#27/2026 - Wednesday 8 July 2026
This week's newsletter includes:
- Update to weather heat alert for early education and childcare
- Connect with the Family Information Service and your local Best Start Family Hub on Instagram
- Changes to the way you request funding after headcount
- Have your say on the Competition and Markets Authority Childcare Services review
- Watch the webinar: how new government funded training can help you support SEND in your setting
- Free online early years child development training
- National Programme Qualifications update
- Childminding UK - have you read their blog?
- Kent and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
A special newsletter was sent on 6 July to inform early education and childcare settings about the yellow heat-health warning and provide advice on keeping children safe, cool and comfortable. If you missed it, please take a look at the newsletter.
The UKHSA Heat Health Alert for the South East has since been upgraded to amber and is in effect from 9.00am on 8 July until 9.00am on 12 July. However, the hot weather comes with reduced humidity which may lead to an increase in wild fire risk.
Sustained warm weather presents an increased risk of fires being started outdoors. The West Sussex Fire and Rescue service provide advice on their seasonal safety webpage. You can also find out more information from this West Sussex news article. This information can be shared as appropriate via your usual communication channels.
Please also refer to our special newsletter sent on 22 June, which provides guidance on managing your setting during periods of extreme weather and information about temporary closures.
We are excited to share that the West Sussex Family Information Service and all Best Start Family Hubs have launched new Instagram accounts. The social media accounts will be signposting to local and countywide family activities, childcare and funding information, parenting support, service updates and more.
Please follow the Family Information Service account and the Family Hub nearest your setting, and help us spread the word by sharing these pages with families through your newsletters, social media and parent communications.
Family Information Service - @fiswestsussex
Adur and Worthing Best Start Family Hubs - @adurworthingfamilyhub
Arun Best Start Family Hubs - @arunfamilyhub
Chichester Best Start Family Hub - @chichesterfamilyhub
Crawley Best Start Family Hubs - @crawleyfamilyhubs
Horsham Family Hub - @horshamfamilyhub
Mid Sussex Family Hub - @midsussexfamilyhub
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From September 2026, we are aiming to introduce a new way to request funding for children who start with you after headcount. This will replace the current Post Headcount Exceptional Payment request form.
The new method will be via the adjustments section on the Online Provider Portal. The process will be similar to how you submit actuals, but with some minor differences.
We are introducing this change to deliver the following benefits:
- requests should be processed more quickly than they are currently
- requesting an increase in hours will be simpler, as child information and eligibility will already be recorded. You will just need to add details regarding the increased hours
- as eligibility is checked when the adjustment is submitted, there is less chance that the request will be rejected due to an invalid Working Families code for the term
Aside from the way requests are submitted, there are currently no other planned changes to post headcount funding. An exceptional reason will still be required for starting or increasing hours after headcount if:
- the child is in the 3 and 4 year old age group and starts after the Department for Education (DfE) Census Day, or
- the child is in the 2 year old age group, does not have Early Learning for 2 year olds eligibility, and starts after the DfE Census Day
More information about when this change goes live will be shared in the Early Years Funding Newsletter in early September. We will also provide updated guidance and webinars closer to the time.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is carrying out a review of the early years education and childcare sector and is inviting childcare professionals to share their experiences.
This is an important opportunity to help shape the CMA’s understanding of what is working well in childcare, the challenges providers face, and where improvements could be made. Feedback from professionals will contribute to the CMA’s market study and help ensure the experiences of those delivering childcare services are represented.
Whether you want to highlight successes, raise concerns, or share suggestions for the future, the CMA would like to hear from you. Responses from settings of all types and sizes are welcomed.
The consultation closes on 26 July and can be accessed here.
Best Practice Network (BPN) has been awarded a new Department for Education contract to deliver accredited Early Years Special Educational Needs Coordinator (EY SENCO) training to settings across England from 2026. This new contract offers 9,500 training places to practitioners in group-based or PVI early years settings, and childminders.
BPN has delivered a webinar that provides details about the course and, together with a panel of early education experts, discusses how early years practitioners can identify and support children with SEND.
The webinar aims to give participants practical tools and suggestions that will help in day-to-day practice, as well as in-depth information about the EY SENCO training on offer.
You can find out about the funded training opportunities delivered by BPN here.
The Department for Education’s Early years child development training is a free, online programme designed by early years experts to support practitioners working with children from birth to reception.
The 8 module programme has recently been updated to include additional videos, practical advice for supporting children in reception and guidance on supporting the Early Years Foundation Stage profile assessment.
It may be worth considering making completion of this programme part of your induction process for new members of your team.
Teach First have now opened full applications for the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) for the upcoming autumn 2026 cohort. The Early Years Leadership programme is funded for all publicly funded early years settings and maintained nursery schools, including:
- private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings
- Ofsted-registered early years childminders
- maintained nursery schools
- those working in publicly funded early years educational settings
If you would like to find out more about the NPQEYL or you would like to submit an application, please visit the GLF West Sussex Teaching School hub.
The latest copy of the GLF West Sussex Teaching School Hub newsletter can be found here.
Each month, Childminding UK create an engaging and informative blog post designed to assist childminders and early years practitioners in navigating the complex and ever-evolving landscape of their profession.
Please take a look at the following blog posts which you may find helpful:
The June edition of the Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub is now available.
Planning and future-proofing your early years and childcare business is crucial for sustainability, quality, and growth.
As a result of last year’s positive feedback, the 'Strengthen, grow and future-proof: Building your sustainable childcare business' course will be re-run. This is to enable more settings to benefit from this insightful and impactful full day, face to face session. There is pre-session material which needs to be completed before attending the face to face session.
The session will help to strengthen current business practices, plan a sustainable charging structure, prepare for unexpected issues and feel confident about your setting’s incomings and outgoings, identifying possible savings.
Part 1 is a pre-session material which needs to be completed before attending the face to face. This includes a pre-recorded session. This must be done to attend Part 2. Part 2 is a full day, in-person session.
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
- 14 August - portal closes for settings to submit estimates for autumn term
- w/c 24 August - autumn term estimate payments due to settings
- 31 August - deadline for parents to reconfirm/apply for their Working Family Eligibility codes to use for the autumn term
- 31 August - summer term sufficiency deadline
- 31 August - summer term termly childcare provider update deadline
- 1 September - portal opens for settings to submit actuals for autumn term
- 17 September - autumn term headcount day
- w/c 21 September - autumn term monthly estimate payments due to settings
- 22 September - portal closes for settings to submit actuals for autumn term
- 1 October - Department for Education census day for autumn term
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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#26/2026 (Service update: council-wide IT and phone line issues; Congratulations to Church Lane Nursery; Early Years Funded Entitlement - autumn term 2026 estimates now open; Free supervised toothbrushing scheme; Support families to keep children protected – childhood vaccinations; Early Years Training)
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#25/2026 (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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#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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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