#30/2025 - Wednesday 30 July 2025
This week's newsletter includes:
- Help us gather feedback on the Impact of Early Years Funded Entitlement
- Changes to apprenticeship standards
- Operation Encompass
- Summer term network meetings
- Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
In newsletter #27/2025, we asked for your support in promoting our Funding Impact Survey, which aims to understand how the EYFE for Working Families (for children aged 9 months plus and 2 years) is making a difference in families’ lives. As part of this, we sent survey slips to all settings with eligible children. We are very grateful to everyone who has shared these slips with parents and carers, your help is essential in showing how this funding is being used and shaping future services.
The survey closes tomorrow, Thursday 31 July. If you have not already, please encourage families to take part by handing out the survey slips or directing them to the online survey link.
Thank you again for your continued support, it is a vital part of helping us gather meaningful feedback.
The Department for Education 2025-2026 Apprenticeship Funding Rules, set out important changes that will impact how apprenticeships are delivered, funded and assessed. The new rules apply to any apprenticeships starting on or after 1 August 2025. Useful information can be found below but you can read all of the changes on the GOV.UK website.
Off the job training hours: new standard by standard requirements
The 20% off the job training hours (OJT) rule is changing. From 1 August 2025, each apprenticeship standard will have its own published minimum OJT training requirement, removing the need to calculate hours based on working time. The published figures apply only to apprentices with no relevant prior learning. The Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard has a published 396 hour minimum OJT requirement.
Minimum duration and prior learning
From 1 August 2025, apprenticeships can now be as short as 8 months, provided they still meet key training requirements. Prior learning must be assessed and recorded. Where prior experience shortens the programme, there is a 187 hour minimum OJT requirement and training providers must show the reduction in both content and cost. If an apprentice has no prior learning, they must receive the full published OJT hours for that standard. This change means apprenticeships can be tailored to individuals’ starting points.
Mathematics and English requirements
16 to 18 year olds must still achieve level 2 English and/or Mathematics if they have not already done so. For learners 19 years or older, this is now optional. It will still be funded and provided if the employer requests it. It is important to remember that the Early Years Foundation Stage requires staff counted in the staff-to-child ratios at level 3 to hold both a suitable level 2 English qualification and a full and relevant level 3 qualification.
On programme assessment
The new Apprenticeship Assessment Principles, introduced in February 2025, mean that assessments can take place at various times during the apprenticeship, not just at the end. It should reduce duplication and make the process more focused on the competencies being assessed. The language is changing to reflect this. End Point Assessment is being replaced with Apprenticeship Assessment.
Operation Encompass is a police and education early information-sharing partnership. It enables schools and early years settings to provide timely and appropriate support to children who may have been exposed to domestic abuse in any form. This is currently only available for group based early years settings only, not childminders. If you have not yet submitted your setting’s information, please do so now. You need to complete a Staff Update Form to provide the details of your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
We understand that some settings may have contacted Sussex Police directly. However, this is not how information is gathered for Operation Encompass. You must complete the Staff Update Form to ensure your setting is included. We will be contacting settings by phone this week if we have not yet received your form.
When submitting your DSL information there are some important things to remember about the email addresses used for these notifications:
- personal email addresses cannot be used to received notifications. For example, JohnSmith@hotmail.co.uk will not be accepted
- the email address must only be accessible by the DSL and setting manager. It should not be a widely shared mailbox accessed by multiple staff
- we recommend using a shared email address like DSL@thenursery.com for your DSLs. This makes it easier to manage when staff change roles or leave the setting. If you use an individual email (for example, JohnSmith@thenursery.com) and that staff member is off sick or leaves, you risk missing important safeguarding notifications. Updating this information can take up to 21 working days to process via the Staff Update Form. By using a shared DSL email, you can simply update the password when needed, keeping access secure and ensuring continuity.
Taking this step will ensure your setting receives Operation Encompass alerts, supporting you to safeguard the children in your care. This service is now live in West Sussex, therefore if you have not yet completed the Operation Encompass training and submitted your DSL info via the West Sussex County Council Staff Update Form, you may be missing out on important safeguarding notifications.
For full details, and step by step support, please visit the Operation Encompass web page.
Thank you for attending this term's network meetings. The slides for these networks are now available.
The Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs across the county have developed a range of summer webinars which can be accessed by any practitioners across the county. A complete list of the webinars, and links to join, can be found in the Growing Practice poster.
Please see below two mathematics courses that we have running for the autumn 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
- 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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#29/2025 (Safeguarding Focus - Safeguarding self-assessment tool and keeping babies safe resources; Have your say on the future of local government in West Sussex; Family Hub availability over the summer holidays; Childcare Choices - digital leaflet available; Kent and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Newsletter)
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#28/2025 (Revised Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework; Ofsted renewed inspection framework webinars; Early Years Foundation Stage safeguarding and welfare requirement changes; Leading Excellence in Early Years: Quality First Teaching; Vaccinated children should not be excluded from settings; Paying for childcare – new resource to share with parents; Childcare Choices provider updates; Funded level 3 qualification opportunity; Early Years Education with Early Years Teacher Status MA - additional funded places available; Early Years Training)
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#27/2025 (Workforce Focus; Help us gather feedback on the Impact of Early Years Funded Entitlement; Children starting school; SEND and Inclusion newsletter; Grow, Learn and Flourish West Sussex Teaching School Hub end of year review; Early Years Training; Summer Reading Challenge - coming to a library near you)
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#26/2025 (Business Focus - Limiting place capacity; Early Years Funded Entitlement - autumn term 2025 estimates now open; Post Headcount Exceptional Payment forms for 9 months plus funding claims; Department for Education consultation on floor space requirements - closing soon; Celebrating success of our early years superheroes - Toybox Day Nursery; Kent & Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub newsletter; Early Years Training)
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#25/2025 (Safeguarding Focus - Pan Sussex Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures website has moved; Help families have their say on the childcare expansion; Sufficiency update for the summer term; Celebrating success of our early years superheroes; National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) Autumn 2025 update; Thriving in Education offer for early years)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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