#25/2026 - Wednesday 24 June 2026
This week's newsletter includes:
- Safeguarding Focus
- Childhood immunisations reminder
- Starting school with West Sussex libraries
- Tax-Free Childcare
- Supporting Traveller Families to Access Early Education
- Apprenticeships funding update - changes for August 2026
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
Safeguarding Focus
Second series of DBS Discussions: Safeguarding in Focus now available
In newsletter #07/2026 we notified you of a new podcast by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
They have now launched the second series of DBS Discussions: Safeguarding in Focus. This podcast is for employers, HR professionals, safeguarding leads, and anyone with an interest in safeguarding who wants to better understand DBS checks and safer recruitment.
Series 2 features 6 episodes covering the most common questions from employers and safeguarding practitioners, with contributions from expert colleagues across DBS and from sector partners including NSPCC, Ann Craft Trust, and Unlock.
DBS Discussions: Safeguarding in Focus is available on Spotify, Amazon and YouTube.
New Ofsted blog
Ofsted has published a new blog titled 'How safeguarding and children’s welfare and wellbeing underpin the September 2026 updates to early years inspections'. You can read the full blog here. It also includes a link to the updated Early years inspection: toolkit, operating guide and information.
Advanced Safeguarding training
The Advanced Safeguarding course was introduced last year and has proved popular. Another course is now available.
The course is for childminders and senior staff in early years education settings, including designated safeguarding leads, managers, deputy managers and room leaders.
It builds on the safeguarding refresher and designated safeguarding lead courses. You will learn more about how to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns, including online abuse, 'honour'-based abuse, female genital mutilation, child exploitation, and abuse linked to faith or belief.
To book, click on the course 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.
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Further to Monday's Special Newsletter on the Heat Health Alert, we would like to remind providers that the UKHSA Heat Health Alert remains in place. Please refer to the Special Newsletter for full guidance and recommendations.
Settings are expected to remain open where possible and should continue to follow DfE guidance to help keep children and staff safe during the period of prolonged hot weather. Please ensure fresh drinking water is readily available, encourage children to stay in shaded areas, adapt outdoor activities where necessary, and take steps to keep indoor environments as cool as possible.
Air quality
Providers should also be aware of current air quality advice. Defra advises that adults and children with lung problems, and adults with heart problems who experience symptoms, should consider reducing strenuous physical activity, particularly outdoors. The general population may continue their usual outdoor activities. Please monitor local air quality forecasts and adapt activities where appropriate. For further information, please refer to the Defra Daily Air Quality Index, Pollution Forecast, and West Sussex Air Quality webpages.
Staff pay reminder
If you are considering a temporary closure due to concerns that cannot be mitigated, please contact your local Early Years and Childcare team and include the Family Information Service in your email. Providers are also reminded that, according to Acas guidance, where an employer decides to temporarily close a workplace, staff are normally entitled to their full pay if they remain ready, willing and able to work. Providers may wish to consider whether alternative duties, such as planning, training, record keeping or administrative tasks, can be undertaken during any period of closure. For further information, please see the Acas guidance on pay during disruption
Vaccination helps to protect children from illnesses that can cause serious harm. Reminding families at your setting to keep up to date with their child’s vaccines will help more children to receive strong protection as they grow. Please signpost parents to the childhood immunisations web page for more information.
West Sussex Libraries, in conjunction with Public Health, have launched a new project to support children and families with starting school.
Starting School Packs are available to borrow for settings and parents, free of charge, from your local libraries. Each pack includes books to share, games and an information flyer about starting school. Books about starting school are also available to borrow for free with a library card.
The project contributes to the school readiness priority in the West Sussex Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025 to 2030. Helping a child to feel ready for starting school will enable them to make the most of the learning opportunities available in this next phase of life.
Find out more on the West Sussex Libraries Starting School web page.
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TFC is a scheme available for eligible working parents who can receive a £2 top up for every £8, towards the cost of their childcare. It can be used for wrapround childcare and holiday schemes as well as at early years settings.
We have a search route on the Family Information Service website which identifies the settings who offer TFC. Parents and carers may base their childcare decisions on whether they could claim TFC and therefore save money on their childcare bills.
If you already offer TFC, and your setting is not listed in the TFC search, please ensure that you complete the termly childcare provider update form. You can add TFC on page 2 of the form in the Age Groups covered section as seen below.
 If you do not currently offer this, please help families to save money by signing up to offer TFC.
The Best Start in Life website has lots of useful information about the scheme, including frequently asked questions, which can be shared with parents and carers at your setting.
A new film has been launched as part of the Best Start in Life campaign that shows how Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families are at the heart of how early years education is delivered in their community. The film outlines strategies that early education settings and schools have used to support families from different cultural backgrounds to feel valued and included in their provision. You can view the video on the Traveller Times website.
From August 2026, fully funded apprenticeships will be available to under 25 year olds working with non-levy paying employers (small and medium sized businesses whose annual pay bill falls below £3 million). This presents a valuable opportunity for many settings to grow their workforce.
To secure funding for an apprentice from 1 August 2026, please use your GOV.UK apprenticeship service account.
If you have any questions about apprenticeship funding, you can contact the National Apprenticeship Helpdesk for further support.
Children are defined as having reached a Good Level of Development at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage when they achieve the expected level in the Early Learning Goals for:
- communication and language
- personal, social and emotional development
- physical development
- mathematics
- literacy
'I need to move!' is a new course which looks at physical development to support the practice and understanding of physical development within your setting.
To book, click the course 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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24/2026 (Good Level of Development Focus - National Year of Reading 'Go All In'; Advanced warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Transitions - effective information sharing for children moving on; Early education partnership funding - applications now open; West Sussex, Brighton and Hove Careers Hub summer conference - July 2026; School-based Nursery Capital Grant update; Leading Excellence in Early Years: Quality First Teaching; Read to the Beat this summer; Slides from recent network meetings)
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23/2026 (Business Focus - supporting the Early Years workforce; Operation Encompass - reminder for settings; Virtual School support with transitions and training opportunities; Childminder assistants - where to start with recruitment; Webinar - creating a reading‑rich culture; National Year of Reading; Early Years SENCO Level 3; Training opportunity in the Arun Area; Update from Kent and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub; Early Years Training)
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22/2026 (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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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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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