#36/2026 - Wednesday 23 September 2026
This week's newsletter includes:
- Have you submitted your Termly Provider Update?
- Palliative and end of life care needs assessment findings webinar
- Have your say on the future of early childhood
- Have you submitted your Termly Provider Update?
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
We ask early years and childcare providers to complete a Termly Provider Update form once a term (3 times a year) via the Online Provider Portal.
Keeping your information up to date is important because:
- We use provider and vacancy information to help identify where additional childcare provision may be needed. Without up-to-date information, demand in your area may not be accurately reflected.
- Information about your provision can quickly become outdated. It is important you review the information we hold on your provision regularly, to ensure the information displayed on our website remains accurate.
- Families use our website and contact our service to find childcare that meets their needs. Up to date information regarding your provision helps parents understand what you offer and what childcare vacancies you have available.
Submitting your Termly Provider Update also provides free advertising for your business through the Family Information Service website, which receives thousands of visits each month.
Find out more about the benefits of keeping your information up to date on our Advertising your childcare business web page.
Please note providers who do not keep their details up to date may be removed from the public Family Information Service directory, meaning you could miss out on free promotion of your childcare business.
Providers are invited to attend a webinar on 15 October 2026, which will share the key findings from the Sussex palliative and end of life care and bereavement support needs assessment for babies, children, young people and their families.
The session will provide an overview of the evidence gathered through data analysis, stakeholder engagement and consultation with providers and partners supporting children and young people with life-limiting conditions across Sussex.
Topics will include:
- current and future needs for palliative and end of life care services
- existing service provision and support available
- inequalities in access and outcomes
- opportunities for future improvement and development
The presentation will last approximately 40 minutes, followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion.
This important piece of work has been informed by colleagues from children's hospice services, paediatric palliative care services, the Child Death Overview Panel team, and partner organisations across Sussex.
The full needs assessment report is expected to be published by the end of October.
The Start Strong Early Childhood Forum is a collective of 25 early childhood sector leaders in the UK, with expertise in policy, research and practice. Their purpose is to lead a ten-year collaborative campaign to make early childhood a lasting national priority, so that every child can have a good early childhood.
The Forum is inviting people across the UK to share their views on: What should governments across the UK do to ensure every baby and young child gets a fair start in life?
Survey responses will be shared at the Citizens’ Assembly this autumn and will help shape a new national vision for early childhood, setting out shared aspirations for babies and young children across the UK.
The survey is open until 16th October and there are different ways to take part, with surveys for:
Timely vaccinations offer the best protection against serious illnesses. Children are invited for their vaccines at specific ages to ensure they receive protection as early as possible.
Please continue to encourage families to attend appointments when invited and to contact their GP practice if they need to rearrange.
For more information about childhood immunisations and the vaccination schedule, please visit the Childhood Immunisations web page.
As the autumn term is underway, the Early Years Education and Childcare training programme is too. Many courses for this half term are already fully booked, but there are still a few places available on upcoming courses over the next few weeks. Secure a remaining place on one of the popular courses below.
To book, please click on the course name below or 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.
You can view the full Early Years and Childcare training programme here, and all available courses can be browsed and booked through the West Sussex Services for Education training portal.
Useful information
- w/c 21 September - autumn term monthly estimate payments due to settings
- 1 October - Department for Education census day for autumn term
- w/c 19 October - autumn 26 actuals due to settings who are paid twice termly
- w/c 26 October - monthly estimate payment due
- w/c 23 November - actuals payment due for settings who are paid monthly
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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#36/2026 (Safeguarding focus - Department for Education (DfE) and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) early years safeguarding training; Reminder: Safer recruitment considerations and the disclosure and barring service (DBS); New: Safer Sleep and Sudden Unexplained Death in Infancy (SUDI) prevention training; Reminder: new opportunity for early education leaders, including childminders, to join our early years provider forum; Reminder: regulated activity - removal of the supervision exemption from 1 September 2026; Sepsis Awareness Month; Update from Kent and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub)
Update from Kent and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
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#35/2026(Good Level of Development Focus; Product recall - Vicloon baby teethers; Starting School Applications; Portage workshop - A small steps approach to learning for children with special educational needs and disabilities; Safer recruitment considerations and the disclosure and barring service (DBS); Making Every Contact Count vaccination training – supporting early years conversations; Operation Encompass - Update from Sussex police; New, free training from the Virtual School – everyone is welcome)
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#34/2026 (Autumn term 2026 census and actuals claims - action required; New opportunity for early education leaders, including childminders, to join our early years provider forum; Protecting children this autumn; Home learning environment guidance; New safer sleep Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) prevention training; Free family learning courses staring this September; Early years training)
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#33/2026 (Safeguarding focus - Changes to the early years foundation stage from 1 September 2026: suitable people; Early Years Training - safeguarding and child protection; Inclusive Safeguarding: Strengthening Protection for Children with Disabilities conference; Update - missing payment remittance documents; Schema Play with Tamsin Grimmer; Screen use guidance for early years providers; Guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation; Hello from Kent and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub; Early Years Training)
- (Business Focus - The power of work experience in early education and childcare; Inclusive Early Years Fund 2026/27; Webinars now available - changes to claiming for children after headcount from autumn 2026; Early Years Teaching Degree Apprenticeship at Roehampton University; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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