Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#20/2025 - Wednesday 21 May 2025
This week's newsletter includes:
- Impact of childcare expansion survey
- Jobs in Early Years and Childcare Newsletter
- Children, Young People and Learning SEND and Inclusion Newsletter
- West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership - free training
- Fire Safety Training
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
We have launched a new survey for West Sussex families who have accessed the Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families since its introduction in April 2025. To gather meaningful feedback on how the funding has supported families, we would really value your help in sharing the survey with parents/carers in your setting.
The survey is anonymous, takes around 10 minutes to complete and will close at 5.00pm on Tuesday 22 July. The feedback we receive will play a key role in shaping future support. We are grateful for your continued help.
We have a growing number of subscribers to our Jobs in Early Years and Childcare Newsletter. Please remember to send us your job vacancies so they can reach our subscribers. By sharing your vacancies, we can help support you filling your roles. You can find guidance and the template to advertise your job vacancy in the advertise early years and childcare jobs website.
Why not sign up to receive the Jobs in Early Years and Childcare newsletter so you can see your vacancies as they are advertised? Simply go to our Careers in early years and childcare website, scroll to the bottom of the page and click 'Sign up to our newsletter'.
The May issue of the CYPL SEND and Inclusion newsletter is now available.
In newsletter #18/2025, we shared that the WSSCP was trialling free training for all West Sussex organisations (excluding Prevent training). This is an update to let you know that from 1 June 2025:
- all WSSCP training will be free to attend for all organisations across West Sussex (excluding Prevent training)
- a £50 fee will apply for late cancellations and non-attendance
- refreshments will now be provided for delegates attending full-day courses.
To explore available courses and book your place, please visit the WSSCP Training Calendar.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service are offering fire safety courses for early years settings and schools. These will provide staff with the confidence and skills they need with practical, early years and school focused fire safety training courses. They discuss potential scenarios and use some of the most common types of extinguishers on a live, controlled fire. The courses available are:
Course are held at fire stations around the county and can be booked via the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service website or our booking portal West Sussex Services for Education. For more information, you can contact the Fire and Rescue Service by phone 0330 222 4658 or email frsct@westsussex.gov.uk.
Last year, over 160 setting staff started their Makaton training journey by attending one of our Makaton courses. The 2025/26 programme has both face to face and online training options to choose from, with the two summer dates listed below. 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
- 30 May - Deadline for Inclusion Funding action plan submissions
- w/c 9 June - summer term actuals payments due
- 30 June to 15 August - portal open for autumn term estimates
- 29 August - summer term Sufficiency deadline
- 1 September to 26 September - portal open for autumn term actuals
- 18 September - autumn term headcount day
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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#19/2025 (Business Focus - explore our business support web pages for settings; Summer term Early Years Funded Entitlement actuals – deadline this Friday; Right From The Start Early Years survey; Childminding Week; Early Years Funded Entitlements for Working Families - 30 hours applications open now; New Ofsted research report; Wraparound settings - inclusive provision; Fully funded Early Years SENCO training - apply now; Department for Education launches new consultation on floor space requirements; Early Years Training)
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#18/2025 (Summer term 2025 actuals claims - action required; Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) for Working Families codes – new online request for support for; 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 (NPQ) Autumn 2025 update; West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSSCP) free training, Early Years Training)
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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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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