View this email in a browser [
]
early years bannerearly years bulletin
*Bulletin 309*
*22 April 2024*
*Welcome to our Early Years and Childcare Bulletin. Previous Bulletins are available at: *Cheshire East Early years and Childcare Bulletin [
]
Business Support
*Early Education Entitlement – Monthly Payments*
The current method of paying the grant in advance maximises cashflow but may impact on some childminders claiming Universal Credit.
To support the relatively small number of childminders impacted by the current payment method, early education entitlement payments may be requested on a monthly basis.
The following example demonstrates the difference between the 2 payment methods.
For the purpose of illustration, we have used the average amount paid to childminders per year.
monthly payments
Payments on a monthly basis will be available from autumn term 2024 for those that wish to opt in. Lump sum payments in advance will continue for all other providers.
Please email feee@cheshireeast.gov.uk if you wish to receive payments on a monthly basis from autumn term 2024.
Please include the name and Ofsted registration number of your provision in your email.
________________________________________________________________________
*Grant funding to develop new childcare places*
*Childcare Expansion Capital Grant*
This funding is intended to support expansion of the 30-hours early years entitlement for working families and wraparound provision in primary schools. It must be spent on capital projects, and is being provided to meet the capital costs associated with projects that help ensure sufficient places for:
* Children taking up an early years place through the expanded 30-hours entitlement for qualifying working parents (from the term following the child reaching 9-months to the term in which they turn 3-years-old);
* Increasing the supply of wraparound childcare for primary-school aged children.
Projects may be funded to develop either 30-hours early years entitlement or wraparound childcare, or both.
*National Wraparound Childcare Programme*
Revenue funding will be available to support the operating costs of new wraparound provision.
The funding will be tapered. This reflects the expectation that the funding is used to fund set up and running costs of new and expanded wraparound places and that, as take-up of provision increases, and therefore income from parental payments increases, the level of grant funding needed to contribute to running costs to ensure sustainability reduces.
Details of how to apply for the development grants will be made available via this bulletin during summer term. Applications will be invited from all sectors; day nurseries, pre-schools, schools, childminders, before and after school childcare providers.
________________________________________________________________________
Briefing for Prospective Childminders
Childminder [
]
Please share this information on your social media accounts:
Are you interested in becoming a Childminder? We are running regular Childminder briefing sessions to provide information on what it means to be a Childminder and how to apply. Please click on the link below to complete the online form
Interested in Becoming a Childminder (cheshireeast.gov.uk) [
]
________________________________________________________________________
*Interim Funding Payments*
Interim funding payments have been made – you can view payment details on the Provider Portal under Funding.
funding
________________________________________________________________________
*Provider Portal*
The Provider Portal is open for you to add new starters and any children added will be included in balancing payments.
________________________________________________________________________
*2-year-old eligibility codes*
*Working families entitlement:* to apply for a code parents should go to childcarechoices.gov.uk [
] or call Childcare Choices on 0300 123 4097.
Eligibility codes will be issued in the same format as the 30-hour codes for 3- and 4-year-olds which are 11 digits and start with ‘50...’. The same code will remain with the child until they reach school age regardless of whether they drop in and out of eligibility.
*Disadvantaged entitlement: *Parents of 2 year olds who are in receipt of certain benefits are able to check their eligibility for 15 hours funded childcare via our webpage [
], or by contacting the Family Information Service – fis.east@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Eligibility codes are 6 digits and are a mixture of letters and numbers.
Unlike the working family entitlement, parents who receive a 6-digit code will continue to be eligible for a 2-year-old place until their child turns 3 and receives 3-year-old funding.
________________________________________________________________________
*Useful information for working parents of 2-year-olds*
FIS
Please share the link below with your parents via your social media links
Useful information for working parents of 2-year-olds (cheshireeast.gov.uk) [
]
Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements
*Cheshire East Safeguarding Children's Partnership - Online Safety*
CESCP
Booking is via Eventbrite using the below links:
Online Safety Live - Cheshire East Tickets, Thu 13 Jun 2024 at 09:30 | Eventbrite [
]
Online Safety Live - Cheshire East Tickets, Thu 13 Jun 2024 at 13:30 | Eventbrite [
]
________________________________________________________________________
*Safeguarding Scenarios*
The latest safeguarding scenarios are now available on our website. Click the button below to take a look.
Safeguarding picture
*Safeguarding Scenarios* [
]
________________________________________________________________________
Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Focus on...
no smoking
Providers must not allow smoking in or on the premises when children are present or about to be present. Practitioners should not vape or use e-cigarettes when children are present and providers should consider
Public Health England advice on their use in public places and workplaces. [
]
National updates
*Trial ‘Belly Bugs’ for free to get students excited about healthy eating and help tackle obesity *
Sunderland primary schools have successfully trialled an eight-lesson, cross-curricular pilot based on Belly Bugs [
] (gut microbes) for Early Years Foundation Stage, key stage 1 and key stage 2.
Covering topics such as fibre, colourful food and sustainability, the pupils loved discovering they had little helpers inside them keeping them healthy and happy. School cooks reported an increase in uptake of vegetables and salad during the pilot.
Contact zoe@bellybugs.co.uk if you are interested in trialling the programme.
________________________________________________________________________
*Sign up for the Secretary of State’s April start-of-term live event*
Join the Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan for a live start-of-term event on 24 April 2024 at 4:00pm.
The session will be a chance to hear about the Secretary of State's focus for the coming term, share your own priorities with her and pose questions for her to answer.
You can pre-submit questions [
] for the Secretary of State or post them live in the chat during the session.
*Register for the session* [
]
________________________________________________________________________
*Foundation Years Live Event in Leeds*
Foundation Years [
]
[
]will be hosting a free in-person event for early years practitioners on **14 May 10:00 - 15:30 at *The Met Hotel in Leeds***
This event will include keynote speakers including *Ofsted, DfE Family Hubs – Start for Life, *and the *DfE Early Years safeguarding team*, and workshops on topics including:
* Characteristics of Effective Learning with Jan Dubiel - specialist in Childhood Education
* Meeting the needs of babies with Ruth Sharpe - Director of Forest School Nursery
* Practical approaches to supporting children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development with Abi Miranda - Head of Early Years and Prevention department at Anna Freud
*Click here to book* [
]
________________________________________________________________________
*Household Support Fund Update **April 2024 *