WelcomeandIntroductionAlexGamby
Dear Early Years and Childcare Providers
I hope this edition of ours and your bulletin finds you comfortably cool. As I write this, we are between heat waves and I am indeed ‘cool’, however last week I most definitely was not and next week, if the weather forecast is anything to go by, I will be even less so. I genuinely do hope that through the very hot weather; you are being able to keep your children and your staff acceptably cool.
Department for Education (DFE) new Statutory Guidance
Alongside (and notwithstanding the weather – we do like to talk about it, do we not?), we are still working our way through a period whereby it feels as though there is ‘much ado about pretty much everything’! We are aware that you are, as we are, still working through our understanding of the finer nuances of the new Statutory Guidance, including those elements of it that also feature in Kent’s Provider Agreement Addendum. If you were at one of the Briefing and Networking Sessions in June, you will know that, in the Kent Early Years and Childcare Provider Association agenda item, we sought your views on:
• acknowledging the challenges of implementing the statutory guidance, what things have you been able to do that have helped, either in part or in full?
• what questions or concerns do you still have?
The feedback from the Briefing and Networking Sessions on these questions will be considered as we shape the new Kent Provider Agreement going forward. The views of the Provider Association itself will also be sought at its next meeting.
Concurrently, if you were not able to attend a recent Briefing and Networking Session, you are invited and welcome to send your responses to these questions to:
• for early years group providers, sufficiencyandsustainability@theeducationpeople.org
• for childminders, childminding@theeducationpeople.org.
Thank you.
Kent County Council’s (KCC’s) Early Years Review Implementation
Moving closer to home, you will be aware that we are knee high (if not higher!) in the implementation of KCC’s Early Years Review. Whilst we are still working our way through (with you all) a new way of working and new systems and processes, we have had some very positive feedback about the Professional Conversations
and Professional Resource Groups (PRGs), so thank you to those of you who have taken time to share feedback. I will not share any more detail here because, as you will also be aware, there are termly bespoke emailed updates about this. The only thing I did want to re-clarify about this, however, is the terminology used of the ‘Early Years Whole Model of Support’. The terminology may have inadvertently been misleading because it only relates to the implementation of the Early Years Review and therefore to support for the quality of provision and the route to access support for individual children who are identified as needing this. By implication therefore it doesn’t include support for providers that relates to the sufficiency and sustainability of provision, which for group providers is made available by the Sufficiency and Sustainability Team (and Childcare Sufficiency Officers - CSOs - particularly). I have mentioned this here before, but for the avoidance of doubt, the CSOs are absolutely still here and available. For clarity, for childminders, support for sufficiency and sustainability is provided alongside that for quality, by Childminding Quality and Sufficiency Advisers, who have a combined role. I do hope that this is clear.
So, I will sign off for now and leave to read and (I hope) find useful and enjoy the rest of this bulletin. I hope that you have a good summer, whatever that holds for you both professionally and personally, and look forward to seeing people again in September/October.
Please do look after yourself, yours and each other.
Thank you, once again, for all that you do for Kent’s youngest children and their families.
With my very best wishes to you all.
Alex Gamby Head of Early Years and Childcare
KentEarlyYearsandChildcareProviderAssociation
In the previous edition of this bulletin, Alex Gamby advised that the Kent Early Years and Childcare Provider Association would be next meeting in June, however this meeting has had to be rescheduled to 14 July.
Furthermore, Alex also advised that Lisa Evans had stepped down as chair and that Julie Miles had moved on, by implication also resigning her position as vice chair. I am pleased to be able to share that Tracey McCartney (early years groups representative for Sevenoaks) has agreed to be the Chair of the Association on an interim basis and Abi Aligboro (childminder representative for the North of the County) has agreed to be vice chair. Thank you to Tracey and Abi for stepping forward in this way.
We are still in the process of identifying a new early years groups representative for Maidstone.
Early Years and Childcare Provider Association Membership July 2025
Representation Name Provision
Ashford
Charlotte White Repton Manor Nursery
Canterbury Carmen Kimble Cobnuts Woodland Nursery & Forest School
Dartford
Charlotte Roles
Dimples Day Nursery in Darenth
Dover Penny Seward Kingdom Preschool
Folkestone and Hythe
Gravesham
Maidstone
Sevenoaks
Swale
Thanet
Tonbridge and Malling
Lisa Evans MBE Abacus Nursery & Childcare Ltd
Lynne Tomlinson
Vacancy
Bright Beginnings Nurseries
Tracey McCartney (Chair) Halsted Nursery
Debbie Gunn D-Dee's Day Nursery
Marc Rattigan Bright Start Nursery (Thanet Childcare Ltd)
Debbie Jones Muddy Puddles Nursery
Tunbridge Wells Hayley Coombes The Little Learning Tree Pre School
Out of school childcare
Childminding representative
Childminding representative
Childminding representative
Childminding representative
SEN County Manager
Denise Howard
Rainbow Out of School Clubs Ltd
Gemma Maclachlan Childminder
Abiola Agboro (Vice Chair)
Sue Atkinson
Carly Browne
Zenia Ford
Childminder
Childminder
Childminder
Kent County Council
Early Years – Kent
County Council
Education Lead Adviser
– Kent County Council
Assistant Director
Education – East Kent and Early Years Lead
Michelle Stanley Kent County Council
Robert Veale Kent County Council
Nationalnewsandupdates
Announcement: Publication of Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (EYTDA) Employer Guidance
The DfE is pleased to announce the publication of the Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (EYTDA) Employer Guidance. Co-developed with a sector-led Implementation Group, the guidance is designed to support early years employers in delivering the apprenticeship and enabling trainees to achieve Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).
Apprenticeships are expected to launch from September 2026, with some providers potentially starting earlier. Employers should monitor training provider announcements from late summer 2025 and refer to the GOV.UK apprenticeship training site.
The Guidance covers key topics such as funding, programme structure, safeguarding, mentoring, entry requirements, and graduate outcomes. It is aimed at employers, training providers, and mentors.
The full EYTDA Employer Guidance document is available from the GOV.UK page.
Updated Training Provider Guidance reflecting changes to apprenticeship funding rules effective from 1 August 2025 is also available.
For guidance enquiries, please visit the DfE contact page. To receive periodic updates, email EYTDA.ENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk.
A trainee-focused webinar is planned for Autumn 2025.
Changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) September 2025
The Early Years statutory framework changes from September 2025 are being made to strengthen the EYFS safeguarding requirements.
The main changes to be aware of are:
• amendments to promote safer recruitment, including:
o new expectations to provide references.
o requirements to obtain references.
o a requirement for safeguarding policies to include procedures to help ensure that only suitable individuals are recruited.
• new requirements for providers to follow up if a child is absent for a prolonged period of time and amendments to ensure providers hold additional emergency contact details.
• new requirements to ensure safer eating (*including nutrition guidance see notes below)
• the creation of a safeguarding training criteria annex and a requirement for safeguarding policies to include details of how safeguarding training is delivered, including how practitioners are supported to put it into place.
• amendments to ensure that early year’s students and trainees are required to have paediatric first aid (PFA) training for them to be included in ratios at the level below their level of study.
• new requirements to support whistleblowing.
• amendments to ensure that children’s privacy during nappy changing and toileting is considered and balanced with safeguarding considerations.
A small number of other minor changes to the structure and wording of the safeguarding requirements have been made to improve clarity.
Information sheet about the changes
Giving every child the best start in life
‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’ strategy which was published 7 July 2025. This strategy is the culmination of many months, even years, of conversations with people and organisations who are passionate about children,
families and early education and health. It builds on the commitments made in the Plan for Change and lays the foundations for further reform.
This ambitious publication sets out the first steps in a decade of renewal, with government spending close to £1.5bn over the next three years to begin the hard work needed. This includes expanding and strengthening family services, making early education and childcare more accessible and affordable, and improving the quality of early education and childcare to make real change and deliver stronger outcomes for our children, our families and our society. It also sets out a vision for long term reform.
Commitments include:
• beginning the job of building back crucial family services, by funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, providing high quality support to parents and children from pregnancy to age five.
• delivering the commitment to give more funded hours to working parents and creating more early education and childcare places where they are most needed.
• raising the status of early years educators and creating centres of expertise in best practice.
• appointing a Best Start in Life Champion to bring early years expertise into the heart of Government and help Government drive change.
We hope you can easily see the important role you will play in delivering what will be a step change in this country’s focus on our youngest children and we look forward to the next exciting part of the journey, continuing to work closely with you, and across all parts of government, to give every child the best start in life.
Charity Commission updated guidance to reflect good practice on recruiting Trustees (CC30)
The Charity Commission is encouraging charities to use the new guidance to:
• help improve their recruitment and induction practices
• focus on practical steps charities can take to connect with a broader range of candidates
• identify and remove barriers that may put people off applying for the role
• identify the skills you need on your trustee board to take your charity forward by considering a skills audit (your Childcare Sufficiency Officer can supply a template)
• inform new trustees about their legal responsibilities
• welcome, train and support new trustees.
The refreshed guidance encourages charities to:
• write and keep under review their trustee role description by distinguishing between what is required and what can be learnt in the role
• reach more candidates by posting ads via social media or using organisations that offer trustee finder services.
The guidance signposts to a range of free resources to help charities reach as many people as possible but is clear that charities can also pay for trustee recruitment services.
The induction section of the guidance aims to help charities not only recruit successfully to the role but also retain new trustees. It encourages charities to discuss with each new trustee what information and learning they need to become an effective trustee, and how to support them with this, setting out a range of approaches. (your Childcare Sufficiency Officer can also supply guidance notes on induction for new Trustees)
Recruiting within known circles can contribute to identifying good candidates but limits the field, and difficulties can arise when boards have several personal connections. The guidance highlights how having a group of trustees who have the right mix of technical skills, knowledge of the sector the charity works in, community connections and first-hand experiences can create well-rounded boards and promote strong governance at charities.
Finding and appointing new trustees (CC30) - GOV.UK
Charity
Commission Guidance – Trustee Board: People and Skills
Guidance about finding and appointing trustees. This sets out the checks you must make before you appoint new trustees. It includes guidance on checking:
• if a person meets the minimum age requirement for trustees
• that a person is not disqualified from being a trustee (Automatic disqualification rules for charity trustees)
• if a trustee position requires a relevant DBS check
You can appoint someone who lives outside the UK as a trustee, including:
• non-British citizens
• people in the UK on temporary visas or seeking asylum
• British citizens who live abroad
• allowed by your charity’s governing document (check for any residential or similar restrictions)
• in your charity’s best interests, so that the benefits of the appointment outweigh any issues or problems.
Find more information in guidance: Trustee Board: People and Skills
Kentnewsandupdates
KSCMP Education Safeguarding Group
The Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership (KSCMP) is currently looking to expand representation of its Education Safeguarding Group to include more members from early years settings/providers. If you are someone that is interested in joining our group or finding out more information about what being a member would involve, please contact the KSCMP team at kscmp@kent.gov.uk.
You would need to be able to commit to coming to these and would need to be willing to play an active part in the group, contributing to discussions, feeding information from your setting and others into the group and taking part in other working groups/initiatives/events where appropriate. We also expect members to be able to share the work that KSCMP does with other settings in their area. Meetings are during the day and often between the hours of 10-12. There are 4 meetings each year.
The Terms of Reference for the group can be found on our website here Subgroups - Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership so please take a look at this if you are interested.
KSCMP Support Level Guidance Virtual Training
This course will help professionals understand the updated Support Level Guidance and the different types of support available - highlighting the need for the right support at the right time. Professionals will be supported to understand their individual roles and responsibilities at each support level. The training will highlight ways of working together and the need for effective information sharing, alongside identifying when to complete a 'Request for Support' via the Portal system and the process to be followed. Examples of good practice, knowing how to work with families around consent and resolving professionals’ disagreements will also be covered during the training.
27 August 2025 1pm – 4pm
26 September 2025 9.30am – 1pm
20 October 2025 1pm – 4pm
19 November 2025 9.30am – 1pm
12 December 2025 1pm – 4pm
A message to providers from Dingley’s Promise: Comic Relief Early Years Inclusion Project
Want to be, or continue to be an outstanding inclusive setting, but have limited time for training?
We have listened to the needs of the Sector and your concerns about recruitment of retention and staff time being limited. The Dingley’s Promise training courses to support inclusive practice are flexible, online and can be completed at the learner’s pace when they have time. 99% of practitioners who have completed the introduction to inclusive practice course say they can take more children with SEND as a result. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow your skills and confidence to support children with SEND.
Information to share with parents and carers
Are you confident you know what good inclusive early years provision looks like, and can advocate for your child in your setting?
We know that parents want what’s best for their children but may not always feel confident to talk to professionals about the support their child needs. We also know from experience how important it is for families to work in partnership with early years settings and schools.
Parents and carers will always be the expert at in their own child’s needs, but understanding what good inclusive practice can transform the communication between you and significantly improve the approach to meeting the needs of children.
Our training is designed primarily for those working with children with SEND, but many of our parents and carers have benefitted hugely from the training too. It has helped them to increase skills and knowledge, work in collaboration with early years settings and staff as well as to develop new strategies to support their child.
KCC’s Early Years Review Implentation
In the last update on KCC’s Early Years Review Implementation, there was mention of a parent/carer survey which has been developed to gather feedback directly from parents and carers, as a vital part of informing future change and improvements. Their insights will help us understand what’s working well, where improvements are needed, and how we can better support children’s development and learning.
We kindly ask for your support in sharing the parent/carer survey with the families you work with to ensure that every voice is heard and that our approach remains inclusive and responsive. The survey closes on 31 July 2025.
Focusonchildminders
Emotions and behaviour
Babies aren’t born knowing how to behave well and what is expected of them, they must try to learn about their complex mix of feelings and how these can dictate their actions, which may not always be acceptable. Young children cannot
necessarily foresee the results of their actions so are on a journey to learn about consequences.
Behaviours are learnt by observing others and these may not always be deemed suitable, so the first few years of a child’s lives presents them with a multitude of challenges.
Realising this can give childminders the opportunities to support children as they grow and are having to negotiate the expectations. Skilled practitioners can anticipate when babies or toddlers may become anxious, frustrated or stressed and then positively intervene by using distraction or providing words of support.
Helping children understand that feeling a mix of emotions is normal and so identifying and naming their different emotions validates these feelings. From the earliest age it can be beneficial to acknowledge a child’s distress and using phrases such as ‘I can see you are frustrated’ or ‘I know it’s disappointing’ will help them to learn about their feelings.
All children develop their sense of security through the consistent use of boundaries and having a clear understanding of knowing right from wrong. Some children can demonstrate unwanted behaviours, and the approach used must be supportive and fair.
Should a child’s behaviour become concerning then the first step is to discuss this with their parents and jointly decide on a united approach which will help the child begin to learn more about what is expected. If the behaviour remains a concern, then including relevant information and examples within the child’s progress check at age two must be considered. Further support regarding children’s development is available from your Childminding Quality and Sustainability Adviser if required,
Reflections regarding your current practice, looking towards helping children understand their emotions and your approach to managing children’s behaviours can be valuable to help ensure you are supporting children of all ages as best as you possibly can. Furthermore, if you work alongside an assistant the approach must be consistent between both adults to avoid further confusing the children.
For further information:
Ofsted Help for Early Years Providers - Emotions
Early Education – Helping Children with their Behaviour
