#6/2026 - Wednesday 11 February 2026
This week's newsletter includes:
- Product recall: Aptamil and Cow and Gate First Infant Milk and Follow on Milk formula
- Fully Funded MA in Early Years Education with Early Years Teacher Status – applications now open
- Wraparound Childcare Parent Survey –reminder
- Updated Quality Improvement Principles – The National Children’s Bureau
- New podcast for early years practitioners
- Maths Champions - professional development programme
- Virtual school newsletter
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a recall of several batches of Aptamil and Cow an Gate First Infant Milk and Follow on Milk formula, due to the possible presence of a toxin that may cause vomiting and stomach discomfort in infants.
Please check the FSA website for all affected batch details: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-05-2026
Please check any stock you hold and ensure products from these batches 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:
The University of Sussex is now accepting applications for the MA in Early Years Education. This pathway is fully funded by the UK government, which means:
- no tuition fees (you will need a 2:2 degree or above, plus GCSEs in English, maths and science at grade 4 or above)
- a £7,000 grant for early years settings to support staff release and training time
- a nationally recognised qualification that develops your expertise, leadership and career opportunities
This is an amazing opportunity for practitioners who want to deepen their knowledge, build confidence, and contribute to high-quality, inclusive early years education — without financial barriers.
To find out more you can:
- listen to ‘The Early Years Together’ podcast to hear more about the course and explore how it could support you and your setting
- visit the University of Sussex website
Thank you to everyone who has already completed and shared the Wraparound Childcare Parent Survey to your families.
If you missed the previous article about the survey in newsletter #3/2026, please share the ready-to-use wording below to copy and paste into your own communications, and a poster to display in your setting.
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.
You can take part in the survey here.
The NCB has updated their Quality Improvement Principles (QIPs). These have been developed to support and enable professionals to reflect and improve the quality of early years provision.
The QIP includes six principles
- Embedding values and principles in practice
- Making a difference for all children and ensuring their voices are listened to
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Promoting equality and inclusive practice
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Developing strong leadership and an effective and supported workforce
- Promoting effective partnership working
- Supporting wellbeing for all
Each principle includes:
- a clear overview and what it covers
- six “Reflect, Review, Respond” questions to help practitioners think about their current practice and make changes where appropriate.
- illustrated case studies
All the resources are free and regularly updated on the NCB website.
The Early Years Together podcast is now live, created to bring thoughtful, research-informed conversations straight to practitioners, leaders, and anyone passionate about children’s earliest experiences.
Episodes explore:
- Building strong relationships with families
- Supporting wellbeing
- Strengthening inclusive practice
- Navigating everyday professional challenges that shape our sector
It is reflective, practical, and designed to fit into the rhythm of your day.
You can listen via this website or you can find it on Spotify, YouTube, and other major platforms.
In newsletter #43/2025 we informed you that, The Department for Education is funding free access to Maths Champions as part of its Best Start in Life Strategy.
There is still time to join Maths Champions. The programme is open to Private Voluntary and Independent settings, nursery classes in schools, and maintained nursery schools where 3 and 4 year olds attend for at least 15 hours a week.
You can sign-up for cohorts starting from February to June 2026 on the Education Endowment Foundation website.
The spring 2026 edition of the virtual school newsletter is now available.
The 2 courses featured below, both focus on developing understanding. One explores behaviour in detail and how to respond sensitively. The other, looks at supporting children through their transitions into school and understanding what they need to be ready for their next stages of life.
To book, click on your preferred course date 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
- 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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05/2026 (Business Focus - Employment Rights Act 2025: What Providers Need to Know; Small Hands, Big Planet: Climate action workshop for early years educators; Product recall: Hobbycraft “Giant box of craft”; Do you have any staff vacancies to fill?;Early years education and childcare jobs fairs; Bursaries for Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector; Ofsted inspections since November 2025;Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub Virtual Training and Networks; Early Years Training)
- #4/2026 (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)
- #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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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