#50/2025 - Wednesday 17 December 2025
This week's newsletter includes:
- Safeguarding focus - New weekly online safeguarding drop-in sessions
- Christmas and New Year opening times
- Submitting Actuals Claims and Census details webinar
- Starting school applications
- Recent updates to Ofsted guidance
- Vaccine hesitancy e-module now live
- New disability guidance and training
- Designated Safeguarding Lead networks 2026 - secure your space
- Keynote speaker confirmed for West Sussex Early Years Education and Childcare Conference 2026
- Cyber Security: ministerial letter to small businesses
- Childcare Works - free resources
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
As we come to the end of 2025, it is a good time to reflect on what the early years and childcare sector has achieved. This is also our final newsletter of this year, and we look forward to sharing more updates with you in 2026. Our first newsletter after Christmas will be on Wednesday 7 January 2026.
This year has brought significant changes. The expansion of funded hours for working families has meant adapting to new systems and supporting families in different ways. There has also been continued work to grow and support the workforce, recognising the vital role staff play in delivering high-quality care and education. Updates to the inspection framework have encouraged an even stronger focus on quality and positive outcomes for children. Through all of this, your dedication has made a real difference for children and families.
Your commitment every day matters and is valued. As we look ahead to 2026, we hope to continue working together to build on this progress and support you in the important work you do. Thank you for everything and we wish you a restful festive season and a successful year to come.
For those who will be working over the holiday period, thank you for continuing to support families during this time. We hope you still find moments to enjoy the festive period and take opportunities to rest.
Out first newsletter after Christmas will be on Wednesday 7 January 2026.
New weekly online safeguarding drop-in sessions
The West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership is introducing weekly 30 minute online drop-in sessions for practitioners. Each session will focus on a different topic each time.
These sessions aim to keep professionals connected, support ongoing learning, share best practice, promote wellbeing, and quickly spread key safeguarding updates.
Please view the flyer for upcoming dates and the link to access the sessions. There is no need to book. Each session will use the same Microsoft Teams link.
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Our Family Information Service and Early Years Funding teams are normally open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. We will be open as usual over the festive period, except:
- Wednesday 24 December – Telephone lines close at 5pm
- Thursday 25 December – Closed
- Friday 26 December – Closed
- Wednesday 31 December – Telephone lines close at 5pm
- Thursday 1 January – Closed
Normal opening times resume on Friday 2 January.
We wish you a happy and safe festive season.
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 emailed on 12 January 2026.
The deadline for applying for a school place is Thursday 15 January 2026. Please make sure that the families who should be applying for a school place for their child, are aware of the deadline and submit their application on time.
To apply for a school place, or for more information on applying, please signpost parents to www.westsussex.gov.uk/admissions. They should also read the starting school booklet and the application checklist.
The following Ofsted guidance documents have been updated to reflect inspection processes under the renewed inspection framework. These include:
To view the full details, please click ‘See all updates’ on each web page.
Additional Ofsted guidance that has also been recently updated:
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As first mentioned in newsletter #42/2025, a new Vaccine Hesitancy eLearning module is now available. Upcoming workshops are also available to book onto. You will develop your awareness of why vaccination is important and some of the reasons why people may choose not to vaccinate.
The eLearning is a pre-requisite to attending the workshops and can be accessed here.
Making Every Contact Count Vaccination Workshops:
To book, please click on the location above to log in and book your place.
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The Council for Disabled Children has published new guidance and training to help early years practitioners understand their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 when supporting disabled children. These resources aim to promote inclusive practice and improve outcomes for disabled children. The training is designed to help providers meet their legal duties and create environments where every child can participate and thrive.
The four, short modules are free and accessible online, making it easy to embed inclusive practice across your setting:
- knowing who is disabled
- understanding your duties under the Equality Act
- making reasonable adjustments
- taking a whole-setting approach
In newsletter #37/2025, we introduced a termly network specifically for DSLs. The February 2026 dates for the spring networks are now live and bookable. The free-to-attend networks, which are spread throughout the county, provide an opportunity for DSLs to hear about the latest local and national news and discuss current and relevant issues with other providers. Dates for the upcoming spring term are below:
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.
Great news, Jan Dubiel has been confirmed as our keynote speaker for our West Sussex Conference 2026: Best Start in Life: Every Child, Every Chance.
Jan Dubiel is a specialist in Early Childhood Education. He was identified by the Times Educational Supplement as one of the ten most influential people in British education in 2018. Jan is both nationally and internationally recognised as a specialist in Early Childhood Education. Jan has worked as a nursery, reception, and Year 1 teacher in schools across the country, leading teams as an Early Years co-ordinator. As a member of the expert advisory panel, he advised the Department for Education on the revision to the Early Learning Goals and Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and helped to shape and deliver a strategy that supported managers and educators in all aspects of practice and provision. He developed the Early Excellence Baseline Assessment which supported more than 12,000 schools as a baseline assessment and tracking system, and devised an international qualification for kindergarten teachers. Jan has developed an international reputation as a conference speaker, consultant and trainer and he has written widely on different aspects of policy and practice, especially in terms of pedagogy, curriculum and assessment. He will be speaking on closing the attainment gap in early years education.
Our early bird price is £50 until 1st January 2026. The conference is on Saturday 14 March 2026, County Hall Horsham, Chartway, Horsham, RH12 1XA, running from 9.00am to 3.30pm. To book your place, please click here.
Hostile cyber activity in the UK is becoming more frequent and sophisticated, and small businesses, including early years settings, can be at risk. The government has issued an open letter to help small businesses strengthen their cyber resilience. It highlights practical steps and free resources to protect against cyber threats. Read the full letter and guidance on .
If you experience a cyber incident, report it to .
Childcare Works offers a range of practical resources for providers, schools, and childminders, plus an update to the Department for Education’s (DfE) workforce toolkit.
Recruiting and Retaining your breakfast club and wraparound Workforce
The updated DfE toolkit includes a variety of practical resources, such as tools, templates and tips. This has been created to aid recruitment and retention in free breakfast clubs and wraparound childcare settings.
Dingley’s Promise Inclusive Practice
Childcare Works has recently worked in collaboration with Dingley’s Promise to create a collection of resources and videos to support inclusive practice for early years providers, childminders and schools.
Childcare Works' Toolkits
The Childcare Works' toolkits bring together everything you need to set up, grow and sustain childcare provision. With content curated by experts, you will find a wealth of useful, relevant, information, all in one place.
The toolkits contain information specific to operating childcare provision, plus general information for businesses, childminders and charities, including expert marketing, HR and leadership and management, partnership working and more.
Access the Wraparound Toolkit.
Access the Early Years Toolkit.
Training opportunity from the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs
A free one day conference on "Myth busting early childhood development: Writing". The event will be held in Southampton. For more information and to book your place, please visit the web page.
There is also a webinar about the importance of Early Maths available to watch on YouTube.
Free webinars for Christmas from Tales Toolkit
Tales Toolkit is offering every practitioner working in early years, all of their webinars. They are completely free until 6 January 2026, covering essential topics for early years educators.
If you are not already subscribed, all you need to do is create a free account. After January, you will continue to have access to a selection of webinars that update monthly.
Useful information
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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#49/2025 (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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#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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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