IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net

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IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
Early Years Newsletter
Autumn 2020 | Issue 2
The Education Improvement Service

IN THIS ISSUE
Maths After Lockdown
Early Years SEN Panel Update
New Training Opportunities
Business Updates
And Much More…

     Public                         25/11/2020
IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
Can you believe we are marching
         through this autumn term, we’re in a
         second national lockdown, but with
         Christmas in sight?

         We are pleased to share with you our
         second early years newsletter this term.
         We hope you find the articles and
         information included useful.

         It has been great to see so many of you
         join our leaders and managers virtual
         briefings this term. Look out for dates in
         the spring term as we continue to use this
         forum to stay connected and share key
         information with you all.

         In addition to the briefings we have this
         term also launched some virtual training
         via MS Teams, including Designated
         Safeguarding Leads Refresher, Equal
         Opportunities, Behaviour and Attitudes
         and EYFS Moderation opportunities for
         reception staff.

         We continue to thank you for all your hard
         work and dedication to children and
         families in Derbyshire.

         Please remember to continue to be kind
         to yourself and keep safe and well.

         Best Wishes from the Early Years
         Team
         Gayle Shiels – Senior School
         Improvement Advisor for Early Years
         Sarah Bryan – Early Years Quality
         Manager
         Amanda Gordon – Early Years
         Sufficiency Manager

Public                               25/11/2020
IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
1,2,3… Here I Come!
 Maths After Lockdown
As you welcome more children back to schools and settings in September you need to
focus more than ever on supporting the important skills and behaviours that underpin
children’s learning and development.

Government Guidance reflects this, recommending that nursery settings focus on the prime
areas. For pupils in Reception the guidance says that teachers should also assess and address
gaps in language, early reading and mathematics. (“Actions for early years and childcare
providers during coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak”, 22-09-20) (“Guidance for full opening:
schools’,17/09/20)
So how can you balance support for children’s wellbeing, ensuring they feel safe and secure
whilst also promoting language, communication, reading and maths?
As anyone who has worked with young children knows, learning does not sit in neat boxes or
run along straight lines of development. Children’s learning is much more holistic than that and
curriculum areas do not stand alone. Instead one area of learning blends into another, each
supports another and children learn in a wide range of ways. For example, in order for children
to understand important maths concepts and to successfully access maths resources, there are
a whole raft of underlying skills that stem from the prime areas of learning.

Personal, Social and Emotional
Development
We know that PSED sits at the very heart of learning
and development and that children can only begin to
engage in any learning when they feel safe, secure and
relationships are strong. The EEF document,
‘Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key
Stage 1’ (Pub. January 2020) states: “The development
of self-regulation skills are linked to successful learning
in early mathematics”. Children need to feel motivated
and have sufficient attention to engage in activities;
they need the confidence to seek help, problem solve,
explore and be curious without the fear of “getting it
wrong”. ‘It is important that children develop positive
attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns
and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to
adults and peers about what they notice and not be
afraid to make mistakes.’ (Government consultation
response to Early Years Foundation Stage reforms,
July 2020)

     Public                                                                    25/11/2020
IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
1,2,3… Here I Come! Maths After Lockdown
                                                   recommendations, one of which is that
Communication and Language                         children use manipulatives and
                                                   representations to develop their
The EEF document also asks us to ‘create           understanding, stating that these can be
opportunities for extended discussion of           powerful tools for supporting young children to
                                                   engage with mathematical ideas. It also
mathematical ideas with children” and ‘seize
                                                   recommends that children are encouraged to
chances to reinforce mathematical                  use their fingers as a manipulative.
vocabulary’. So let’s consider the links
between maths and communication &                  Manipulatives are clearly an important aspect
language development. How could you                of children’s acquisition of counting skills and
reinforce mathematical vocabulary and create       in order to access them they first need the
opportunities for discussion of mathematics?       appropriate physical fine motor skills. So how
                                                   are you helping children to develop those fine
It is important that children are supported to
use informal language to describe                  motor skills? Have you considered whether
mathematical ideas for example, “more than”,       children have the gross motor skills that
“smaller than”, “pointy” and “curved”. Once        underpin these fine movements? Can they
children are comfortable with using informal       isolate their fingers in order to use them for
language, practitioners can introduce more         counting? What resources are provided in and
formal mathematical vocabulary, considering        outdoors to promote maths thinking, counting
how that vocabulary is introduced. For             and use of number?
example, it may be more beneficial to
introduce formal names of shapes gradually         Are there natural resources such as pebbles,
rather than all at once, then reinforce this       shells, cones, leaves for counting and sorting,
during play or an ongoing routine.                 investigating patterns, shapes and numbers?
                                                   Are children able to sort resources and
                                                   equipment? Are there opportunities for
Physical development
                                                   counting and recording numbers in context
Finally let’s look at physical development,        and using ordinal numbers?
including the use of manipulatives for counting.
                                                 How about providing small boxes with
The government consultation response to
EYFS reforms includes revisions and              numbers on the lids and role modelling
recommendations around maths, including the      collecting quantities of items accordingly? Play
use of manipulatives:                            board games to encourage number recognition
                                                 and counting on. Large scale construction
‘Developing a strong grounding in number is      often involves problem solving and spatial
essential so that all children develop the       awareness. Tossing pairs of socks
necessary building blocks to excel
mathematically. Children should be able to       into buckets might engage children in turn
count confidently, develop a deep                taking, finger counting, tallying and other forms
understanding of the numbers to 10, the          of mark making. How many socks landed in
relationships between them and the patterns      the furthest bucket, the ‘first’, ‘second’, and
within those numbers. By providing frequent      ‘third? Remember that counting isn’t limited to
and varied opportunities to build and apply this maths resources. You can count anything and
understanding - such as using manipulatives,
                                                 everything including sounds (claps, chimes of
including small pebbles and tens frames for
organising counting - children will develop a    a clock), actions such as jumps, steps, swings
secure base of knowledge and vocabulary          or circuits of a track. Count steps up, down
from which mastery of mathematics is built. ’    and along, steps up the slide, pushing on
                                                 swings (1, 2, 3, go!) Count children into races
‘Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and (Who will go first? Who came second?) … The
Key Stage 1’ (EEF) includes 5 key                list goes on and on.

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IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
1,2,3… Here I Come! Maths After Lockdown

Tuning in to children                              indoors. Outdoors maths should be fun,
                                                   meaningful and sometimes spontaneous.
Of course the adult role, as always, is key.
Adults need to be skilled play partners who         Use the outdoors as a context for maths
engage with children’s play and use the            songs, poems, games and rhymes e.g. “10
context to support maths language and              green bottles” whilst standing on a wall, “5
thinking. Adults need to model counting,           speckled frogs” in the water play, action
measuring, using shape and number in               rhymes (‘What time is it Mr Wolf?’). Play
purposeful ways. We should be tuned in to          games and keep score: skittles, throw bean
what is currently motivating children and any      bags or balls into hoops, buckets or tyres.
adult-initiated activities should always match     Some more ideas for making maths fun in the
what a child is currently interested in.           outdoors are:
Observation is essential in order to tune in to
                                                   •    Scatter numeral sequins outside (e.g. in
children’s current fascinations and learning
                                                        a gravel path or in the sand) for children
needs. This autumn practitioners need to
                                                        to discover.
assess and address the potential gaps in
children’s learning. You may find that your        •    Add numerals / symbols to log slices to
usual expectations for your new children are            increase possibilities for learning.
challenged. There should be no need to plan
specific assessment activities however- you        •    Draw numerals / spots/ symbols onto
should be able to gather all the information you        pebbles using an acrylic marker and use
need through mindful observation of children’s          them in a variety of ways in outdoor play.
play and routines.
                                                   •    Hang mirrored numerals in trees or give
 It is important that you meet children where           them to children to use in their play and
they are, to be flexible, playful and interested,       explorations.
allowing the child to take an activity in multiple
                                                   •    Make number bunting.
directions, playing with it beyond the obvious
or expected. Be curious, enjoy surprise and        •    A 10-frame drawn onto fabric is an easy-
find pleasure in what children do with the ideas        to-carry-around resource.
you offer!

Outdoors
One more thing to consider in the current
climate is that we are all probably safer
outdoors and many settings are capitalising on
this. Government guidance states: ‘For nursery
settings and Reception, consider how all
groups of children can be given equal
opportunities for outdoor learning.’ (Guidance
for full opening: schools’ 17/09/2020)

Something you might aim to develop is a
range of opportunities to improve quality
outdoor maths experiences. The outdoor
environment provides a wealth of opportunities
for maths and can engage even those children
that might be reluctant to become involved

     Public                                                                       25/11/2020
IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
1,2,3… Here I Come! Maths After Lockdown

•    Use washing lines for maths activities.

•    Play Hide and Seek or hunt-the-numbers- hide and find numbers in the outdoor space.

•    Create numerals with sticks, bending or snapping them into pieces if necessary.

•    Thread leaves onto sticks or strings. Talk about size, shape and number.

•    Speaking and listening treasure hunt, for example listen and find 3 things - a leaf, a stone
     and a stick

•    Count how many coins you hear as they drop into a tin, wearing a blindfold.

•    Parachute games involving maths skills and vocabulary.

•    Blow a dandelion clock and count the blows. Don’t forget to make a wish!

So, this autumn get outside and support children’s desire to learn, extend their
mathematical vocabulary and further develop their manipulative skills thus making
children’s mathematical experiences count!

    COMING SOON
    ‘Maths for 4 & 5 year olds with a focus on number and the outdoors’
    To register interest for this course please email –
    cs.eys@derbyshire.gov.uk

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IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
The Importance of
                                          Outdoor Learning
                                                                              By Laura Dolby
                  Teacher and Forest School Leader and Co-ordinator, Alfreton Nursery School

At Alfreton Nursery School, we pride             The Woodland Hub offered many challenges
ourselves on the fabulous outdoor                for developing their physicality, such as tree
                                                 climbing, jumping stations, rope ladders,
spaces that we have developed as a
                                                 hammocks and tree swings. These were all set
Nursery Team, so it felt only natural            amongst a beautiful, calming natural
to offer two further outdoor hubs.               environment. This increased their ability to
We have two amazing woodland spaces,             escape, play, have fun and be able to explore
already established within our nursery           and discover. Thus, nurturing their confidences
grounds, that we created as a team, to use for   and impacting hugely on their positive
exciting Forest Schools adventures. We also      emotional wellbeing.
recently created a brand-new STEM (Science,       We played games, created outdoor challenges,
Technology, Engineering and Maths) Hive area      enjoyed picnics and children explored within
through a grant we won when becoming a            the natural environment. This encouraged and
finalist in the Rolls-Royce Science Prize.        supported child-initiated learning. It was
We felt that a Woodland Hub and a STEM Hive wonderful to see the children so happy within
Hub would offer more families a safe space for the escapism of a beautiful woodland setting.
their children’s return to Nursery, both of which The STEM Hive offered the children
would be purely based outside. The families
                                                  opportunities for investigation, and discovery
were very keen for their children to be in the
outdoors. We provided all our children with       through a wide range of Science, Technology,
their own warm, waterproof clothing and welly Engineering and Maths explorations. The
boots, to ensure that they would be protected children and the team had observed this new
and ready for their outdoor adventures.           space develop over a period of time, so they
                                                  were curious and excited to be able to learn in
Our outdoor hubs were met with real
                                                  this new environment.
enthusiasm from the children. They were
always happy, motivated and fully engaged in
their learning throughout their time in either
area.

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IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
Examples of children’s learning included
exploring light and reflection through the
dark box Tardis as well as weighing and
measuring through rain gauges and natural
resource collections. They also enjoyed
moving the train around the outdoor train
track and explored in spaces that had real
car parts to promote imaginary journeys.
Children thrive in the outdoors, both hubs
offered different outdoor experiences for our
children which were hugely inspiring and
beneficial during the current climate. Chil-
dren and family wellbeing is always at the
heart of everything that we do both within
Alfreton Nursery School and in Alfreton
Teaching School Alliance.

Early Years Special Educational Needs Panel
Information Update
The Derbyshire Early Years Special Educational Needs Panel is a multi-agency group
which considers placements and services for Derbyshire children aged between 0-5yrs
old with complex special educational needs.

The Early Years SEN Panel aims to:

•    support the early identification of SEN and disabilities
•    ensure that children’s needs are identified and assessed quickly, and matched by
     appropriate provision
•    monitor children’s progress at regular intervals to ensure that provision continues to be
     appropriate to the child’s identified need
•    coordinate provision through the development of close partnerships between parents,
     us, health and the private and voluntary sector
•    promote inclusion in mainstream early years settings wherever possible and in line with
     parental wishes

The Early Years SEN Panel consists of representatives from the following agencies:

•    Early Years Special Educational Needs Service
•    Derbyshire Portage Service
•    Physical Impairment Team
•    Visual Impairment Team
•    Hearing Impaired Team
•    Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
•    Nursery School Representative

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IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
Early Years Special Educational Needs Panel

 Early Years SEN Panel decisions include:

 Referrals to:

 •    Early Years SEN Service (In line with the 2015 Code of Practice referrals to the EYSEN
      specialist teaching service must contain evidence of the graduated response. A referral
      to the EYSEN service will be declined if there is not evidence of the assess, plan, do
      model required before referral to specialist services. Because of the nature of other
      support service interventions, they may not require this information)
 •    Derbyshire Portage Service
 •    Physical Impairment Team
 •    Hearing Impairment Team
 •    Educational Psychology Service
 •    Visual Impairment Team
 •    Infant Mental Health Project

 Criteria for each of these services can be found on the support services’ DCC webpage or
 their Local Offer tile

 A revised form for referrals to specialist support services is available from October 1st,
 2020.

 Please note the referral form provides a process for the following:
 1. NHS Notification to the local authority of a child 0-5yrs with SEND
      Section 1 can be used for the NHS to fulfil its legal obligation to notify the local authority
      of a child 0-5yrs with SEND. This notification will result in the child’s details will be
      added to the council’s children services database.

 2. Referral to early years SEN support services
      Sections 1 and 2 of the form should be completed if NHS colleagues wish then to make
      a referral to a specialist service within early years SEND. This will also be considered a
      notification to the LA.

 Sections1 and 2 should be used by all other referrers.

 Please also note referrals to the early years SEN service require a report from the early
 years setting the child attends. This report must clearly identify the interventions that the
 setting has already made through the graduated response and not just be a description of the
 child's developmental levels. In the 2015 SEND the Code of Practice specialist support
 services are clearly identified at the specialist level of support and not universal or targeted.
 As such any referrals to the EYSEN service that do not show evidence of intervention through
 the assess, plan, do, review model will be declined.

 •    You can find a copy of the Early Years Panel Referral Form by clicking here.
 •    You can find the Derbyshire portage service referral form by clicking here.

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IN THIS ISSUE Maths After Lockdown Early Years SEN Panel Update New Training Opportunities Business Updates And Much More - Derbyshire Schools Net
Early Years Special Educational Needs Panel

 Applications for assessment places in specialist nurseries.
 These referrals can only be made by employees of the council’s children’s services. Two or
 more professionals must be involved with the child.

 Applications for early intervention support for children in receipt of nursery
 entitlement is through the Early Years SEN Inclusion Fund. More information regarding this
 fund can be found here.

 During the COVID-19 2020 period a revised transition form was available to support transition
 into reception for children who may not have been in nursery over past months due to
 lockdown. This form should not be used after October 1st 2020.

 Contacts
 Karen Waring, Coordinator of the Early Years Panel, Head of EYs SEN,
 Email: karen.waring@derbyshire.gov.uk

 For queries about the Early Years Panel, please email:
 earlyyears.senhelpline@derbyshire.gov.uk

Support For Young Children With Additional Needs
The benefits of early identification (of SEN) are widely recognised – identifying need at the earli-
est point; and then making effective provision, improves long-term outcomes for children (Special
Educational Needs Code of Practice 2014).

Specialist Teachers from The Early Years SEN Service are available to provide specialist early
years SEN knowledge and advice on a range of subjects including:

                 •   Learning objectives and teaching strategies
                 •   Appropriate resources and effective environments
                 •   Supporting families and signposting to other services
                 •   Referrals for specialist intervention
                 •   Funding possibilities
                 •   Training opportunities

Support is available for anyone including parents, Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) practi-
tioners, Health Visitors, Paediatricians, Teachers, Children’s Centre Workers and Speech and
Language Therapists.

Contact EarlyYears.SENHelpline@derbyshire.gov.uk . Please provide brief details of your query,
including the age of the child (in months). Include your contact telephone number so that we can
get back to you.

The EYSEN Service was formerly known as The Support Service for Pre School Children with
Special Educational Needs (SSPSCSEN) and now encompasses both the Derbyshire Portage
Service and The Early Years Specialist Teaching Service.

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Family and Cultural Capital
What does ‘family ’mean to you? Recent              For the children, their understanding of
months have highlighted the importance of           relationships and the world, is affected by the
family. Some of us have been spending more          unique set of experiences that they will have
time together as a family whilst others have        encountered through the lens of their own
struggled with being apart. For some of our         family. As Early Years practitioners it is our job
children, the time spent at home in lockdown        to celebrate each child’s family.
has had positive benefits whilst others may
have had a very different experience.
Domestic violence or bereavement could have         Should we consider how the diversity of family
led to trauma which could have implications         is reflected in our setting? Does the
for life.                                           environment represent different types of family
                                                    and household? Including books, images,
                                                    small world and role play offer something for
One thing that is certain is that every family is   everyone. Do we represent all children in the
unique. Our family may big or small, parents        setting through the special days we choose to
who are single, married, in civil partnerships,     celebrate? Are our questions and topics of
same sex or different. Our own families and         conversation meaningful for all? Are we
those of the children we care for, are likely to    curious to know about children’s
be diverse. Blended families, stepfamilies,         understanding of family? Do we show through
those made up of extended family members.           our actions that we truly value the uniqueness
Families may be affected by bereavement,            of each child’s circumstances?
illness, divorce, fostering, adoption or other
circumstances.
                                               A family provides children with a blueprint for
                                               life. The Early Years Foundation Stage
Ofsted use the term “Cultural Capital” to      reminds us that parents are a child's first
describe the knowledge, experiences and        educator. From their first moments of life,
ideas that each child holds based on their own children depend on family to protect and
personal circumstances. Family is probably     provide for them and to make sure their basic
the most important influence in a child's life needs are met.
and so each and every one should be
recognised and valued.

To discover more about how to meet children’s unique needs in your set-
ting, look out for training Equal Opportunities: Exploring and Developing
Each Child’s Cultural Capital. Flyer available now on SchoolsNet.

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PSED Training via MS Teams
“Healthy, happy and caring societies are built upon healthy, happy
and connected children.” (Healthy and Happy: children’s wellbeing in the 2020s)
                                         We are all aware that the coronavirus outbreak and
                                         subsequent lockdowns are having a huge impact on
                                         the emotional health and well-being of us all, not least
                                         the very youngest children in society. It is more im-
                                         portant than ever that we ensure children’s personal,
                                         social and emotional development is being effectively
                                         supported at this time. Brain development research
                                         tells us that in order to feel safe, secure and ready to
                                         learn, children need consistent support from caring,
                                         responsive adults who understand how to support a
                                         child’s developing self-regulation skills.
Would you like to develop your knowledge and understanding by attending one of our
virtual PSED training events? We have a selection of training courses to meet your
needs:

PSED Introduction Training (1 session - 1 hour)

This course provides an introduction into early brain development, role of the adult and the
importance of connecting with children and their parents/carers.
Dates:
   Mon 30/11/20       Time: 6pm – 7pm
   Thu 25/2/2021      Time: 1.30pm – 2.30pm
   Wed 5/5/2021       Time: 6pm – 7pm
For further details and costs contact the EY team: cs.eys@derbyshire.gov.uk

Behaviour and Attitudes – Strategies that work
(2 sessions - 1 hour 15mins each)

All behaviour is communication - what is a child's behaviour telling us and how can we help
children to have the behaviours and attitudes to get the most out of learning? Linking in with
expectations in the Ofsted Inspection Framework and building on the Early Years Behaviour
and Attitudes Network, this course will explore research into why we behave the way we do,
strategies that are proven to improve behaviour and case studies of how early years practition-
ers have put them into practice.
Dates:
Session 1: Wed 9/12/2020 Session 2: Wed 13/1/2021 Time: 6 – 7.15pm Book by 4/12/20
Session 1: Tue 9/3/2021 Session 2: Tue 23/3/2021       Time: 1.30 – 2.45pm Book by 26/2/21
Session 1: Thu 20/5/2021 Session 2: Thu 10/6/2021      Time: 6 – 7.15pm Book by 14/5/21
For further details and costs contact the EY team: cs.eys@derbyshire.gov.uk

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PSED Training Via MS Teams

Behaviour and Attitudes – confident, caring, and capable
(2 sessions - 1 hour each)

This course was originally delivered as a network in Autumn 2019 and explores the Behaviour
and Attitudes judgement of the Ofsted Inspection Frameworks for schools and Early Years. The
training encourages participants to think about how they support self-regulation, encourage re-
silience and promote positive behaviours in children. Starting with the Characteristics of Teach-
ing and Learning, practitioners will explore what we mean by behaviour and attitudes and how
to support children to be confident, capable and caring.
Dates:
Session 1: Tue 2/2/2021 Session 2: Tue 23/2/2021 Time: 6 – 7pm book by 22/1/21
Session 1: Mon 26/4/2021 Session 2: Mon 10/5/2021 Time: 1.30 – 2.30pm book by 16/4/21
For further details and costs contact the EY team: cs.eys@derbyshire.gov.uk
If there is a high demand, we will add extra dates and sessions.

All the training above can also be delivered as a bespoke virtual event(s) for your provision

To book or for further information including costs, please contact CS.EYS@derbyshire.gov.uk

Save the Date
EYFS Leaders and Managers Briefing
Looking ahead to the spring term we will be delivering briefings via MS Teams
throughout the week beginning February 01st 2021
 These briefings are for all early years providers. We continue to share national and local
updates including training and support available to Derbyshire EY Providers and schools

Safeguarding Update
Have you seen the new Model Policies for Early Years settings?
These reflect the changes to the new Keeping Children Safe in education 2020 and are availa-
ble now on SchoolsNet for you to download from the Early Years Safeguarding section.
https://schoolsnet.derbyshire.gov.uk/teaching-learning-and-school-governance/early-years-
quality-team/safeguarding.aspx
The Early Years Team are excited to be delivering a new Designated Safeguarding Lead Re-
fresher training. We are pleased to be working in partnership with Derby & Derbyshire Safe-
guarding Children’s Partnership (DDSCP) to meet the needs of Derbyshire Early Years practi-
tioners. We are currently developing a new Designated Safeguarding Lead training for those
new to the role. This will be delivered in the second part of the spring term.
If you would like to know more about either training, please contact us via email at:
CS.EYS@derbyshire.gov.uk

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Business & Funding Updates
Early entitlement funding for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds
– submission of hours on the Provider Portal
I am sure we are all aware of the complexities    contacted by a number of providers who have,
of the early years funding. With over 850         for a variety of reasons, failed to input their
contracted early years providers there are        actuals into the portal. This month the finance
numerous checks that must take place before       team have had to re-open the portal twice and
funding is released each month. This includes     this then has a negative impact on the
double funding checks within the Derbyshire       schedule resulting in the likelihood of delayed
and beyond, with our neighbouring local           payments. Therefore, we would like to remind
authorities. In addition, there is still an       all providers to familiarise themselves again
extremely high volume of inaccuracies (during     with the timetable to ensure you know when
September and October we received 700             the portal will be open for the entering of your
errors) within the data which means that the      actuals. To help with, this all early years’
finance team must undertake investigations        providers will receive notification of the
into each entry to ensure that each early years   provider portal opening by email, twitter and
provider is paid the correct amount.              text prior to its opening and again before the
                                                  portal closes.
Although we welcome the fact that the
government announced that it will pay             I am sure you will understand the necessity for
providers broadly in line with the same period    this, can I please ask that you work with us to
last year during the autumn term, this has        ensure everyone is paid on time.
added further complexities to the system, with   Please allow yourself plenty of time to input
additional checks being necessary to ensure      your information and do not leave it until the
that providers do not lose out financially.      last minute. If you experience any difficulties
As I am sure you will appreciate all these       in submitting your information, please contact
                                                 either
things take time and the schedule is extremely
                                                 cs.enquiries.schools@derbyshire.gov.uk; cs.e
tight between the closing of the provider portal
                                                 nquiries.groupcare@derbyshire.gov.uk or
for actuals each month and releasing funding cs.enquiries.childminders@derbyshire.gov.uk
in time to meet provider payroll dates, which is for assistance.
our priority. Each month we are being

Completion of FE1 Forms
Please remember, FE1 forms must be completed accurately and signed by the parent/carer for
every child who is accessing the early years entitlement funding.

Parents must identify whether their child is attending another provision and nominate the
setting where they are using their universal hours and where applicable, the setting where they
are claiming the extended hours.

This will help providers to agree appropriate patterns of attendance with parents and reduce
instances of incorrect or over claims of funding. It also helps the Local Authority to process
your data and deliver payments more efficiently.
When completed and utilised correctly, the FE1 form should be the only document providers
require as it contains all the information necessary to enter actuals census data into the
provider portal.

     Public                                                                      25/11/2020
Business & Funding Updates

Reconfirmation of Codes

                                        As you will be aware, parents need to reconfirm their
                                        eligibility code approximately every 3 months. Although
                                        it is the responsibility of parents to reconfirm every 3
                                        months, it is recommended that providers remind / en-
                                        courage parents to reconfirm their code. This will en-
                                        sure both parents and providers do not lose the funding.

To be eligible for a 30 hours place in the Spring term 2021, parents must have secured a
valid code before 31 December 2020.

Parents without a valid code will only receive the universal 15 hours. Providers are also re-
minded that parents are unable to start with a new provider during a grace period.

If a parent has questions about their application or difficulties with applying or reconfirming
their code, please direct them to the HMRC helpline on telephone: 0300 123 4097.

Childcare Choices: How to Apply for 30 Hours Free Childcare

Changes to Provision
Where changes occur within the setting for example; changes to committee members, change
in name, address, telephone number, email address and business structure, please remember
to notify Ofsted and the relevant Early Years Team at Derbyshire County Council.

Ofsted: enquiries@Ofsted.gov.uk

Early Years Team, Derbyshire County Council:

cs.enquiries.childminders@derbyshire.gov.uk

cs.enquiries.groupcare@derbyshire.gov.uk

cs.enquiries.schools@derbyshire.gov.uk

Please also remember to update your setting's details with Families Information Service,
email: info.fis@derbyshire.gov.

                            Date for Your Diary! The Early Years Census 2021
                            Thursday 21st January 2021 is census day.
                            Every funded PVI early years’ setting in England is required
                            to provide their Local Authority with their EY Census data
                            on this date.
                            Further guidance will follow later in the Autumn Term.

     Public                                                                        25/11/2020
Business/Funding Updates
Business & Funding Updates

 Extension of the Coronavirus                      Extension of Self-Employment
 Job Retention Scheme                              Scheme
 (CJRS)
                                                   The extension will last for six months, from
 The government is extending the CJRS to           November 2020 to April 2021. Grants will be
 support individuals and businesses who are        paid in 2 lump sum instalments each covering
 impacted by disruption caused by                  a three-month period.
 coronavirus (COVID-19) this winter. This is
 an extension of the CJRS, and the scheme          The third grant will cover a three-month
 rules will remain the same.                       period from 1 November 2020 until 31
                                                   January 2021. The Government will provide a
 The CJRS (also known as the furlough              taxable grant calculated at 80% of 3 months
 scheme) will remain open until 31 March           average monthly trading profits, paid out in a
 2021. For claim periods running to January        single instalment and capped at £7,500 in
 2021, employees will receive 80% of their         total. This is an increase from the previously
 usual salary for hours not worked, up to a        announced amount of 55%.
 maximum of £2,500 per month. The £2,500
 cap is proportional to the hours not worked.      The Government are providing the same
                                                   level of support for the self-employed as is
 The government will review the policy in          being provided for employees through the
 January to decide whether economic                Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which
 circumstances are improving enough to ask         has also been extended until March 2021.
 employers to contribute more.
                                                  The Government has already announced that
 Claims can be made by employers across the there will be a fourth grant covering February
 UK that meet the eligibility criteria.           2021 to April 2021. The Government will set
                                                  out further details, including the level, of the
 Gov.uk: Extension of the Coronavirus Job         fourth grant in due course.
 Retention Scheme
                                                  The grants are taxable income and subject to
 It is sometimes difficult to distinguish whether National Insurance contributions.
 staff are funded through free entitlement
 (DSG) or private income and so the DfE have Gov.uk: Self-Employment Income Support
 provided an illustration:                        Scheme grant extension

 If a provider’s average monthly income is
 40% from DSG and 60% from other income,
 the provider should divide their salary bill in
 the same way. Providers can then claim up
 to 80% of the 60% from private income. This
 would be done by furloughing staff whose
 usual salary or combined salaries come to no
 greater than 60% of the provider’s total salary
 bill.

 Gov.uk: Coronavirus (COVID-19: financial
 support for education, early years and
 children’s social care

     Public                                                                        25/11/2020
Business/Funding Updates
Business & Funding Updates

Bounce Back Loan                                     PACEY – ‘Business Support’
If you have not already secured this funding,
                                                     for Childminders
this may be something to consider. Please see
below a quote from the government               Business Smart is a free online resource from
information:                                    the Professional Association for Childcare and
                                                Early Years (PACEY) to support new and
“If you are a small to medium-sized business established childminding settings in England.
(SME) is affected by coronavirus, you may be Resources can be found here.
able to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000       Business Smart aims to help new childminders
through a Bounce Back Loan scheme [the          gain the business skills, knowledge and
maximum is 25% of turnover]. The                confidence they need to build up their
government will guarantee 100% of the loan      childcare and early years businesses. It is also
and for the first 12 months you will not have full of advice and support for established
to pay any fees or interest or make             childminding settings to help them review their
repayments. You may be eligible for this        business sustainability.
scheme if your business: is based in the UK;
has been negatively affected by coronavirus;
was not an ‘undertaking in difficulty’ business
                                                Brexit - The EU Settlement
on 31 December 2019. This includes self-        Scheme
employed people. Apply for a Coronavirus
Bounce Back loan
www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-coronavirus- Early years providers are reminded that they
bounce-back-loan”                               should alert staff that if they are from the EU,
                                                Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland
                                                they may need to apply to the EU Settlement
NDNA—’Early Years Business Scheme.
Zone’ Toolkit                                        More information about who needs to apply is
                                                     available on the government website.
The ‘Early Years Business Zone’ toolkit is a         It is free to apply and can be done online at
FREE online nursery and childcare business
                                                     any time before 30 June 2021. People are
support toolkit - created by NDNA and the
Department for Education - to help you sustain       encouraged to apply as early as possible.
a healthy childcare business, developed by the       If a member of your staff has any queries in
sector, for the sector. The toolkit includes tools
                                                     relation to this you may wish to assist them
such as; Business Appraisal, Financial
Management and a range of downloadable               with this process where possible by directing
resources which can be found here.                   them to the government website.
                                                     There is no requirement for current employees
                                                     to notify you that they have obtained settled or
                                                     pre-settled status but they can notify you if
                                                     they wish and you should retain copies on
                                                     their personal file. If they wish to share their
                                                     immigration status with you, however, they will
                                                     need to provide you with a right to work share
                                                     code which you enter here along with their
                                                     date of birth. If they have any additional
                                                     queries they should be advised to contact the
                                                     EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre
                                                     online or on 0300 123 7379.

     Public                                                                          25/11/2020
Stay Informed

See Derbyshire SchoolsNet for updates, guidance and information for Early
Years Providers.
The Early Years Quality Team        Early Years COVID-19 Updates

Guidance and advice about Coronavirus (COVID-19) in educational settings for
staff, parents and carers, pupils and students can be found here.

Contact Us
Contact the Early Years Quality Team
Telephone - 01629 532 876 (Leave a message, asking to speak to the Duty Early
Years Co-ordinator) or Email: CS.EYS@derbyshire.gov.uk

For all finance, contracts & compliance, 30hrs and 2yr funding queries
please e-mail:

School and nursery schools email: cs.enquiries.schools@derbyshire.gov.uk

Pre-school, Day Nursery and Out of School club providers email:
cs.enquiries.groupcare@derbyshire.gov.uk

Childminders email: cs.enquiries.childminders@derbyshire.gov.uk

         Our twitter account provides the latest news and updates from the
         Derbyshire County Council Early Years Team - Follow us on Twitter
         @DerbyshireEYFS

    Public                                                        25/11/2020
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