#3/2026 - Monday 21 September 2026
This weeks newsletter includes:
- Have you had your say on early years teaching reforms?
- Free online early years SENCO training: apply by 27 September
- Do you want a local early years teacher degree apprenticeship offer?
- Early years work experience opportunities wanted – can you help?
- Introducing the Youth Jobs Grant
- Changes to regulated activity rules for volunteers
- Childminders: report new people in your setting
- Early Years Qualifications List – new online format
- Hurry - fully funded Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification - bursaries still available
- New apprenticeship funding opportunities
- Fully funded places available on the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership
- How Connect to Work could support your recruitment needs
- Early Years experience-based route
- Free online early years child development training
- Early Years Training
- Advertise your job vacancies
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The Department for Education launched the Shaping the future of early years teaching consultation in July 2026, seeking views on proposed reforms to how early years teachers are trained, developed and supported.
The proposals could have implications for employers, including:
- possible future changes to qualification pathways
- increased emphasis on graduate recruitment and leadership roles
- potential improvements to career progression and workforce retention.
This is an important opportunity for the early years sector to help shape future policy. Your views and experiences can help ensure that any changes reflect the needs of both providers and the workforce.
The consultation closes on 24 September 2026, so if you have not already done so, please take the opportunity to share your views.
The Department for Education funded Early Years SENCO Level 3 programme delivered by the Best Practice Network is completely free and fully online, making it a flexible and accessible option for busy early education and childcare professionals.
Participants can attend two-hour virtual sessions in the morning, afternoon or evening while completing the remaining online units at a time that suits them. Saturday sessions are also available for childminders and every participant receives support from a dedicated mentor throughout the six-month programme.
The training is designed to help early educators develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to lead and coordinate SEND provision within their setting. Benefits include:
- strengthening inclusive practice
- improving the identification of, and support for, children with SEND
- enhancing partnerships with families
- increasing confidence when working with external professionals
- creating environments where every child can thrive.
Demand for the programme continues to grow, and applications are now open for the October intake. Settings can enrol more than one SENCO, helping to build SEND expertise across their teams.
Applications for the October cohort close on 27 September 2026, so early registration is recommended as places are filling quickly. This is a valuable opportunity to enhance SEND provision, improve outcomes for children, and gain a nationally recognised qualification at no cost to your setting.
The University of Chichester is exploring the viability and design of future early education and childcare programmes, including the Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (EYTDA).
To help inform this work, we have developed a short survey to gather views on current and future graduate-level qualification needs within the early education and childcare sector, including demand for the EYTDA.
This is an excellent opportunity to help shape a local higher education offer that meets the needs of employers and the workforce across West Sussex.
Please complete the short tick box survey by Friday 2 October 2026 to help the University of Chichester better understand your graduate-level workforce development needs.
In June, colleagues from our local Jobcentre Plus (JCP) teams attended our Early Years Leader Networks to discuss the important role early years settings can play in supporting young people through work experience opportunities.
Following positive conversations with providers interested in offering placements, JCP has worked with Chichester College Group to develop a two-week pre-employment training programme for adults aged 19 and over who are interested in a career in early years.
The course will provide participants with:
- an introduction to the early years sector
- employability skills training
- an understanding of the expectations of working in an early years setting
This preparation will help ensure participants are ready to make the most of an eight-week work experience placement within a setting.
The first programme is due to begin week commencing 16 November 2026.
Benefits for employers
With recruitment and retention continuing to be a challenge across the sector, this initiative offers an opportunity to:
- support local people into employment
- inspire the next generation of early years professionals
- develop a pipeline of potential future employees
- access additional recruitment support and funding opportunities
Depending on eligibility, employers may also be able to access funding through the Youth Jobs Grant and existing apprenticeship funding schemes.
Interested in offering a placement?
The team will support you through the process, including completing a Host Organisation Agreement and arranging placements. Settings will also have the opportunity to meet prospective participants through an informal visit, short interview, or another approach that works best for them.
If you are unable to offer a placement but are currently recruiting, or have apprenticeship opportunities available, the team would still welcome a conversation about how JCP can support your recruitment needs.
Even if you are unable to offer a placement at this time, expressing an interest in future opportunities will help JCP understand the level of demand across the sector and plan future programmes accordingly.
For support, please contact adele.marshall@dwp.gov.uk.
The government's Youth Jobs Grant is part of the Youth Guarantee programme. It provides employers with a £3000 payment when they recruit a young person aged 18 to 24 years old, who has been unemployed and receiving Universal Credit for at least six months.
You can find out more in the accompanying flyer and make an application on the Youth Jobs Grant web page.
In West Sussex, our partners from the Department for Work and Pensions would welcome the opportunity to discuss how Jobcentre Plus can support you in filling your vacancies and accessing the funding available.
For support, please contact adele.marshall@dwp.gov.uk.
From 1 September 2026, new legislation introduced through the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will change how regulated activity with children is defined.
Previously, volunteers who taught, trained, instructed, cared for, or supervised children were not considered to be carrying out regulated activity if they were supervised by a member of staff already undertaking regulated activity. This was known as the supervision exemption.
Under the new law, the supervision exemption will be removed. This means that volunteers carrying out these activities will be considered to be engaging in regulated activity, even when supervised, if the activity:
- takes place on more than 3 days within a 30-day period, or
- involves overnight activity.
As a result, all volunteers who meet the regulated activity criteria will require an Enhanced DBS check with children's barred list information.
Further information and guidance is available on the Department for Education’s Regulated activity web page.
In line with the Early Years Foundation Stage September 2026 requirements, childminder assistants must not begin working in a setting until they have been confirmed as suitable by either Ofsted or their Childminding Agency.
If you are a childminder, you must tell Ofsted within 14 days about any new person aged 16 or over who lives or works in the home where you provide childcare. This includes children in the household who turn 16 years old. If you are a childminder without domestic premises, you must also notify Ofsted about any new person aged 16 or over who helps to provide childcare on the premises.
Ofsted carries out suitability checks on new people aged 16 or over to help ensure children are safe in childcare settings. Until the required checks have been completed, new people in the setting must not be left unsupervised with children.
The Department for Education has launched a new online version of the Early Years Qualifications List (EYQL).
The EYQL helps providers determine whether a qualification is recognised as full and relevant for the purpose of working within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) staff:child ratios in England.
The new online format allows users to:
- search qualification information online
- view qualification details, additional requirements and notes
- access information without downloading a spreadsheet
- find full and relevant qualifications to study
For those who prefer to work offline, the full EYQL remains available to download.
Early years managers and practitioners can also use the Check an Early Years Qualification (CEYQ) service to support qualification checks.
Please note that qualifications gained outside the UK are not included on the EYQL. Individuals holding non-UK qualifications should continue to contact Ecctis for qualification recognition.
You told us that you have staff who would benefit from gaining a level 3 early years qualification, and we listened.
We are offering a bursary scheme to support eligible staff and volunteers to gain a level 3 early years educator diploma. The 18 month course is delivered by Chichester College and includes a commitment to attend 10 taught workshops. Participants can join the programme at any time, making it a flexible opportunity to develop skills and qualifications within your setting.
For more information and to apply, please visit our Bursaries for level 3 early years qualifications web page.
Are you aware of the latest apprenticeship funding opportunities available to employers?
Recent changes to apprenticeship funding mean there has never been a better time to consider recruiting an apprentice. Here are some key facts from the Department for Education:
- Apprenticeships are now 100% government funded for all apprentices aged 16 to 24 year olds from August 2026.
- Employers can receive a £1000 payment for hiring an apprentice aged 16 to 18 years old.
- Non-levy paying employers who recruit an apprentice aged 16 to 24 from 1 October 2026 may be eligible for a £2,000 hiring payment. This means non-levy paying employers could receive up to £3,000 for employing a 16 to 18-year-old apprentice. (The apprentice must start their apprenticeship on or after 1 October 2026 and have joined the employer within the previous three months.)
- Employers can receive an additional £1,000 payment when hiring an apprentice aged 19 to 24 who has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or who is care experienced.
- There are no employer National Insurance contributions for employees under 21, or for apprentices under 25 earning below £50270.
Apprenticeships are one of the most effective ways to attract, develop and retain future talent. These recent apprenticeship funding reforms mean there has never been a better time for early years providers to invest in apprentices.
Beyond the financial benefits, apprenticeships provide a sustainable way to grow your own workforce. Apprentices gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience while working in your setting. This enables providers to shape staff in line with your values, curriculum approach and business needs.
Employing apprentices can also strengthen workforce retention. Apprentices often demonstrate high levels of loyalty to employers who invest in their training and development, helping settings create a stable and skilled workforce for the future. Existing staff can benefit from opportunities to mentor, coach and support apprentices, developing their own leadership and supervisory skills.
For many early education and childcare providers, apprenticeships offer the ideal combination of workforce development, financial support and long-term recruitment planning. With increased government investment, reduced training costs and additional employer incentives available, apprenticeships are one of the most cost-effective ways to build capacity and nurture the next generation of early education and childcare professionals.
For more information visit the Build your future workforce web page and the Apprenticeship funding guidance.
Registration is now open for the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL).
The programme is designed for current and aspiring early years leaders who want to develop their leadership knowledge, skills and confidence. The programme provides evidence-based leadership training to support high-quality early education and care, effective staff leadership and continuous improvement.
Funding is available to a wide range of early education and childcare professionals, including:
- managers of private, voluntary and independent nurseries
- childminders with leadership responsibilities
- headteachers and leaders of school-based and maintained nurseries
- other early years foundation stage leaders.
Whether you lead provision in a nursery, pre-school, childminding setting or school-based early years provision, the NPQEYL can help strengthen your leadership practice and support improved outcomes for children and families.
For the first time in recent cohorts, funding is available for all eligible participants who secure a funded place with an NPQ provider.
To apply for NPQEYL, applicants must have:
- a Level 3 Early years qualification or higher
- at least two years' experience working in an early education and childcare setting
- leadership experience and/or aspirations
In West Sussex, we are fortunate to have the GLF Teaching School Hub delivering the NPQEYL programme locally. For further information and to apply, visit the Autumn 2026 (Cohort 6) GLF Teaching School Hub NPQEYL Application web page.
Connect to Work is a government-funded programme supporting disadvantaged groups across West Sussex to access and sustain employment. Over the next five years, the programme aims to support up to 2,700 residents into work. Participation is voluntary and free for eligible individuals who are keen to find employment.
We welcome opportunities to better understand the early education and childcare sector and explore ways in which we can support providers with recruitment.
We are also keen to support participants access jobs in early education and childcare, whether through increasing awareness of the roles available and their entry requirements, or by preparing individuals for success in the workplace.
We would welcome a conversation with you about:
- raising awareness of opportunities in the sector, and potential career progression routes
- how we can best share and promote vacancies to individuals looking for work
- the in-work support available for newly recruited employees to help them settle into employment and provide ongoing support for employers.
For more information, visit the Recruitment support for businesses web page. You can also watch this short film, providing an overview of the programme in West Sussex.
If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Duffy, Employer Engagement Lead, at Rebecca.Duffy@westsussex.gov.uk or call 07519 701928.
The Experience-Based Route (EBR) is an optional pathway for experienced early education and childcare practitioners who do not hold a full and relevant Level 3 qualification. It enables eligible practitioners to achieve Experience-Based Route Status and be counted within Level 3 staff:child ratios. The EBR is not a qualification. It is a status awarded by an eligible employer and is not automatically transferable between employers.
Provider eligibility
To put a practitioner through the EBR, a provider must have received:
- an overall effectiveness grade of Good or Outstanding if their most recent Ofsted inspection took place before 10 November 2025; or
- a judgement of Met for safeguarding and Expected Standard or above for leadership and governance if their most recent inspection took place on or after 10 November 2025.
Practitioner eligibility
To be eligible, the practitioner must:
- either hold a full and relevant level 2 qualification, or a level 3 or higher qualification relevant to the care or education of children, but which is not full and relevant (for example, Level 3 Health and Social Care, Level 3 Teaching Assistant, Level 3 Playwork, or a BA in Early Childhood Studies without assessed practice)
- have worked with children from birth to five in an early years setting in England for at least one year
- have their existing skills, knowledge and experience assessed against the Early Years Educator criteria and meet more than 50% of the criteria to start.
It is the manager's responsibility to carry out this initial assessment and determine eligibility. A checklist and assessment record are available on the DfE experience-based route web page.
Manager / delegated supervisor responsibilities
Managers, or an appropriately delegated supervisor, must:
- supervise a practice period of 751 to 900 hours
- assess the practitioner's competence throughout the practice period
- confirm that the practitioner meets 100% of the Early Years Educator criteria before awarding Experience-Based Route Status
Where assessment responsibilities are delegated, the supervisor must hold a full and relevant Early Years Level 3 qualification or above, have at least two years' experience working in an early years setting, and be deemed competent by the manager to carry out the assessment process.
Important points to remember
- Practitioners who achieve Experience-Based Route Status can be counted in Level 3 ratios but do not gain a Level 3 qualification.
- To be included in Level 3 staff:child ratios, practitioners must also hold a suitable Level 2 English qualification and a valid Paediatric First Aid certificate, in line with the EYFS requirements.
- A provider can have a maximum of 50% of staff counted in Level 3 ratios through Experience-Based Route Status at any one time.
For further information, please refer to the Department for Education's Experience-Based Route for Early Years Staff guidance and the Early years qualification requirements and standards document.
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 age.
The eight-module programme has recently been updated to include additional videos, practical advice on supporting children in reception, and guidance on supporting the Early Years Foundation Stage profile assessment.
The training provides a valuable opportunity for practitioners to strengthen their understanding of child development and enhance their day-to-day practice.
Providers may wish to consider incorporating this training into their induction programme for new staff, helping to develop knowledge and confidence from the outset and ensuring a consistent understanding of child development across the team.
To support providers with the challenges of recruiting and retaining staff, we have two training courses running this autumn term.
The courses have been developed to support and guide you on the key workforce topics, including safer recruitment practices, effective recruitment strategies, and approaches to attracting, retaining and developing staff within your setting.
These courses form part of our Early Years Expansion Support Offer for this year and are therefore part-funded, reducing the cost to just £10 per person.
To book, click the course name below. You can also visit our booking portal West Sussex Services for Education and select your required course.
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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02/2026 (Bursaries for Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years sector; Help us inspire the next generation of early years educators; Newly Qualified Starters Programme - save £128; Apprentices and off-the-job training; Apprenticeship training providers; Jobs in early years and childcare bulletin; Early Years and Childcare Workforce events; Early Years and Childcare Workforce Review; Early Years Training)
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01/2026 (Early Years Skills bootcamp; Bursaries for Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector; Funded management and leadership training opportunity; Newly Qualified Starters Programme; NCFE CACHE Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry for the Early Years Workforce; Best Practice Network Early Years Initial Teacher Training; Early Years Education and Childcare Jobs Fairs; Celebrate your apprentices during National Apprenticeship Week - 9 to 15 February 2026; Careers in early years and childcare; Jobs in early years and childcare bulletin; Could you offer work experience placements?; Department for Education qualification check service; Workforce review survey; Safer Recruitment training opportunities)
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01/2025 (Department for Education new strategy - Giving every child the best start in life; Level 3 qualifications for early years educators; Apprenticeships; Early years teacher degree apprenticeship; Funded SENCO Training for Early Years Settings; Early years skills bootcamps; National programme qualifications 2025/26; Early years qualifications standards update; Safeguarding reforms and recruitment references; Safeguarding policies and new recruits; Jobs in early years and childcare bulletin update; Training opportunity - rethinking the recruitment and retention of staff; Funded course to support your childcare business)
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