
If you are a Private, Voluntary or Independent provider delivering provision on a school site, please work together with the school to submit one application.
For any questions about this funding, please contact: childcareexpansiongrants@westsussex.gov.uk.
You can still apply for the Wraparound Childcare funding grant. The summer term 2025 application window will remain open until Friday 23 May 2025. This could be the last chance for you to apply for a share of £4.5 million of funding. So far, schools and settings in West Sussex have accessed over £2 million in Wraparound grant funding, creating over 2300 wraparound places for children.
Wraparound childcare is for school aged children that wraps around the conventional school day, ideally from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Equivalent hours would be considered on request, but your provision can open no later than 8.00am and close no earlier than 5.30pm.
Please visit the Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding web page for further information and to read our comprehensive guidance. Once you have read this information you can then submit an application form, which is also on the web page.
If you have any questions, please email: Wraparound.Childcare@westsussex.gov.uk.
The Grow Learn Flourish (GLF) West Sussex Teaching School team would like to thank those who applied for the spring 2025 cohort of NPQ's. They would also like to congratulate all early years and childcare professionals who have secured a place on the NPQ programme of their choice.
Applications for the NPQ spring 2025 cohort are now closed. The Department for Education have not yet released information about funding for the autumn term 2025 cohort of NPQs. Once this information is available GLF will share this with settings via this weekly newsletter.
If you or any colleagues are interested in any of the NPQ programmes for the autumn term 2025 cohort, please complete the expression of interest form found on the NEW:NPQ Funding Autumn 2025 web page.
If you have any questions please contact khall1@glfschools.org (GLF schools) or caroline.carroll@millais.org.uk (West Sussex Schools).
There is possible grant funding available for early years and childcare settings. Ford Britain Trust are committed to supporting communities and pay particular attention to projects focusing on:
- education
- the environment
- children
- people with disabilities
- youth activities
- projects that provide clear benefits to local communities
Please visit The Ford Britain Trust website for more information and how to apply for grant donations of up to £3000.
The WSSCP are currently trialling three months of free training across April, May and June (with the exception of Prevent training). You can find details of WSSCP courses held in April, May or June, in the training calendar. Please be aware the WSSCP cancellation policy still applies to all free courses.
A number of our Paediatric First Aid Blended Learning courses are now fully booked. Please see the remaining four dates we have available for you to book 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. The 2025/26 training brochure contains information on all of our courses.
If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Useful information
- 21 April to 16 May - portal open for summer term actuals
- 8 May - summer term headcount day
- 30 May - Deadline for Inclusion Funding action plan submissions
- 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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#17/2025 (New nutrition guidance from the Department for Education; World Hand Hygiene Day 2025; Dadpad - New app launch event; Reminder to sign up to Operation Encompass; Help parents save money on childcare costs; Early Years Training)
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#16/2025 (Safeguarding Focus - Use of socket covers; Final reminder - Ofsted consultation on inspections; Spring term 2025 actuals claims - actioned required; Chronology training - Train the Trainer; Early Years Training)
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#15/2025 (Starting school places; Help us shape early years services - deadline approaching; Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families codes – new online request for support request; Improved way to submit Disability Access Fund evidence; New Local Authority Designated Officer portal for referrals; New Ofsted blog post; Early Years Training)
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#14/2025 (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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#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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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