Newsletter for Out of School providers in West Sussex
#1/2026 - Monday 19 January 2026
This newsletter includes:
- Wraparound Programme Funding – Management Information spring return
- Wraparound Childcare Parent Survey
- Wraparound Childcare Programme funding – deadline
- Holiday Activity and Food programme - expression of interest
- Out of School Provider Training Opportunities
- Out of School Networks
- Use your free, funded Paediatric First Aid place - reminder
- Why a SEND information report matters
- Weekly online safeguarding drop-in sessions
- Making a safeguarding referral
- Setting Support phone line
- Childcare Works - free resources
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The Wraparound Programme Management Information (MI) return for the spring term 2026 is now open. All providers who received funding from Local Authorities on or before Friday 30 January 2026 must complete the survey with details of their wraparound provision.
If you have received funding but have not yet made any changes to your provision, there is an opportunity to report this in the survey.
What do I need to do?
Please ensure you have the following information available to submit your MI return:
- session start and end times
- the maximum number of places available
- how many attendees you have, including how many have SEND
- the number of staff present in each session
- any fees charged to parents/carers
For question six, please use the All schools list to indicate which school your provision serves. You should copy the name and URN combination to ensure your provision is linked back to the correct school. If you serve more than one school, you must submit a separate form for each school.
The survey must be completed in one sitting, as it cannot be saved and returned to later.
What are the key dates?
We are monitoring the week of Monday 19 January 2026, this is called the reporting week. Funded providers must complete the MI survey for this reporting week.
The survey must be completed by Friday 31 January 2026.
For more information, please read the letter to wraparound childcare providers from the Department for Education.
The Early Years and Childcare team has launched a new Wraparound Childcare Parent Survey. We are asking for your help to encourage families in your setting to take part. We want to hear from all West Sussex parents and carers, whether they currently use wraparound childcare or not.
The survey asks about what is working well, what could be improved, and how childcare can better meet the needs of local families. This includes availability, travel arrangements, activities, food, booking patterns, cost and how easy it is to find information.
All responses are anonymous. Insight from families will help us understand demand, improve access and support the development of wraparound childcare for primary school-aged children. Your help in sharing this will make a real difference. Please share this link with your families. The deadline is 11.59pm on Sunday 22 February.
Here is some ready-to-use wording to copy and paste into your own communications.
Wraparound Childcare Parent Survey
West Sussex County Council’s Early Years and Childcare team would like to hear from parents and carers about wraparound childcare for primary school-aged children. Whether you currently use this type of childcare or not, your views are important.
The survey asks about things like awareness of government help with childcare costs, the type of provider used, days and times attended, travel arrangements, booking patterns, activities, food, and affordability.
The survey is anonymous and the deadline is 11.59pm on Sunday 22 February.
Take part here: https://bit.ly/WraparoundParentSurvey.
Following the successful creation of over 2500 places, the Wraparound Childcare Programme is heading towards its 2025-2026 deadline. Monday 23 February 2026 will be the last general opportunity to apply for a share of the £4.8 million awarded to West Sussex to support the creation of over 3000 wraparound places. Any applications submitted after this date must be supported by your Early Years and Childcare Advisor.
For more information, please contact the wraparound team at wraparound.childcare@westsussex.gov.uk or visit the Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding web page.
The Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme is fully funded by the Department for Education. It offers children who are entitled to benefits related free school meals the opportunity to attend a participating holiday activity club and have a free meal. There are a wide variety of clubs across the county, offering a range of experiences.
Eligible children can attend their chosen HAF provision for a maximum of 4 days per week for one week at Easter, four weeks during the summer and one week at Christmas. More information can be found on the HAF web page.
Providers interested in offering HAF places for eligible children can place a ‘bid’, known as an expression of interest, for HAF funding. This can be done each holiday during the allocated time, or one bid can be made for multiple holidays.
The next expression of interest period will open on the 2 March and close on 2 April. During this time, providers can bid for summer funding, or both summer and winter funding. For more information and to place an expression of interest, please visit the expression of interest web page.
If you would like to discuss your bid before submission, or if you or families have any general enquiries, please contact the HAF team at haf@westsussex.gov.uk.
We have a number of courses that are suitable for out of school providers and their staff. These range from a 2-part course on how to be a reflective playworker, through to promoting positive behaviour within your setting. To book, either click the course listed below or you can visit our booking portal West Sussex Services for Education and select your required course.
We also have a range of other training opportunities and courses that are available for Out of School Providers to attend. These can be found in our training and events brochure. If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
The start of the new year marks the beginning of our spring networks. These networks have been designed specifically for Out of School Providers. They take place termly and are free to attend. However, you must secure your place via the booking portal.
The networks give wraparound leaders the chance to hear the latest local and national updates. They also provide time to discuss current and relevant issues with other local providers and the West Sussex staff who run the sessions. The networks cover all areas of provision, including business, welfare, and delivering high‑quality practice. To book, either click the course listed below or you can visit our booking portal West Sussex Services for Education and select your required course.
To support the EYFS Safeguarding Reforms, we are funding one free Paediatric First Aid training place for wraparound care providers. To qualify for a free place, you must offer food or monitor children while they are eating, and you must have Reception children on roll. One free place is available per location you operate, and it must be booked and completed before 31 March 2026.
Paediatric First Aid courses are offered across multiple venues. Spaces are limited and can be booked on the Services for Education website. Once on the site, please search for “Paediatric First Aid” to find the available courses. Remaining scheduled places are available between January and March 2026.
If you experience any issues when booking a course or are unsure whether you have a free place available, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Every child deserves the right support to thrive. Families want clear, honest information about what your setting offers. The SEND Information Report is not just a legal requirement under the SEND Code of Practice 2014, the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework and the Equality Act 2010. It shows your commitment to inclusion and puts the child at the centre of decisions. The benefits of a SEND information report are as follows:
- a clear report builds trust with families and strengthens your reputation as an inclusive setting
- it shows compliance and readiness for regulatory inspections
- it reduces repeated questions and gives staff confidence through clear expectations
- it demonstrates that your setting values transparency and partnership
- families feel reassured that their child will be understood and supported, and professionals see that you are proactive and organised
- this is your opportunity to showcase best practice, highlight your expertise, and showcase the inclusivity of your setting
- when families read your report, they should feel confident that their child will thrive in your care.
You should publish your report on your website or provide it by email or in print to parents, if needed. Review it every year and update it when your practice changes. Visit our SEND Information Report web page for more information and templates to help you get started.
The West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership has introduced weekly 30 minute online drop-in sessions for practitioners. Each session will focus on a different topic each session.
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.
The West Sussex Safeguarding Childrens Partnership have created a helpful one-page safeguarding referral information sheet.
This information sheet can be shared as part of your wider safeguarding practice to support you and your colleagues when making a referral.
All our early years and childcare providers are able to access the West Sussex Setting Support phone line.
The telephone number is 01243 777807 and when you call, please specify you are calling for the Setting Support phone line. The line is available every Tuesday from 12.00pm to 4.00pm. Calls will not be taken outside of these times.
The aim of the phone line is to:
- provide advice and guidance to enhance overall inclusion
- promote reflective practice and identify areas of needs within the setting/wraparound provision
- ensure early intervention, advice and guidance is available when settings need it most
- ensure settings have a good understanding of Ordinarily Available Inclusive Practice
- create actions to support settings to enhance provision and practice
- ensure settings have strategies in place to support children effectively
- refer for further support if SEND/individualised support is identified.
For more information please visit the Setting Support phone line webpage.
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. The headings below link to a selection of free Childcare Works resources and toolkits.
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
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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06/2025 (Wraparound Programme Funding – Management Information autumn return; Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding - final deadline; Tell us which schools you support; Leases and licenses; Wraparound Childcare Toolkit; Setting Support phone line; Careers in early years and childcare website; Out of School (Wraparound Childcare) Impact Survey; Out of School Networks; Use your free, funded Paediatric First Aid place - reminder; Out of School provider training opportunities)
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05/2025 (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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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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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