Newsletter for Out of School providers in West Sussex
#5/2025 - Monday 22 September 2025
This newsletter includes:
- Wraparound Programme Funding Grant
- Monitoring visits
- Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding – Management Information autumn 2025
- New networks for Designated Safeguarding Leads
- Early Years Training - free paediatric first aid training
- Out of School providers networks and training
- Out of School Alliance - one year free membership
- Are you interested in a Level 2 Playwork Apprenticeship?
- Termly Provider Update
- Careers in early years and childcare website
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The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed a more flexible approach to the final stages of the Wraparound Programme Funding. Crucially, any unspent grant can now be carried forward into 2026/27. As a result, we have reopened applications for grant funding. These will be reviewed term-by-term and processed on a first come, first served basis, until the remaining funding is allocated.
We are also able to offer funding to schools that do not yet meet the DfEs expectation of full wrapround. The aim for all schools remains that they endeavour to provide the full wraparound offer for parents, opening 8.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday. We understand that some schools do not need this to meet parents’ needs or find it too risky or difficult to provide right now. The DfE would rather schools offer some childcare than none.
We can now fund partial wraparound places in a way that supports the ethos of the Wraparound Programme. This includes:
- using funding to create or expand provision based on evidence of local demand, such as unmet need for after-school places
- increasing availability of places through new provision, longer hours, or more hours at existing settings
- ensuring funded places are consistently available during term-time to support working parents
- encouraging schools/settings to view partial places as a pathway to full wraparound provision
- providing families with access to childcare at least 3 days per week, even if availability varies by day
- offering before-school care (minimum 30 minutes) and after-school care (minimum 90 minutes after the school day), possibly with different providers and varying place numbers
- allowing special schools, by exception, to offer shorter hours or fewer days while working towards a fuller offer.
For more information, please contact the wraparound team at wraparound.childcare@westsussex.gov.uk or visit Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding web page.
All successful Wraparound Programme Funding Grant applications and awards are subject to a monitoring visit from an Early Years and Childcare Advisor (EYCA). Monitoring visits take place this term for any provision where funding was awarded in the autumn 2024 or spring 2025 terms and are in at least their second term of operation.
The visit is not an inspection. Your EYCA will be looking at the overall quality of your provision and environment, as well as how you safeguard children. Most importantly they will be focusing on the fun, interactions and play opportunities for the children who attend.
The remaining 30% grant payment is subject to this monitoring visit. If you have any questions, please email Wraparound.Childcare@westsussex.gov.uk.
The autumn Management Information return will take place in November 2025. We will share the questions with you in October and you will need to submit your responses by 21 November at the latest. You will be asked about the number of places and attendance for the week commencing 10 November. Please note that you will not be able to submit a response after 21 November.
For more information, please read the letter to wraparound childcare providers from the Department for Education.
This year we have started a termly network for Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs). These free sessions are held across the county and give DSLs a chance to hear the latest local and national updates, and talk about current issues with others in similar roles. You can find the dates for the autumn term below:
If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Safeguarding Reforms require settings to monitor children whilst eating. The EYFS statutory framework 2025 states “whilst children are eating there should always be a member of staff in the room with a valid paediatric first aid certificate.”
To support you with this change, we are funding one free paediatric first aid training place for:
- schools with a Reception class
- wraparound care providers who provide food and have Reception children on roll
- Ofsted-registered early years nurseries, pre-schools, and childminders.
This certified training is fully compliant with Ofsted requirements and must be renewed every 3 years. We offer a blended model, with day 1 completed online and day 2, which is face to face at a venue. Please note, once the login code for the online part of the training has been accessed, we cannot change the name on the booking.
Important information:
- if you are a setting who provides wraparound care on a different site to the school/s you serve, you can access a free place
- if you provide wraparound care on the site of the school you serve, please contact us to discuss how many places you qualify for.
To book your place, please select one of the dates listed on the West Sussex Services for Education booking portal, and the free space will be automatically applied to your first booking. If you would like to book additional places, these can be booked but the standard course price will apply.
If you have any questions, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
This term there are new Out of School Leaders Networks available, specifically to those who manage and lead practice in early years settings. To book, click the course name below. You can also visit our booking portal West Sussex Services for Education and select your required course.
There is also training available for all Out of School practitioners taking place next year.
If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
As part of our ongoing Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding, we are pleased to offer all of our out of school providers a one year free membership to the Out of School Alliance. Visit benefits for members of the Out of School Alliance to find out more.
If you are not currently a member and would like to be, please email the Early Years Training team at early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk to request an access code.
Please include the following information in your email:
- full name
- setting name and host school
- username (can be your email address)
- postal address.
We are exploring the opportunity to support a Level 2 Playwork Apprentice qualification. We are keen to hear from any schools and settings that might be interested. This could be a great chance to upskill your team and support someone starting their career in Playwork.
If you would like more information or want to express interest, please email wraparound.childcare@westsussex.gov.uk.
Have you submitted a Termly Provider Update form lately? We ask providers to complete a provider update form once a term, which amounts to 3 times a year. The update form is submitted via the Online Provider Portal. The reasons we ask for these updates once per term:
- families use our website and call us for help to find childcare that meets their needs. Up to date information regarding your provision is important so parents can clearly understand what you offer and what childcare spaces you have available
- the information you provide could become out of date. It is important you review the information we hold on your provision regularly, to ensure accurate information is displayed on our website.
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. 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.
Have you seen our careers in early years and childcare website yet? It has useful resources and information for people who are searching for a career in early years and childcare.
The website encourages people interested in a career in early years and childcare to subscribe to the jobs in early years and childcare newsletter. You can find the guidance and template for submitting job vacancies on our information for childcare providers website. Please continue to submit your job vacancies to us, so we can share them on your behalf.
Useful information
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:
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:
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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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04/2025 (National Wraparound Childcare Programme Grant Funding; Monitoring visits; Management information survey - grant funded providers only; Working together to safeguard children - update; Out of School Alliance - one year free membership; Careers in early years and childcare website; Early Years Training – funding for one free paediatric first aid training per setting)
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03/2025 (National Wraparound Childcare Programme Grant Funding; Childcare Expansion Capital Grant Funding – applications open for further projects; Leases and Licenses; Careers in early years and childcare website; Out of School Alliance - one year free membership; National Wraparound Childcare Programme - information for maintained schools and academy trusts; Supporting wraparound providers to provide inclusive provision; Training opportunities for wraparound and out of school providers)
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02/2025 (National Wraparound Childcare Programme Grant Funding - deadline extended; Inclusive practice in wraparound provision; Wraparound Childcare Toolkit)
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01/2025 (Childcare Expansion Capital Grant Funding – applications open for further projects; Wraparound Childcare Funding Grant - spring term 2025; Childcare Works provider toolkit launch; West Sussex Early Years and Childcare Conference 2025: Champions of Childhood – Celebrating Early Years Heroes; Early Years Training)
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06/2024 (National Wraparound Childcare Programme; Early years and childcare expansion - Funding timeline of events; e-Bug programme online focus group; Wraparound training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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