Dear Colleagues,
Updates from the Team
Setting level data (PVIs ONLY)
You must update the questions module in your Wizard account by Friday 9th October to ensure you can be funded in Autumn term 2026.
Please note:
- Answers should reflect what is occurring in your provision during headcount week.
- The number of children on roll must match or exceed the number of children you are claiming funding for.
- You should only include each staff member’s highest-level qualification, i.e. one qualification per member of staff.
- Your total number of staff must not be less than the number of qualifications selected.
Early Years Leaders Briefings
Calling all EY Leaders! Get yourself signed to the EY Leaders Briefing for this term to get the latest updates from the team – lots of information to share! Please find flyer attached for more information including the link to register.
📢 Early Years SEND Practitioners – October Training Sessions Available!
Are you looking to strengthen your knowledge and confidence in developing effective SEND Support Plans? Join our practical and interactive workshop “Writing Effective SEND Support Plans”, designed to build on the learning and support practitioners in creating meaningful, child-centred plans that clearly identify children’s strengths, needs, provision and intended outcomes.
✅ Develop confidence in applying the graduated approach
✅ Create clear, measurable and outcome-focused targets
✅ Match appropriate provision, strategies and interventions to identified needs
✅ Review and evaluate the impact of support plans to inform next steps
Please note: Completion of “Writing Effective SEND Support Plans- Part 1” on the School Readiness Passport Learning Library is a prerequisite for attending this training.
📅 October Sessions
• Tuesday 13 October, 1:30pm to 3:00pm – Alnwick Family Hub
• Wednesday 14 October, 1:30pm to 3:00pm – Prudhoe Family Hub
• Friday 16 October, 1:30pm to 3:00pm – Morpeth County Hall
👥 Suitable for all Early Years Practitioners and SENCOs.
To book your place, sign in to the School Readiness Passport and register for your preferred session.
Child Protection Record Retention and Storage
NSPCC have updated the above guidance in line with changes in legislation and guidance. Please check your policies and procedures are up to date.
The guidance is designed to help organisations understand the principles of keeping and managing records about child protection concerns. It introduces key points you need to consider when developing or reviewing your child protection records retention and storage policy and signposts to further information. Please see more information attached.
Updates from Partners
Product Safety Alert: Baby Sleeping Bags (PSA9)
The Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued a Safety Alert today warning parents to avoid baby sleeping bags with hoods or without arm holes, as babies can suffocate, overheat or die in them.
Nearly 50 have been recalled since 2023. And far too many are still available to buy online.
Sleep bags should be well-fitted (think neck and arm holes that fit well), so that your baby can’t wriggle down inside. And sleep bags with hoods or head coverings should be avoided.
We urge anyone who works with families to tell parents to stop using these products straight away.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/safety-alert-issued-for-baby-sleeping-bags
Boost for small businesses who take on young apprentices
Smaller businesses backing the next generation will receive £2,000 for every new young apprentice they take on, opening more doors for young people into skilled careers across the country.
To make it as simple as possible for smaller businesses, they do not need to apply for the payment, and it will instead be passed onto them via their apprenticeship training provider.
As part of ongoing efforts to improve the apprenticeship system for apprentices and businesses a new and improved apprenticeships.gov.uk will serve as a one-stop shop for businesses looking for clear, practical guidance on hiring apprentices, from eligibility criteria through to funding and support.
Employers will be able to calculate how much funding support they are eligible for and hear from real businesses on their apprenticeship experiences, while young people can browse a range of opportunities by interest and access a step-by-step journey of how to apply for an apprenticeship. Read the press release for more information
Book Trust
Please see below details of the latest BookTrust webinar Staying Strong: Enabling Conditions for Early Years Reading. This will be valuable for any of your team working directly with early years and their families. The webinar will be recorded, so if you register you can watch at another time.
SKILLS FOR CAREERS CHILDCARE
If you know of anyone considering a career in childcare, looking to re‑engage with learning, exploring early years before embarking on an apprenticeships or seeking support to overcome barriers to entering the childcare workforce, this 6 week qualification will provide the necessary support to help those interested to develop the knowledge and skills needed to care for young children.
Start date 14th October.
Please see attached flyer for more details.
