#48/2025 - Wednesday 3 December 2025
This week's newsletter includes:
- Business Focus - Business fees and rates - update
- Warning - Online Provider Portal downtime
- Important: Changes to Early Years Census processes
- Apply to become an Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
- Reminder of upcoming Early Education and Childcare Statutory Requirements – from January 2026
- Updates from the Education Endowment Foundation
- Paediatric Oral Health Access and Prevention Programme
- Could you offer work experience placements?
- Spring Early Years Foundation Stage leaders networks – secure your space
- Early Years Training
Difficulty viewing this bulletin? Click here to view in your browser.
Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
Companies House - fees are changing
From 1 February 2026, some of the fees will be changing for businesses registered with Companies House.
Read the full news story and see the full list of changes.
Business rates revaluation 2026
The Valuation Office Agency has updated the rateable values of all commercial, and other non-domestic, properties in England and Wales. These future values will take effect from 1 April 2026.
Read the full information on the revaluation on GOV.UK website.
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Please be advised that the Online Provider Portal (OPP) will be unavailable from 12.30pm on Thursday 4 December for viewing and submitting forms, but you can still access the funding area.
The OPP will be completely unavailable on Friday 5 December until 5.00pm. This is due to essential maintenance that is taking place. Please note, parents and carers will not be able to submit 2 year old Local Authority Issued Early Years Funded Entitlement applications and our Family Information Service website will also be unavailable to the public.
As you may know, in previous years we have carried out the annual Early Years Census in January for the Department for Education (DfE). The Early Years Census is crucial because it is used to calculate the amount of funding West Sussex County Council receives to distribute for funded early education.
From 2026, this annual data return will be changing to a termly return, to better reflect the changes to children's claims throughout the year. To help facilitate this change, the Census data collection is improving. In previous years the additional data submitted alongside your headcount claim was collected in a form, then submitted via the Online Provider Portal (OPP). This is changing to a new built-in section within the OPP, and the system will not allow you to submit your headcount claim without first submitting your Census return, ensuring that we do not need to chase you to complete the form.
For the spring Early Years Census return, this is mandatory for all EYFE providers claiming funding for at least one child by Headcount Day on 15 January 2026.
We are currently working on updating the OPP guidance so that they reflect these updates. In the meantime, we are pleased to announce that we are running more OPP Training: Submitting Actuals Claims and Census Details. These online webinar sessions are now bookable:
We strongly recommend that you book onto one of these sessions, or set aside some time to read the new updated guidance when it is available.
Further information and guidance will be communicated via the Early Years Funding newsletter due to be emailed on 12 January 2026.
Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs:
- provide advice
- share good practice
- promote evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners
- work closely with local authorities, early years settings and other partners, playing a crucial role in delivery of the government’s early years strategy Giving every child the best start in life
There are currently 18 Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs – 2 in each region in England. The Department of Education want to recruit an additional 18 hubs across England to make a total of 36 hubs.
To be eligible to lead an Early Years Stronger Practice Hub, your setting must be:
- a group-based early years setting, including:
- school-based
- private, voluntary or independent
- rated good or outstanding by Ofsted
- providing pre-reception early education
If you are interested in applying, you can find more information and attend a webinar on Monday 8 December 2025, please register your interest.
As a local authority, we would welcome the opportunity to support any providers considering applying so please contact the Family Information Service to let us know if you are considering completing an application.
Updated statutory guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) published in February 2025, highlights the need for full transparency with families regarding any extra charges. This includes making all costs clear to parents before they take up a place and ensuring additional charges are clearly displayed on both invoices and provider websites. From January 2026, providers must publish details of any chargeable extras on their website.
For providers who do not have a website, these charges must instead be listed on the Family Information Service (FIS) directory.
Providers without a website currently recorded will receive a reminder email asking them either to add their website, or add their charges via a termly update form (once available).
Providers must outline the cost of each chargeable extra and clearly itemise what each charge covers. A DfE template for setting out costs on your website is available on GOV.UK.
Childminders and providers caring for 10 or fewer children at one time are not required to publish this information online.
Invoices must be itemised to show a clear breakdown of:
- funded entitlement hours
- additional privately paid hours
- food charges
- non-food consumables
- charges for activities
This change ensures parents can see that their child’s funded entitlement hours are provided free of charge. It also makes clear that any charges apply only to extra hours or optional services.
All invoices and receipts must also include your setting's full details, so they are easily identifiable.
If you have any questions about the changes coming into effect in January 2026, please contact the Early Years Funding Team at eyfe@westsussex.gov.uk
There have been recent updates from the EEF.
Maths Champions
As part of its Best Start in Life strategy, the Department for Education is working with the EEF to fund free access to Maths Champions. This is a one-year professional development programme proven to help educators boost young children’s mathematical development. Eligible nurseries can find out more and complete a short expression of interest form.
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
Read evidence-based guidance from EEF on how to take a balanced approach to spending your EYPP. The guidance helps you make sure that funds truly support socio-economically disadvantaged children from as young as 9 months old.
The power of nursery rhymes
In recognition of World Nursery Rhyme Week, the EEF’s early years specialist Lauren Grocott explores how rhymes can enhance communication, literacy, early maths, and self-regulation skills. Lauren draws on evidence from the EEF, Ofsted, and leading researchers to unpack why and how nursery rhymes can make such a difference in early years education. Read the blog and explore how evidence can inform everyday practice in early years settings.
The NHS Sussex Dental Team has launched a Paediatric Oral Health Access and Prevention Programme for children aged 0 to 3 years. This initiative is designed to ensure families can access dental care early. It also helps parents understand practical methods to maintain healthy teeth right from the start. Starting early can reduce the need for tooth extractions and support better oral health as children grow.
Please share this poster with families in your setting, to provide more details about the service.
There are 10 West Sussex dental surgeries participating in the Paediatric Dental Access and Prevention Pathway. These are listed in the programme document.
How practitioners can help:
- share clinic details with families so they can contact the surgery directly
- if families need extra support, practitioners can make a referral on their behalf by contacting the dental surgery directly
You can become a work experience host through Jobcentre Plus and support people who want to start a career in early years and childcare. Work experience gives unemployed people the chance to gain skills and experience through placements that usually last between 2 and 8 weeks. The schedule can be flexible to suit both the employer and the participant.
By helping people gain work experience, your business can benefit in several ways:
- develop the supervisory and management skills of your current workforce
- enhance your public profile by supporting your local community
- access a pool of hidden talent – people who bring enthusiasm and fresh ideas
- promote workforce diversity
- encourage more people to work in your industry.
If you are interested in offering work experience, please contact one of the Employer Advisers below:
Bookings are now open for the spring term EYFS Leaders Networks, starting 21 January 2026. These free sessions give leaders the chance to hear the latest local and national EYFS news and discuss key issues with other local settings. The networks cover all areas of the EYFS, including business, welfare, and high-quality education. Spring term dates are listed below.
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Adur East Family Hub, BN43 6GA – Wednesday 21 January – 1.00pm to 3.00pm
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Kings Church, Burgess Hill, RH15 9LR – Wednesday 21 January – 1.00pm to 3.00pm
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Field Place, Worthing, BN13 1NP – Wednesday 21 January – 1.00pm to 3.00pm
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County Hall, Chichester, PO19 1RG – Friday 23 January – 1.00pm to 3.00pm
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Online - Microsoft Teams – Friday 23 January – 1.00pm to 3.00pm
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Garden Cottage Nursery, Horsham, RH20 4BA - Monday 26 January – 1.00pm to 3.00pm
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Horsham Family Hub (The Needles), RH12 1RS – Wednesday 28 January – 1.00pm to 3.00pm
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Broadfield Crawley Family Hub, RH11 9HJ – Thursday 29 January – 1.00pm to 3.00pm
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Arun East Family Hub (Wickbourne Centre), BN17 7DZ – Friday 30 January – 1.00pm to 3.00pm
To book, please click on the location above or log in to the booking portal, West Sussex Services for Education.
Any booking queries or questions, please contact early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Since the start of this academic year, over 60 people have joined our Makaton training sessions. Makaton uses speech, signs, and symbols to help people with communication difficulties to communicate. We offer a range of courses to help you get started, and our next 2 dates are listed below. All courses are delivered by trainers certified by The Makaton Charity.
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
- 12 December - Portal closes for settings to submit estimates for spring term
- w/c 22 December - Payments expected for spring term estimates
- 1 January 2026 - Early bird discount for the West Sussex Early Years Education and Childcare Conference ends
- 2 January 2026 - Autumn term sufficiency deadline
- 5 January 2026 - Portal opens for settings to submit actuals for spring term
- 15 January 2026 - Headcount day for spring term
- 30 January 2026 - Portal closes for settings to submit actuals for spring term
- w/c 23 February - Payments for spring term actuals due to be released
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:
It is important you follow the correct steps and notify the relevant teams and professionals if your setting needs to close.
Contact your local setting support team and visit our closing your early years and childcare setting web page for step by step support.
We share a weekly Jobs in Early Years and Childcare bulletin with members of the public. You can find guidance and a template for submitting your job adverts to this bulletin on our advertise early years and childcare jobs web page. You will also find useful guidance on advertising your job vacancies on other platforms.
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#47/2025 (Warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Early Years Funded Entitlement - spring term 2026 estimates open; Early Years Funded Entitlement for working families eligibility codes; Early Years Funded Entitlement number of weeks in spring term; Starting school applications; Admissions consultation; Updated children's vaccine schedule resources; Kent & Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Webinars; Have your say on the future of local government in West Sussex; Early Years Training)
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#46/2025 (Safeguarding Focus - Lockdown processes; References; Safeguarding and child protection refresher and Designated Safeguarding Lead training; Early Years Funded Entitlement - spring term 2025 estimates now open; Starting school applications help from the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service; Best Start in Life – supporting parents from pregnancy to childcare; You are invited - strengthening support for families event; Supervised toothbrushing champions; SENCO/INCO network meeting slides; Sustainability Support for Education free email series; Early Years Training)
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#45/2025 (Get winter ready – support for you and the families in your setting; More opportunities from the Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub; Carbon Literacy training; Get free climate action support for your setting from a Climate Ambassador; Early Years Training – last chance to secure a free space)
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#44/2025 (Business Focus - Can you offer work experience?; Early Years Funding Team new email is live; Rethinking the recruitment and retention of staff; Early Years Senior Leader Apprenticeship; Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding; Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub newsletter; Early Years Training)
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#43/2025 (The Free entitlement email address will soon be changing; Home-based Childcare Awards 2025 – nominations now open; Maths Champions - professional development programme; Changes to Ofsted inspections - Ofsted webinars recordings; Free resources for early years and wrapround providers; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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