EYCC Noticeboard

Early Years and Childcare Update - 29 January 2026

Welcome to this week's Early Years and Childcare update!

This week's update includes information on:

Please feel free to share this update with anyone you think would benefit from accessing this content. 

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact familyinformation@birmingham.gov.uk

Exciting Changes to Our Communications

Birmingham City Council’s Early Years and Childcare Service is refreshing the way we communicate with you. Early this new year, you’ll notice a new look and feel across our emails– designed to make information clearer and more engaging.

You will also begin receiving communications from a new email address. Please be assured that these messages are still from us, and part of our commitment to improving how we keep you informed.

Keep an eye out for these changes and thank you for continuing to work with us to support children and families across Birmingham.

Nominate a Provider Portal User

As you may already be aware, the Early Years and Childcare Team has launched a new Information Portal for providers called the Nexus Provider Portal. 

Many providers have already nominated a Nexus Provider Portal user. If you haven’t already done so, please do this today using our online form. You can have accounts for up to four people within your organisation. 

The introduction of this portal will enable us to:

  • strengthen the information that we collect from you
  • improve the information that we can provide to parents and third parties when they are looking for childcare options
  • contact you more efficiently.  

Please note: Completing this form does not immediately create your account. After we verify the nominated user form, we will send you a link to create your Provider Portal account.

If you have any queries about the Nexus Provider Portal, please contact FamilyInformation@birmingham.gov.uk.

SEND Co-production Training 2026

We are delighted to announce that our in-person SEND co-production training sessions will continue to take place at a variety of venues across Birmingham.

All sessions are free of charge and are open to staff and volunteers working in SEND education, health, social care, and the voluntary sector services in Birmingham. Young people and parent carers are welcome to attend this training. Unfortunately, we do not have childcare arrangements in place for these sessions.

Purpose of SEND Co-production Training Sessions

  • Define co-production and the 4Cs – explore the SEND Co-production Framework & Charter
  • Hear perspectives on co-production – from young people and parent carers
  • Share experiences – identify opportunities and celebrate co-production successes
  • Understand the benefits – how co-production can make a difference in your work and networks
  • Learn about the SEND Co-production Award Scheme – a tool to show the impact of co-production in your setting

For a list of upcoming co-production training sessions and information on how to book, please click here: SEND Co-production Training 2026 - Local Offer Birmingham.

You’re Invited to attend the Spring Early Years Consultant Cluster Surgery in a District Near You 

Bookings are now open for the Spring Early Years Consultant Cluster Surgeries for both the North and South of the city. 

Our Cluster Surgeries take place once every term and are led by your district Early Years Consultants. These sessions offer a supportive space where providers can explore key topics linked to delivering high quality practice across early years and childcare. They’re also a great opportunity to connect with other providers, share experiences, and build the strong relationships that help us work together to improve outcomes for Birmingham’s children. 

Whether you are a childminder, group setting manager, director, or an early years lead in a primary school, you are warmly invited to join us. 

North Cluster Surgery: Ofsted Inspections and Current Trends 

This term, the North Cluster session will focus on the latest Ofsted inspection processes and developing trends. Our Early Years Consultants will: 

  • Explore the updated inspection process and discuss the trends emerging from recently published inspection reports 
  • Answer your questions about inspections and what to expect 

South Cluster Surgery: Inclusion in Practice 

The session in the South Cluster will focus on strengthening inclusive practice. This session will aim to: 

  • Explore what inclusion looks like day today across different types of early years provision 
  • Review the new inclusion evaluation area in the inspection toolkit 
  • Hear from an Early Years Consultant specialising in SEND and Inclusion about available support and guidance 

You will also have the chance to learn more about inclusion focused Continuing Professional Development (CPD), including workshops from the Early Years and Childcare Service.  We welcome your real life examples of inclusive practice and encourage you to bring any questions you may have. 

Booking your place 

To book your place at one or more of this term’s Cluster Surgeries, please use the links below. 

Central and East Cluster Surgery dates are coming soon! 

Please note: In person spaces are limited due to venue capacity, so early booking is advised.   

Boost Your Recruitment – Make the Most of National Campaigns 

The Department for Education (DfE) is ramping up its England-wide recruitment campaign: “Do something BIG. Work with small children.” 

As an Early Years or Wraparound Childcare provider, you can benefit from the reach of the DfE marketing machine by listing your vacancies on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Find a Job website – completely free of charge. 

How to Get Started 

  • Create an employer account on the Find a Job website: https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/employer 
  • Post your vacancies under the Education & Childcare Jobs category. 
  • Include “Early Years” in the job title to ensure your roles are highlighted in any current and future campaigns. 

Where Job Seekers Will Find Your Listed Vacancies: See Current Early Years & Childcare Jobs in Birmingham 

Access Recruitment Resources 

The DfE has created a range of specific recruitment resources to help you attract the right candidates: https://earlyyearscareers.campaign.gov.uk/recruitment-resources/ 

Extra Support from Childcare Works 

Childcare Works offers free toolkits for Early Years and Wraparound providers via their Hub for Providers and Schools: https://childcareworks.org.uk/.  

Resources are organised into six categories: 

  1. Business Planning 
  2. Running Your Childcare Provision 
  3. Business Growth 
  4. Leadership and Management 
  5. Partnership Working 
  6. SEND and Inclusive Practice 

Every resource is free of charge and includes guidance from membership organisations, government-funded bodies, banks, and sector specialists. 

Explore the full toolkit here:  Home page - childcareworks.org.uk/early-years-toolkit 

Level 1 Award in Understanding Safeguarding in Education and Childcare Settings (Fully Funded) 

Improving awareness of safeguarding is a local priority. Do you know what to look for? Do you know what to do? 

Where: Blossomfield Campus, Solihull College  

When: 12 Weeks, Tuesday 10th March - Tuesday 9 June, 17:00 – 21:00  

This free short course will be delivered by an experienced Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and a guest speaker for Barnardo's.  

Where will this course lead? 

The purpose of this qualification is to give learners the knowledge and understanding of their legal responsibility to safeguard and protect the welfare of children and learners.  The qualification is aimed at any member of staff, parent, governor, volunteer or visitor that works with, or has access to, children and learners. 

Find out more and apply online:  NCFE CACHE Level 1 Award in Understanding Safeguarding in Education and Childcare Settings | Solihull College & University Centre 

NEW Inclusive Practice in Early Years Resources from a collaboration between Childcare Works & Dingley’s Promise 

Creating an inclusive environment is essential for every child to thrive. To help you achieve this, Childcare Works, in collaboration with Dingley’s Promise (England’s largest specialist provider of nursery education for children under 5 with SEND) has developed a collection of practical resources designed to support inclusive practice in your setting. 

What’s Included? 

Note: Birmingham’s Ordinarily Available Provision document is called Ordinarily Available Guidance (OAG). 

We have three versions available: 

  1. Early Years Ordinarily Available Guidance 
  2. School Age Ordinarily Available Guidance 
  3. Post-16 Ordinarily Available Guidance 

The Early Years version is currently in draft form but can still be used. 

How to Access: 

Click the links or visit: Dingley’s Promise & Childcare Works: Inclusive Practice in the Early Years 

Inclusion: Raising Awareness across all childcare settings in Birmingham (Free In person Workshop) 

Diverse Beginnings: Enhancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Childcare Settings is our free in-person workshop for all Birmingham providers of Early Years and Childcare. 

This workshop is suitable for all practitioners, managers, provision owners and directors, but spaces are limited.   

We are inviting early years and childcare providers across Birmingham to join us for a powerful in-person workshop designed to support and strengthen inclusive practice in your setting. We’ve listened to the sector and moved this workshop offer away from online formats to create a more impactful, collaborative learning space. 

Why Attend? 

This session is more than just a workshop – it’s a space for real connection, reflection and action.  Developed in response to sector feedback, Diverse Beginnings offers a rare opportunity to come together in person to explore how Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) can be meaningfully embedded across all aspects of early years and childcare provision. 

Together we’ll: 

  • Raise awareness of EDI within the context of early years practice 
  • Explore how EDI principles can be integrated into recruitment, routines, leadership and beyond 
  • Share experiences and reflect with peers in a supportive, face-to-face environment 
  • Feel empowered to champion inclusive and equitable approaches in your own setting 

Why Now? 

The new Ofsted Early Years Toolkit places a strong emphasis on inclusion. From November 2025, Ofsted will be considering: 

“The commitment of leaders and those responsible for governance to provide high standards of education and care to improve the lives of all children, especially those receiving statutory support, including disadvantaged children, those with SEND, those who are known (or previously known) to children’s social care, and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or well-being” 

This workshop will help you strengthen your inclusive practice, with confidence and enhanced clarity. 

Please note spaces are limited. 

This is a free workshop, but places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.   

Don’t miss out – book your place today and be part of the change. For more information about the venues and to access our booking links, please follow the links below:  

Other inclusion subject-based training and resources available to you for free include: 

Need support? Talk to us: 

If you need advice, guidance or support on any Early Years or Childcare topics, the Birmingham Early Years and Childcare Service is here to help. 

You can speak directly with an experienced Early Years Consultant who can offer support and expert insight. Contact us via our Early Years Duty Line on 0121 675 4996 or email us eyduty@birmingham.gov.uk Monday – Friday between 9am & 5pm except Bank Holidays. 

Two New Free Courses: Strengthen Inclusion with Dingley’s Promise 

Dingley’s Promise are thrilled to launch two brand new, expert-led training courses, fully funded by Comic Relief. 

  1. An Inclusive Approach to Curriculum & Assessment 

This course is designed to help practitioners build the confidence and knowledge to ensure their curriculum is underpinned by inclusive practice. You will learn to make necessary adaptations so your curriculum is accessible for all children and understand how to use effective assessment tools to identify needs early and accelerate learning. 

Inclusive curriculum assessment | Birmingham City Council

  1. Supporting Communication Development for Early Years Children with SEND 

Designed to respond to the growing number of children with early communication challenges, this course explores the stages of development and the barriers children with SEND can face. You will gain the confidence to identify needs and act quickly to support every child's communication journey. 

Developing communication in early years | Birmingham City Council

See the attached leaflets for further course information. 

Sign up to access the new courses here: 

https://forms.office.com/e/V3zvR1cPKr 

Other free courses available from Dingley’s Promise includes: 

  • An introduction to Early Years Inclusive Practice 
  • Early Years SEND Transitions  
  • Managing Behaviours that Challenge   
  • Having Difficult Conversations with Families 
  • Voice of the Child   
  • Leadership and Management for Inclusion 
  • Intersections within Early Years Practice 

You can access these other courses here - Comic Relief Early Years Inclusion Programme - Dingley's Promise but remember, free access to all of these 9 courses is only available for a limited time, so it's a good idea to prioritise completing them while you can!  

Wraparound Funding Opportunities

Millions in school funding still available.

Wraparound Childcare Grant Funding Opportunity  

As part of the government’s ambition, by September 2026 all parents and carers of primary school-aged children who need it should be able to access Wraparound childcare between 8:00am and 6:00pm during term time.  

Whether your school is planning to launch a new club or expand an existing one, we encourage providers to take advantage of the available funding. This is a valuable opportunity to establish new provision or increase the capacity of current clubs to better meet the needs of local families.  

What can you apply for?  

  • Creation of places: Create both new before school provision and after-school provision - where there is currently no provision.  
  • Extend hours: Extend the hours to meet full wraparound definition (8am to 6pm) - where you already provide wraparound, but it does not meet the 8am to 6pm expectation.  
  • Expand provision: Introduce before school provision or after school provision - where you have no existing provision in place to meet the full wraparound definition or increase the number of places currently on offer.  

Benefits of wraparound care provision  

  • Boost Attendance and Engagement - Children thrive with consistent routines and enriching activities that make school a place they love to be.  
  • Support Working Families - Flexible care options help parents balance work and family life, reducing stress and increasing satisfaction.  
  • Enhance Learning and Wellbeing - From homework clubs to creative arts, sports, and mindfulness — WAC offers holistic development in a safe, inclusive environment.  
  • Strengthen Community Ties - Your school becomes more than a place of learning — it becomes a trusted space for growth, connection, and opportunity.  
  • Makes your school more appealing to families - As more parents return to work, schools that offer flexible childcare options become increasingly attractive.     

Why apply?  

By applying for the Wraparound childcare grant you could receive:  

  • Thousands of pounds in funding to cover initial start-up costs for staffing, purchase of equipment, marketing and day to day premise costs.  
  • Tailored support from your own Development worker to support you through the application process.  
  • Parent survey templates to help ascertain parental demand  
  • Step by step guidance to support with hosting a PVI to run your Wraparound childcare provision  

How do you get involved?  

We’re inviting you to be part of this exciting journey. If you recognise that this is an opportunity not to be missed, complete the quick expression of interest form to determine whether your application is likely to be successful and walk you through the process.  

Still have questions? Contact us at WAC@birmingham.gov.uk   

Let’s work together to make school a place where every child has the chance to shine — before, during, and after the school day.  

Speech, Language, and Communication

‘Introduction to WellComm’ training dates for Spring 2026

For the attention of all EEE registered providers. 

WellComm is the approved screening tool in Birmingham, and it supports a consistent universal approach to assessing and supporting children’s speech, language and communication needs. All PVI settings are now required to submit their WellComm screening data on the EEE funding portal during headcount. If you are not yet using WellComm to screen your children’s speech and language, please attend one of our online training sessions to receive your free WellComm toolkit. Settings that have received a WellComm screening tool can continue to send staff that are new or require a refresher of how to use WellComm onto the training. Please click your preferred date to book your place. 

Early Words Together

Early Words Together by National Literacy Trust is a DfE approved programme that aims to support the communication, language, and early literacy of young children age 3-4 through evidence-based activities which lead to improvements in their home learning environments. The programme is delivered to small groups of families over 6 weeks, led by practitioners and volunteers. It empowers parents to develop and enrich the home learning environment and support their child's early language and literacy.

This training is FREE and suitable for all Birmingham Early Years Providers, EEE Funding Registered Day Nurseries, Nursery Schools and School Nursery Classes, Childminders, Family Hubs and Children’s Centre settings.

Please complete the expression of interest form below to apply for a place on the Early Words Together programme by National Literacy Trust. Please note that spaces are limited, with capacity for only 13 settings to participate in Birmingham. The programme is funded by the DfE's Family Hubs initiative and all resources for families will be provided at no extra cost. To take part, your setting must have adequate space for families and children to work together. The programme is expected to begin in Spring term 2026. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Expression of Interest for Early Words Together - Academic Year 2025-2026 (Cycle 2) – Fill in form

Programme Aims

  • Support communication, language, and early literacy of children aged 3–4 through evidence-based activities.
  • Improve confidence and understanding of children’s language development.
  • Support sustained positive changes to the home learning environment (HLE).
  • Foster partnerships between practitioners and families, and across local systems.
  • Close the language gap among children of different socio-economic classes.

Programme Objectives

  • Close the language gap among children of different socio-economic statuses.
  • Improve HLE as parents feel empowered as their child’s first educator.
  • Foster educator-parent partnerships.
  • Build practitioner networks using evidence-based strategies.
  • Raise community expectations for children’s communication, language, and literacy (CLL) development.

Programme Content

  • One-day practitioner training by the National Literacy Trust.
  • Toolkits with six detailed session plans.
  • Project management support including training, implementation, QA, and network facilitation.
  • Volunteer training for peer support.
  • Pre- and post-surveys for evaluation (provided by the Trust).

Benefits

  • Parental Engagement: Improved communication and mutual understanding between parents and practitioners.
  • Parental Awareness: Parents learn the importance of play and conversation.
  • Home Learning: Parents gain ideas and confidence to support learning at home.
  • Child Development: Improved school readiness and classroom outcomes.

Upcoming SEN Support Plan and Inclusion Support in Early Years (ISEY) Workshops 

For the attention of childminders. 

Sue Bristow, Area SENCo, will be delivering SEN Support Plan and ISEY workshops.  

The below workshops are helpful if you would like further information and insight about SEN support plans.   

SEN Support Plan:  

What is a SEN Support Plan?  

An SEN Support Plan is put in place where an active team surrounds the child (with emerging or identified SEND), or referrals to appropriate and required outside agencies have been made.  

The SEN Support plan:  

  • involves parents and the child at the earliest stage 
  • has information about a child's needs, their strengths  
  • provision in place to support their learning and development progress 
  • describes the outcomes that are expected as a result of the support 
  • reflects the four-stage cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review of the Graduated Approach  

Inclusion Support in Early Years for Childminders (ISEY): 

Inclusion Support in Early Years (ISEY) is Birmingham’s Early Years Special Educational Needs Inclusion Fund (EY SENIF). This fund is to support early years providers in Birmingham to meet the needs of children with SEND.  Birmingham PVI childminders registered to receive early education funding and have attended an ISEY workshop or ISEY surgery are able to apply for a child who meets the eligibility criteria.  

Both workshops will be delivered online using Microsoft Teams, please find below details of the workshops: 

  • SEN Support Plan 
  • Completing an ISEY application 

Timetable: 

  • SEN Support Plan – Thursday 5th February 2026, 18:00-19:15, Microsoft Teams 
  • SEN Support Plan - Tuesday 10th February 2026, 18:00-19:15, Microsoft Teams
  • Completing an ISEY application – Wednesday 11th February 2026, 18:00-18:45, Microsoft Teams 
  • Completing an ISEY application – Tuesday 24th February 2026, 13:00-13:45, Microsoft Teams 
  • Completing an ISEY application – Tuesday 24th February 2026, 18:00-18:45, Microsoft Teams 
  • Completing an ISEY application – Wednesday 25th February 2026, 10:00-10:45, Microsoft Teams 
  • Completing an ISEY application – Thursday 26th February 2026, 14:00-14:45, Microsoft Teams 

How do I book on the workshops?  

For any queries about the workshops and/or to book a place, please email Sue Bristow - SUE.BRISTOW@birmingham.gov.uk as this inbox will be monitored. 

Final Share – A Music Resource for Early Years Providers 

For the attention of Early Years Providers. 

We’re sharing this resource on the noticeboard one final time, as it may continue to be helpful for early years providers who are considering buying in a musician or external music practitioner. 

Sounds of Play: A Guide to Early Years for Musicians offers practical guidance to help ensure that any musician working in a setting aligns well with your ethos, values and approach to early years practice.  It can also be a useful reference for apprentices or staff who are new to early years, supporting their understanding of different types of provision and how music can be meaningfully embedded within them. 

Although the funding behind the Sounds of Play project has now come to an end, you are very welcome to download and use the resource for as long as it remains available and relevant to current, compliant practice. 

Music can be used as a playful and inclusive way to engage children, strengthen listening and attention, and build the foundations for communication, language and literacy.  As the city continues to focus on improving children’s outcomes at the end of the EYFS, particularly in literacy – which can present a barrier for many children in achieving a Good Level of Development – purposeful exposure to and engagement with music can complement approaches such as WellComm.  Through the enjoyment of the expressive arts, music offers a powerful way to capture children’s attention and engagement, supporting stronger communication and language, literacy and ultimately improved Good Level of Development outcomes. 

Download both guidance documents here: Sounds of Play | The Springfield Project Charity 

We hope it continues to be a useful tool for reflection, discussion and good practice.  If you would like physical copies of these documents, please contact info@springfieldproject.org.uk to arrange for collection. 

A Briefing Strongly Recommended for Providers Supporting Children in Care

For the attention of all early years providers.

If you are supporting children in care we strongly recommend you pencil a date in your diary to attend one of the free Target Setting for Early Years Personal Education Plans (PEPs) briefings. 

Developed and delivered by Birmingham Virtual School and Birmingham’s Early Years and Childcare Service, this important briefing is designed to support early years practitioners, leaders and managers in setting clear, effective and meaningful targets for Birmingham’s Children in Care. 

Why This Matters 

Too many care-experienced adults continue to face economic instability and limited life opportunities - a reflection of the early disadvantage they often experience due to disrupted attachments, trauma and/or instability. 

To change this narrative, we must act early and with purpose.  It is our shared responsibility to ensure that children in care develop in line with their peers and achieve well.  By doing so, we contribute meaningfully to the collective goal of giving every child the best start in life, as emphasised in national guidance and the Ofsted Early Years Inspection Toolkit, which calls for a robust and inclusive response from all providers. 

This briefing will: 

  • Introduce a practical approach to promoting the developmental progress of early years children in care and furthering all children’s learning outcomes 
  • Support you in meeting the requirements for completing early years Personal Education Plans (ePEPs) 

Who Should Attend? 

If your setting is currently supporting children in care — or may do so in future — we strongly recommend that you attend one of these briefings.  The sessions are free and designed to equip you with the tools and confidence to make a real difference. 

How to book your place 

Our next round of briefing sessions will be held in January 2026 and can be booked via the following link: 

Need support? Talk to us: 

If you need advice, guidance or support on any Early Years or Childcare topics, the Birmingham Early Years and Childcare Service is here to help. 

You can speak directly with an experienced Early Years Consultant who can offer support and expert insight.  Contact us via our Early Years Duty Line on 0121 675 4996 or email us eyduty@birmingham.gov.uk Monday – Friday between 9am & 5pm except Bank Holidays. 

This entry was posted by Jessica Wykes on 28/01/2026.

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