Dear Colleagues,
Updates from the Team
Informing you about the proposals for Early Years funding rates in Northumberland for the financial year 26/27
Please see letter attached.
Termly Census 26/27
The DfE directive to apply termly census points for early years funding reduces previous financial flexibility in allocations, as funding now adjusts based on actual participation rather than fixed annual estimates. Your headcounts/census must be on time and accurate, mistakes cannot be paid for by the LA. You will be paid on what you submit.
To fall in line with DfE from 26/27 we will fund Summer at 13 weeks, Autumn at 14 weeks, Spring at 11 weeks.
Important Wizard Update – Eligibility Checks
The Wizard has moved from the old ECS Eligibility Checking Service to the new ECE Eligibility Checking Engine. The Department for Education designed the new system to be more scalable, but the change introduces some challenges.
Checks are no longer processed instantly. Instead, each check is placed in a queue. This means you won’t get an immediate result unless the same check was completed in the last five days, in which case a cached result is shown.
When a check is queued, you will now see a new button on the eligibility checking page that lets you refresh the status to see if the result is ready. Usually, results appear within 5–6 seconds.
If a result doesn’t come back, there is now a new page called Summary of Incomplete Eligibility Checks (see image attached) in the provider portal where you can view any checks that are still incomplete. From there, you can click Check Result to see if the ECE has finished processing the eligibility result. Email earlyyearsteam@northumberland.gov,uk if you have any problems.
Key Dates Summer 2025-26
Please find SUM term key dates attached. Keep these handy to prevent missing submission deadlines.
Reception Transition Network
Practitioners are encouraged to attend networks to support effective transition into reception in September 2026. For more information and to confirm your attendance, please see the attached flyer.
Northumberland Family Services Directory
Please ensure you log on with the email address you created the account with. If you have changed your email address, and attempt to reset your pass word, you won’t receive the link. You will need to set up a new account. If you have any queries or you need to set up a new account, please contact theresa.kirkwood@northumberland.gov.uk
Updates from Partners
Notification of Area SEND Inspection
Please find letter attached.
Please also share this survey link with: practitioners, parents and carers, and children and young people with SEND.
Questions about Inspection?
Click here to read Ofsted’s Early Years Inspections: Frequently Asked Questions
Early Years Alliance Survey
As the government prepares to roll out a number of early years policy changes as part of the Best Start in Life strategy, the Alliance would like to capture an up to date picture of the sector and the lived experiences of early years providers.
The survey can be accessed at: https://bit.ly/EYAstatesurvey2026
The deadline for responses is Tuesday 3 February
Upcoming Events
2026 Reading calendar
BookTrust has put together a new calendar of suggested book missions to try, with a different prompt for each month. Download the calendar here.
2026 is the National year of reading. This link has ideas, tips, and resources for families, settings, and schools.
Northumberland Library Service have produced a new updated postcard to highlight the library offer for babies and their families. Please find attached.
