#22/2026 - Wednesday 3 June 2026
This week's newsletter includes:
- Deadline approaching - Thriving in Education grant
- Safer sleep guidance for early education and childcare settings
- Early Years Funded Entitlements for 9 months plus, 2, 3 and 4 year olds – summer term payments
- Expression of interest - Level 3 SENCO award in south of the county
- National Professional Qualification Autumn 2026 update
- GLF West Sussex Teaching School Hub – May 2026 newsletter
- Free resource - Early Years Sustainability and Climate Change Audit
- New guidance to help children starting school
- Early Education Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
As first mentioned in Special Newsletter - Thriving in Education Grants, the closing date for applications is at 5.00pm on Friday 5 June.
The Thriving in Education grant can help you to develop your provision to support children to develop their emotional wellbeing and resilience. For more information and the application form, please refer to the Special Newsletter linked above or our Information on grants web page.
The Department for Education has updated safer sleep guidance for early education and childcare settings, covering safe environments, supervision, staff practice, individual needs, and equipment, and we have created a supporting document to help settings implement this guidance.
Please be advised that summer term payments have been released for providers that receive 2 payments per term for:
- EYFE actuals where there are no unresolved queries.
- Disability Access Fund for all approved applications where evidence was provided.
Please note, payments can take 3 to 5 working days to show in your account.
The Online Provider Portal (OPP) is now closed for summer term submissions, but you can still log back in to view your payment summary. Please refer to the web page for provider portal help and guidance. You can find information on how to view your payment summary in the on the web page.
If you have any queries please email .
If you have received an email from the EYFE finance team querying your claim(s), please respond directly to . The finance team will respond to queries in the order that responses are received. Once the query has been resolved please be reassured that we will release your payment(s) as quickly as possible.
We are aware that some providers are currently reporting missing remittance documents. While the EYF team does not issue remittance, we are actively working with the dedicated team responsible to understand and resolve the issue.
To help us progress this as quickly as possible, if you have not received remittance for any of your actuals payments, please email EYFE@westsussex.gov.uk. When you contact us, please clearly state which age groups are affected to aid our investigation.
We have successfully funded 2 cohorts of learners through the level 3 SENCO award at Crawley College.
Some of you told us you would like to access this funded course but are unable to travel to Crawley. We are taking expressions of interest to see if we will have enough learners to fund the course in the south of the county (Chichester College or Worthing College).
Candidates must:
- work in a West Sussex setting
- hold a full and relevant level 2 or 3 early years qualification
- be a SENCO or training to be a SENCO
- be willing and able to travel to either Chichester College or Worthing College (delivery could be at either site)
If you have team members who meet this criteria and would like to put them forward for this 12 week evening delivery course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Please note, this is an expression of interest only - it does not guarantee you a place on this course. We will only fund the course if there is enough demand.
The GLF West Sussex Teaching School Hub (GLFTSH) has confirmed that the Department for Education will fully fund the NPQEYL (Early Years Leadership) programme for all schools and settings (except independent schools) in the Autumn 2026 cohort.
There will only be one cohort next year which will commence in November 2026.
Applications will open on Tuesday 23 June, however GLFTSH's lead provider, Teach First, is currently taking expressions of interest by completing this e-form. If you are interested in this programme, please express your interest as early as possible in order to secure a place.
For bursary funded places, please check the Department for Education eligibility criteria as outlined on the NPQ web page.
Further information on all 10 NPQs available with GLFTSH is available on their website.
The GLFTSH have published their May 2026 newsletter. It includes news and updates on Initial Teacher Training, Early Career Framework, National Professional Qualifications and Continuing Professional Development.
If you cannot access the newsletter via the link above, it is also available in PDF format on the GLFTSH.org website.
As mentioned in newsletter #14/2025, The Department for Education required all education settings to 'nominate a sustainability lead and implement a climate action plan' by December 2025.
Pete Moorhouse, an International Creative Consultant Artist educator, has created a free audit tool to help you with evaluating your current practice and environment. You can use the audit tool with a view to looking at what improvements can be made, and how these can best be prioritised through your climate action plan.
For continued support in reducing the carbon footprint in your setting, please visit our web page.
The Department for Education has published reception transition guidance to support children starting school and strengthen the transition practice across early education and schools.
With September reception cohorts now confirmed, this is a key time for schools and early educators to plan and deliver high quality transition activities which will help children feel confident and ready to learn from the start of reception. The guidance sets out practical approaches to working in partnership with all providers.
Schools, trusts and early education settings are encouraged to use this resource now to review and strengthen their transition arrangements, ensuring more children have a strong start in reception.
Help families feel ready for September with MC Grammar’s new ‘Steps for School’ song. Little steps at home make a big difference. Visit the Best Start in Life website to find out more.
As a leader or manager of an early education setting, it is important that you focus on your own professional development and leadership skills building, as well as those within your setting. To book, click the course name 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
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.
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.
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21/2026 (Inclusive Early Years Fund 2026/27; Early education training - paediatric first aid summer dates; Our fully funded bursary for a Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years sector means you can start at any time; NCFE CACHE Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry for the Early Years Workforce; Support your practice with free early years child development training; Thriving in Education grant reminder; Ofsted blog post for childminders; Stronger Practice newsletter)
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20/2026 (Safeguarding Focus - Switched on to privacy: resources for early years, school-age childcare and out-of-school settings; Worthing Children’s Development Centre – new referral process; Childminder inspection experience survey; Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub - training opportunities; Attunement and Interaction - the magic of communicating without words; Virtual School - newsletter, Personal Education Plan reminder and training opportunities; Childhood immunisations; Early Education Training)
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19/2026 (Good Level of Development Focus - Mathematical development; Childminder appreciation week - a big thank you to all of our West Sussex childminders; Updates to Ofsted documents; UK Health Security Agency advice for Early Education settings; Level 3 Safeguarding Support Officer Apprenticeship; Early Years Specialist Advisory Teachers referral - deadline approaching; Termly Provider Update; SEND and Inclusion newsletter; Early Education Training)
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18/2026 (Business focus: Committee run provision; Summer term 2026 termly census and actuals - deadline this Friday; Reporting serious childcare incidents within 14 days; Qualify as an Early Years Teacher while you work; Bursaries for level 3 diploma working in the early years sector; Crawley College NCFE CACHE Level 3 Technical Occupational entry for Early Years; Updates for Holiday Activities and Food providers; Early Years Training)
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17/2026 (Reminder – EYFE termly census and actuals are open;New webpage for childminders – Changing who you are registered with; White Paper on education reform – consultation reminder; Supporting families with childhood immunisations; Making Every Contact Count vaccination training – supporting early years conversations; Share a Story month; National Education Nature Park webinar; National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership autumn cohort; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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