#49/2025 - Wednesday 10 December 2025
This week's newsletter includes:
- Early Years Funded Entitlement spring term estimates - deadline this Friday
- Spring headcount date
- Checking eligibility for Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families
- Ofsted regulation changes
- Newly Qualified Starters Programme
- Tax-Free Childcare
- Disclosure and Barring Service campaign: understanding the legal duty to refer
- Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub newsletter
- SEND and Inclusion Newsletter
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
The Online Provider Portal is still open for you to submit your EYFE spring term estimates for the 9 months plus, 2 year old and 3 and 4 year old age groups.
- The deadline for estimate submissions is 11.59pm on 12 December 2025.
- Payments are scheduled to be received by providers week commencing 22 December 2025.
- Headcount day for spring term is 15 January 2026.
If, after viewing the guidance available on our website you require further support, in the first instance please email EYFE@westsussex.gov.uk, or phone the Family Information Service on 01243 777807.
Please check that you have the correct date for the spring 2026 headcount day - 15 January 2026. You should use this date when having conversations with parents around start dates for the upcoming term.
Please remember that you are only able to claim for children at headcount who have started at your setting by the end of headcount week (Friday 16 January 2026).
We have been notified of some potential errors when using eligibility checkers other than the one provided on the Online Provider Portal (OPP). Some external checkers may provide false confirmation of eligibility or may suggest a code is not valid for use when it is. We recommend using the Working Families eligibility checker on the OPP. This provides a direct result from the Department for Education.
Following recent reforms to Ofsted inspections, new regulations are due to come into effect from 1 January 2026 (subject to Parliamentary approval).
What is changing?
- Local authorities will have the option (but not the requirement) to refuse or withdraw early years funded entitlements from providers who receive certain Ofsted grades.
- Local authorities must offer information, advice and training to providers graded less than ‘Good’.
Please view the updated table for specified grades at which local authorities are able to withdraw or refuse entitlements funding. These grades vary depending on the inspection date, provider type, and inspecting authority. We will be updating our provider agreement to reflect these changes in due course. An updated version of the Early Education and Childcare statutory guidance will be published in early 2026. However, local authorities can act on the new grades from 1 January 2026.
Please note the following key points:
- Childminder agencies and providers registered with them are not affected, except where the agency is graded “ineffective” or advises the local authority that a childminder is no longer providing satisfactory care.
- Updated grades requiring support will apply when safeguarding standards are ‘Not met’, or leadership and governance is graded as ‘Needs attention’ or ‘Urgent improvement’.
- Inspections before 10 November 2025 - previous grades still apply.
- Inspections on or after 10 November 2025 – if Ofsted publishes the report before 1 January 2026, local authorities may act under existing provider agreements ahead of the new regulations.
These changes do not represent a new policy but ensure local authorities can continue to act where quality concerns are identified. While authorities have the power to withdraw funding, they are encouraged to work with providers to maintain high-quality care and education for children.
Over half of the providers who completed our early years workforce review told us the most helpful intervention to support the sector with retention would be a support programme for those new to the sector.
If you have hired someone new since 1 April 2025, they may be eligible for the Newly Qualified Starters Support Programme. The programme provides subsidised support to help new starters begin their role with confidence.
Managers can apply on behalf of staff who meet all of the following criteria:
- have completed a full and relevant level 2, level 3 or level 6 qualification
- have not previously worked in an early years and childcare setting.
If you are recruiting and considering newly qualified candidates, this programme can help you provide the right support from the start.
Find out more and apply by visiting our Newly Qualified Starters Programme web page.
TFC is a scheme available for eligible working parents who can receive a £2 top up for every £8 towards the cost of their childcare. It can be used for wrapround childcare and holiday schemes as well as at early years settings.
The Family Information Service has a search route on its website which identifies the settings who offer TFC. Parents may base their childcare decisions on whether they could claim TFC and therefore save money on their childcare bills. If you already offer TFC, and your setting is not listed in the TFC search, please ensure that you complete the termly childcare provider update form. If you do not currently offer this, please help families to save money by signing up to offer TFC.
The Best Start in Life parent hub has lots of useful information about the scheme, including frequently asked questions, which can be shared with parent/carers at your setting.
The DBS has launched a national campaign to raise awareness of the legal duty to refer. This is the process organisations must follow by law when there are safeguarding concerns about individuals in regulated activity.
This campaign aims to increase understanding of when referrals must be made, how the process works, and why it matters.
You can participate in the campaign by attending an online session or in person pop-up clinic:
The DBS has published helpful materials to guide you through the referral process:
A short video series will soon launch on the DBS YouTube channel, covering key topics like when referrals must be made and what happens next.
The November newsletter is now available. It features an update from a West Sussex childminder, as well as information about free training available to all of our early years educators.
The November SEND and Inclusion newsletter is now available.
Leaders Course
We have a Leadership course to support you in ensuring that the principles of assessment considerations are effectively communicated through your team and embedded in setting assessment systems. The full day course will provide plenty of opportunity to reflect on your own assessment practices and if there are any areas to make improvements within your setting. To book, click the course name below. You can also visit our booking portal and select your required course.
If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Submitting Actuals Claims and Census Details webinar
In newsletter 48/2025, we informed you that in 2026, the annual Early Years Census in January for the Department for Education (DfE) is changing to a termly return. To help with this change, we are pleased to announce that we are running more Online Provider Portal Training: Submitting Actuals claims and Census details webinar sessions which are now bookable:
We would strongly recommend that you book onto one of these sessions, or make sure to make 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 sent on 12 January 2026.
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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#48/2025 (Business Focus; Warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Important: Changes to Early Years Census Processes (EYFE providers only); 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; Tax-Free Childcare; Paediatric Oral Health Access and Prevention Programme; Could you offer work experience placements?; Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub newsletter; Spring Early Years Foundation Stage leaders networks – secure your space; Early Years Training)
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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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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