#4/2026 - Wednesday 28 January 2026
This week's newsletter includes:
- Safeguarding focus
- Spring term 2026 termly census and actuals - deadline this Friday
- Product recall: Aptamil First Infant Formula (800g)
- Early Years Education and Childcare Conference 2026 - last chance to secure an early bird space
- Termly Provider Update
- Checking Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) codes
- Celebrating early years in West Sussex: watch our new videos
- Nominate a colleague for a King’s Birthday Honour
- New training to help every child and young person thrive
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
Making a safeguarding referral
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.
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks available from January 2026
From January 2026, parents and carers will be able to request Enhanced DBS checks when hiring private tutors, carers, therapists, and more.
Until now, self-employed or personal employees could only access Basic DBS checks, which show unspent convictions and cautions. Enhanced checks provide a more detailed level of safeguarding information, helping families make safer choices.
This change is part of the government’s commitment to strengthen child protection measures. Please read and share the update with families at your setting.
Safer eating guidance
In September 2025, the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework was updated to include specific information on supervision of children whilst eating. Settings should also consider how they manage activities involving food and resources that may be put in children's mouths. Food items should not be left out for children to access unsupervised, and choking risks should be assessed and managed.
The Food Standards Agency has guidance on early years food choking hazards. Settings should also refer to the Food Safety guidance on GOV.UK.
Safer sleep resources to share with families
To help continue promoting safer sleep for babies, please see the trusted websites and resources listed below. These contain practical advice for families on how to create a safe sleeping environment.
Please share these links with your teams and with families at your setting.
Safer sleep information for professionals
Certain factors can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Creating a safer sleep environment is one way to help reduce this risk.
The following guide from The Lullaby Trust provides an overview of the main risk factors and can be useful for anyone working closely with new parents:
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The Online Provider Portal (OPP) is still open for you to submit your termly census and Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) claims for 9 months plus, 2 year old and 3 and 4 year old age groups. The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on Friday 30 January.
You will need to complete the termly census before submitting your actuals.
Guidance videos and step-by-step guides are available on the Early Years Funded Entitlement actuals web page. The guidance covers:
If you are claiming EYFE for 2 year olds, please ensure you use the help guides to ensure you are entering hours in the correct field.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a recall of one specific batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula (800g) due to the possible presence of a toxin that may cause vomiting and stomach discomfort in infants.
Affected batch details:
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batch number: EXP 31-10-2026
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sold between: May - July 2025
Please check any stock you hold and ensure products from this batch are not used. Items can be returned to the shop you bought it from for a refund, and receipts are not required.
We kindly ask you to share this information with parents and carers to help ensure the safety of children in their care.
Further details can be found in the FSA recall notice and official poster:
Due to increased demand and interest for attending the conference, we extended the early bird price deadline beyond the initial deadline of 1st January 2026 to the 31 January 2026. The current cost of an early bird ticket is £50 per person. After the 31 January, it will rise to £75 per person.
The theme for this year’s West Sussex Early Education and Childcare Conference 2026 is Best Start in Life: Every Child, Every Chance. It focuses on narrowing the attainment gap and improving outcomes for disadvantaged children. The theme is built on the idea that every action creates a ripple effect, influencing a child’s future development.
Attend the conference to expand your learning across key early education topics and feel inspired to continue making a lasting difference. The keynote will be from the inspirational Jan Dubiel, with other speaking slots including Dan Sanders (West Sussex County Council), Ofsted and Dr Jools Page. There will also be a range of workshops and exhibitors throughout the day.
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.
Have you submitted a Termly Provider Update form lately? We ask early years and childcare providers to complete a provider update form once a term. The update form is submitted via the Online Provider Portal.
By submitting a Termly Provider Update, you will receive free advertising for your business on our Family Information Service website, which receives thousands of views per month. Visit our advertising your childcare business web page to find out more about how keeping your information up to date can benefit you. If you do not update your details, your details will be removed from the public list on our website and you could be missing out on free promotion for your business.
This is a reminder that you must complete all initial checks for EYFE codes before advising parents to take any further action.
To ensure claims can be submitted without delay, it is essential that you follow the correct process. This includes not directing parents to the Family Information Service regarding EYFE code issues. If parents contact us, we will need to refer them back to you, as their early years and childcare setting, to complete the required checks, which extends the time before the issue can be resolved.
Following the steps below allows any code issues to be resolved quickly and enables you to submit your actuals promptly:
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use the Eligibility Checker to confirm whether the EYFE code is valid. The help guides on the website explain how to interpret the results and what each outcome means
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complete the ‘Working Family eligibility code support form’ if the code is not valid, or if you cannot determine its validity after reviewing the help guides. The form and full guidance are available on the eligibility checker web page
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once the form is submitted, the EYFE team can investigate and resolve the issue where appropriate, allowing you to submit your actuals claim immediately once the code is corrected
Thank you for your continued cooperation and commitment to supporting families effectively.
We are pleased to share 2 new videos celebrating the early years sector in West Sussex. They highlight the benefits of early years education, including support for children with SEND, and aim to inspire more people to consider a career in early years and childcare. As you know, it is a rewarding career that gives every child the best possible start in life.
We encourage you to watch and share these videos with your families and wider community. Once they appear on the Family Information Service Facebook page, please feel free to reshare the posts.
The first video, 'The benefits of accessing childcare, for parents, carers and children', highlights the developmental impact of early years education and introduces the dedicated educators children will meet.
The second video, 'Do you want to be an early years education and childcare influencer?', is designed to inspire jobseekers and career changers to consider early years and childcare as a fulfilling career. It supports recruitment and retention in the sector and links to our new careers microsite, which provides further information and guidance.
We would like to thank Maidenbower Infant School Nursery, Treehoppers Forest Kindergarten (East Grinstead), and Catherine Parker, the Cosy Cottage Childminder, for taking part in this exciting project.
We hope you enjoy watching the videos.
Do you know someone in the Early Years, Families and Childcare sector who goes above and beyond in their work? As the King’s Birthday 2027 Honours round approaches, the Department for Education is encouraging nominations for colleagues who have made a real difference in this sector.
The Honours system recognises individuals who:
- have made significant achievements in public life
- show outstanding commitment to serving and supporting others
- help raise standards in the sector through their dedication and impact
To nominate someone, you should:
You can submit more than one nomination, and we encourage you to share the form with colleagues who may also know someone deserving of recognition.
When writing your nomination, please provide as much detail as possible, such as:
- the individual’s achievements and contributions
- real examples of what they have done
- their personal story and challenges they may have overcome
- the wider impact of their work
- what makes their contribution stand out from others in similar roles
Nominations close on Sunday 1 March. If you have any questions, please contact jane.flaherty@education.gov.uk.
This is a great opportunity to celebrate the individuals who make early years and childcare such a vital, inspiring sector.
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, has announced a major £200 million national investment to improve SEND training for everyone working in early years settings, schools and colleges.
The aim is to make sure all staff have the tools, confidence and skills to support children with SEND, so that inclusive practice becomes the norm across every setting.
Key points for early years settings:
- A new national CPD programme will offer free, accessible training for all early years practitioners.
- Training will focus on inclusive practice, child development, and practical strategies to support children with SEND from the very start of their education
This forms part of wider SEND reforms focused on making provision more consistent and improving support in local, mainstream settings. You can read the full letter here and the press release on GOV.UK.
Ofsted has published a new set of FAQs to support early years and childcare settings in understanding the renewed inspection framework. The FAQs bring together the questions that settings have raised during recent engagement activity and set out clear responses in one place.
The blog includes information on:
- inspection timelines – this includes the planned move from a 6 year to a 4 year inspection window from April 2026
- the nominee role – the FAQs explain this optional role and how a nominee can act as a link between the setting and the inspector during an inspection
- planning calls – the blog outlines what the planning call covers and how inspectors use this discussion to prepare for the visit
Ofsted confirms that it will update the FAQs regularly as the renewed inspection approach continues. The blog also provides links to additional training resources, including recorded webinars and the early years YouTube playlists for registered providers and childminders.
You can read the full FAQs on the Ofsted: early years blog.
Useful information
- 30 January - Portal closes for settings to submit actuals and the early years census for spring term
- 13 February - Inclusion Funding deadline for spring term 2026
- w/c 23 February - Payments for spring term actuals due to be released
- 4 March - Portal opens for settings to submit summer term estimates
- 27 March - Portal closes for settings to submit summer term estimates
- w/c 6 April - Payments for summer term estimates 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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3/2026 (Starting school applications - window has now closed; Early Years Initial Teacher Training; Wraparound Childcare Parent Survey; Early Years Skills Bootcamp; Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub - Makaton Training; Call for early years apprentices and practitioners to share their story; Words for Life – a useful resource to share with families; Wellbeing and Climate Action; Early Years Training)
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#2/2026 (Starting school applications - window closes tomorrow; Important safety alert - check your formula now; Warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Why a SEND information report matters; Bursaries for Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector (Early Years Educator); Apply to become an Early Years Stronger Practice Hub – deadline approaching; New Potty Training Guide launched for settings and families; Keeping your setting healthy this winter; Early Years Training - submitting actuals claims and census details webinar; Early Years Training - new ideas and activities for the children in your setting)
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#1/2026 (Spring term 2026 census and actuals claims - action required; Spring headcount date; Starting School Applications – one week to go; Mythbusting Early Childhood Development: writing; Share your experience as an Early Years Teacher; Supervised toothbrushing programme; Update to Portage referral criteria; Early years qualification requirements and standards: minor changes; Checking qualifications are full and relevant; Important changes to the childhood vaccination schedule; Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub updates; Early Years Training)
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#50/2025 (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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#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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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