EYCC Noticeboard

Early Years and Childcare Update - 19 February 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

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.

Celebrating Julie Trueman – 41 Years of Service

On the 26th February 2026 we say goodbye to someone whose name is woven into the fabric of the Early Years service.

After an extraordinary 41 years with the Local Authority, Julie Trueman will be retiring — and it is impossible to capture in a few paragraphs the contribution she has made to Early Years and beyond.

Julie has worked through decades of change. She has seen structures evolve, services transform, partnerships reform and priorities shift. But what has remained constant is Julie herself — steady, principled, and utterly committed to children and families.

Julie hasn’t just witnessed change; she has influenced it. Her work has shaped practice across Early Years, Children’s Centres, Family Hubs, and in partnership with colleagues across Birmingham Children’s Trust and MARRAC. She has been a trusted voice in rooms where decisions mattered, always bringing clarity, integrity and an unwavering focus on what is right for children.

Anyone who knows Julie will recognise her trademark style — clear-speaking, direct, and refreshingly honest. What you see is what you get. And behind that clarity sits one of the warmest hearts you could wish to work alongside. Julie cares deeply. She is passionate about the work, protective of standards, and steadfast in her belief that families deserve the very best from us.

Over the years, she has supported colleagues, challenged thinking, and quietly held the line when it mattered. Her influence extends far wider than job titles or structures — it lives in the confidence she has built in others, the improvements she has championed, and the values she has modelled consistently for four decades.

For those of us who have worked closely with Julie in Early Years, her retirement brings mixed emotions. We are incredibly grateful for what she has given, immensely proud to have worked alongside her, and — if we are honest — very sad to see her go.

On a personal note, I will miss Julie greatly. Her warmth, humour and straight-talking honesty have been constants in our team. Beneath her clear and direct style is someone who cares deeply — about children, about families and about colleagues. It has been a privilege to work alongside her, and I feel very fortunate to have shared part of this journey with her.

Julie, thank you for your service, your strength, your honesty and your heart. Your contribution has made a lasting difference across the city.

We wish you a retirement that is as full, purposeful and warm as the career you leave behind.

With our very best wishes for the future.

Ofsted Delivered - Ofsted Revised Early Years Framework Information Session

The Ofsted revised framework for early years settings, effective from November 10, 2025, introduces a more collaborative and child-centred approach to inspections. Key changes include:

  • Grading Structure: The traditional "overall effectiveness" grades are replaced with a more detailed grading system that provides parents with more information about the setting's performance
  • The introduction of the Early Years Inspection Toolkit
  • A strong focus on narrowing the attainment gap for children who may face barriers to their learning or well-being.

To support early years providers to build on their current practice and to prepare for their next inspection, Ofsted will be providing two repeated information sessions for Birmingham providers.

The online sessions will be

Please click on the above link to book a place on your preferred session. We look forward to having you attend the event!

Holiday Activity and Food Programme Feedback Survey

The Holiday Activities and Food programme is being redesigned in Birmingham, and we would love to get some child and parent/carer feedback about how the programme has been received and plans for the future. 

 Our engagement surveys are now live on the BeHeard platform to collect responses and can be found at the links below: 

https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/haf-recommissioning-child-young-person-survey/ 

https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/haf-recommissioning-parent-carer-survey/

Taking part in this survey is entirely voluntary, and responses will be kept anonymous. We will not be collecting any personal details. Please do not include any personal, sensitive, or identifying information in your responses. This includes name, address, date of birth, contact details, or any information that could be used to identify you or someone else.  

You don't have to have attended HAF to take part in the survey - we want to hear from everyone, including those who have never experienced HAF. 

If you could share these links with parents and carers on any of your channels, that would be much appreciated!

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 

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!  

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 

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

WellComm Data Collection for Schools and Nursery Schools 

For the attention of schools and nursery schools. 

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. We ask each setting to share their termly screening data with us so that we can track the impact of the WellComm screening tool. For schools and nursery schools we collect your WellComm data via an online form each term. The Autumn term data collection form is now available for schools and Nursery Schools. If you are a day nursery or childminder, you do not complete this form. 

The deadline for the form to be submitted is 31st March 2026. 

To complete the survey, please click here.

To assist you in completing this we are holding 2 online sessions to demonstrate how to use the WellComm data spreadsheet to collate your screening results and track children’s progress. We will also demonstrate how the spreadsheet will assist you in completing the online WellComm data collection form. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and be signposted to practical support if required. Please use links below to book onto your preferred date. 

WellComm Data Sessions for PVI Settings 

For the attention of all EEE registered providers. 

Come and join us for one of our online sessions to demonstrate how to use the WellComm data spreadsheet to collate your screening data and prepare for sharing your WellComm screens on the EEE portal. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and be signposted to practical support if required. Please use the booking links below for your preferred date. 

‘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.

This entry was posted by Jessica Wykes on 19/02/2026.

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