#14/2026 - Wednesday 8 April 2026
This week's newsletter includes:
- Business Focus: Wickes Community Programme - support for local projects; Get Tax Confident; National Living Wage increases to £12.71 per hour
- Online Provider Portal downtime
- Where to find your submitted forms on the Online Provider Portal
- Early years speech and language referral deadline
- Stronger Practice Hub March Newsletter
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
Wickes Community Programme - support for local projects
The Wickes Community Programme offers free products and materials to help local charities, schools, and community groups improve their spaces. Since its launch in 2022, the programme has supported thousands of projects across the UK, donating everything from paint and tools to timber, soil and building materials.
Demand for support has increased significantly since the initiative launched. Some past projects have used donations to create outdoor learning and wellbeing spaces, including gardens, allotments and sensory areas. These projects give children more opportunities to connect with nature, develop social skills and enjoy better play and learning environments.
Childcare and early years settings can apply for support for renovations, outdoor areas or wider improvement projects through the Wickes Community Programme webpage.
Get Tax Confident
HMRC has launched Tax Confident, a new website to help people understand tax in plain, simple terms.
It is designed around real-life situations, helping people to find information that is relevant to their circumstances, such as webpages on tax in retirement, small businesses and working life. It also includes a section on tax basics, to help people understand the essentials. There is also information about the free HMRC app and how to access further support.
With simple explanations, videos, and examples, Tax Confident makes it easier for people to understand tax. It also has links to relevant GOV.UK guidance for people seeking more detailed information.
National Living Wage increases to £12.71 per hour
Increased rates of the National Minimum Wage, including the National Living wage, came into force from 1 April 2026. These rates bring into effect recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission last autumn.
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Please be advised that the Online Provider Portal (OPP) will be unavailable for viewing or submitting forms from 1pm on Wednesday 8 April 2026, however you can still access the funding area. It will be completely unavailable on Thursday 9 April from 9am to 11am whilst essential maintenance is taking place. Please note, parents and carers will not be able to submit Early Learning for 2 year olds (LA Issued) funding applications and our Family Information Service website will also be unavailable to the public.
We have had a number of queries from settings about how to check whether a form has been successfully submitted on the Online Provider Portal (OPP). To help any settings who are unsure, here is a quick overview of what you will see under the Forms tab. There are two key areas.
Fill in forms – forms you can complete
This is where you will find every form available to submit, including:
- EYFE Provider Declaration
- Staff Update Form
- Termly Childcare Provider Update
- OPP Feedback Form
 This page always lists all available forms. It doesn't show whether you have already submitted any of them.
After you submit a form, a green confirmation banner appears at the top of the screen. This is your immediate indicator that the form has been submitted.
 View forms – forms your setting has submitted
If you need to check whether a form has gone through, go to View Forms.
This section shows:
- all previously submitted forms
- the date they were submitted
- their status, such as Pending or Authorised
 It is the most reliable place to check your submitted forms progress.
If you need extra support, help guides are available on the relevant task webpages across our OPP webpage. Each task page includes guidance specific to that area to help you find the information you need.
Please be aware that the latest date for submitting Early Years Speech and Language referrals for children to be assessed before September 2026 school entry is 31 May 2026. We encourage all settings to review any children who may require a referral and ensure paperwork is completed and submitted ahead of the deadline. Early submission helps avoid delays and supports a smoother transition into school. Please refer to the NHS Children's Speech and Language Therapy Service for more information and contact details.
The Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub March newsletter is now available.
Experience shows that all organisations working with children and young people must have safer recruitment processes in place as standard practice. Our Safer Recruitment Essentials training explores what is required and offers practical guidance to help you recruit safely and confidently. It supports organisations to employ only suitable people and to build a positive culture where children can learn, play and thrive. The course is also part of our expansion support offer this year. This means it is part‑funded and available at a reduced cost of £10 per person.
Any booking queries or questions, please contact early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk
Useful information
- 10 April - Spring term sufficiency deadline
- 13 April - Portal opens for settings to submit actuals for summer term
- 30 April - Headcount day for summer term
- 8 May - Portal closes for settings to submit actuals for summer term
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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13/2026 (Advanced warning - Online Provider Portal (OPP) downtime; Update: confirmed changes to Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework safer sleeping requirements; Summer 2026 – increase in funded weeks for term time only providers; Understanding Month of the Military Child; Early Years Specialist Advisory Teachers (EYSATs) referral deadline 2026; Updated childcare sufficiency assessment; Healthy Child Programme Continence Support 2026; Early Years Training)
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#12/2026 (Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 - updated statutory guidance; Update on Post Headcount Exceptional Payments Request Forms processing times; Launch of the West Sussex SEND Strategy 2026–2030; New Ofsted blog post - scam text messages claiming to be from Ofsted; Updated guidance for childminders on household expenses; Digital tools webinar for early years and wraparound providers; Childminder‑led language enrichment webinar; Early Years Training; Grow, Learn and Flourish West Sussex Teaching School Hub – March 2026 newsletter)
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#11/2026 (Safeguarding Focus: Monitoring child absence in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage; Provider Declaration 2026/27 reminder; Have you completed the Early Years Education and Childcare Workforce Review?; Church Lane Nursery celebrates national award win; Join the West Sussex Virtual School for breakfast this summer; White Paper on education reform – open consultation; Education Endowment Foundation: Take part in a funded research project and build strong vocabulary from the start; Strengthening professional connections for foster carers and kinship carers; Early Years Training)
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#10/2026 (Good Level of Development Focus – Using Early Years Pupil Premium to narrow the attainment gap; Important action for existing Early Years Funded Entitlement providers; Common error when submitting your Provider Declaration form; Early Years Network Group - update; Tax-Free Childcare; Starting Reception webinar and new toothbrushing guide; Maths Champions programme; Early Years Training
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#9/2026 (Business Focus - Free cyber security support for businesses; Early Years Funded Entitlement - summer term 2026 estimates now open; Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families eligibility codes; Webinars available - completing your Annual Provider Declaration; Have you completed the Early Years Education and Childcare Workforce Review?; Grants and funds available to support outdoor education; Parental conduct; Early Years and Childcare Inclusion/Special Educational Needs Network; Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub: summer term training and networks; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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