EYCC Noticeboard

Early Years and Childcare Update - 16 July 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. 

Best Start Brum: Best Start in Life Strategy - What's Happening Next?

Following the successful launch of Birmingham's Best Start Brum: Best Start in Life Strategy, we're pleased to share that the accompanying action plan is available alongside the strategy, helping to turn our shared ambitions for children and families into practical action across the city.  

Our vision | Best Start in Life Strategy | Birmingham City Council 

As we move into the next phase of delivery, a dedicated Best Start Brum Working Group has been established to oversee progress and support the workstreams that will drive the strategy forward. The first workstream meetings are planned for September, with regular updates to follow so that partners, practitioners and stakeholders can stay informed about developments and achievements across the programme.  

We are committed to keeping the conversation going and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to stay involved. Over the coming months, we will: 

  • Share regular progress updates from the Best Start Brum workstreams. 
  • Provide information on upcoming webinars and engagement opportunities. 
  • Highlight key developments and emerging priorities across the programme. 
  • Continue to involve partners from early years settings, schools, Family Hubs, health services, the voluntary and community sector, and other organisations supporting children and families across Birmingham.  

If you would like to contribute to a workstream or find out more about how you can support the delivery of the strategy, we encourage you to get involved. Together, we can help ensure that every child in Birmingham gets the best possible start in life.  

If you'd like to get involved, please send your preferred workstream and your contact details to FamilyInformation@birmingham.gov.uk  

Positive Early Childhood Education (PECE) Programme – Fully Funded Opportunity

Are you looking to strengthen children's self-regulation, positive behaviour and social-emotional development? 

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is currently recruiting early years settings across England to take part in a fully funded trial of the Positive Early Childhood Education (PECE) Programme, delivered by Triple P UK.  The programme supports practitioners working with 3–4-year-olds to embed practical strategies that help children develop self-regulation, positive behaviour and prosocial skills.  

The programme includes: 

  • Online professional development for practitioners working with 3–4-year-olds. 
  • Training for a setting-based PECE Coach (typically a manager or lead educator). 
  • Practical strategies to enhance interactions, learning environments and children's self-regulation skills. 
  • Ongoing coaching and support to help embed the programme into practice.   

Who can apply? Maintained, school-based and PVI nurseries in England may be eligible if they: 

  • Have at least 16 children aged 3–4 attending at least 10 hours per week from September 2026. 
  • Can identify a manager or lead educator to undertake the PECE Coach role. 
  • Meet the full eligibility criteria outlined by EEF.  

Funding and support Participation is free.  Settings involved in the trial will receive financial contributions towards evaluation activities and eligible staff release costs. 

Deadline: Register your interest by 31st July 2026.  

To find out more and check your eligibility, visit: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/positive-early-childhood-education-trial  

This may be of particular interest to settings looking to further develop high-quality practice around children's personal, social and emotional development and self-regulation.  Remember, good Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) skills are fundamental in the early years because they provide the foundation for children's learning, relationships, wellbeing and future success. 

Early Years Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

New training course for reception teachers and early years CPD available now.

Key Information 

The Department for Education (DfE) is increasing the amount of training that early years educators, including reception teachers, can access.  This includes: 

Click on each programme to find out more, including details on how to apply. 

Note:  Starts for the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) programmes and the Excellence in Reception Teaching course will begin in Autumn 2026, with registrations opening on 23 June 2026 and 6 July 2026 respectively.  Registrations for the early years child development training are open now. 

Other CPD Offers for Early Years and Reception Educators 

More about why such training is being made available now 

On 7 July 2025, DfE launched the Giving every child the best start in life strategy, which is known as Best Start Brum across Birmingham.  This included a commitment to improve the quality of education that children receive in early years settings, including childminders and reception classes.  To honour this commitment, the above listed training offers have been designed specifically for early years educators. 

Have you read Best Start Brum? 

It is imperative that we all familiarise ourselves with Best Start Brum, Birmingham’s local strategy in response to the DfE’s ‘Giving every child the best start in life’ national strategy, which aims to improve outcomes for children from birth to age five. 

Helpful Tip: Internet search ‘Best Start Brum’ & download the PDF file to access an informative overview of Birmingham’s local strategy.  

Time-limited DfE Funding Opportunity for Schools, Early Years Providers & Partners - DfE Early Education Partnerships 

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched an exciting new Early Education Partnerships funding opportunity to support stronger collaboration between schools, early years providers and partners, with the aim of improving children's transitions into Reception and strengthening Reception readiness. 

This three-year initiative will provide funding for partnerships to work together to: 

  • Strengthen transitions from early years settings to school 
  • Improve reception readiness 
  • Build and embed an evidence base for effective transition and reception readiness practice across the sector 
  • Improve outcomes for children, particularly those with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds 
  • Enable more teaching time to be spent delivering the Reception curriculum 

Who can form a partnership? 

Partnerships must include: 

  • At least one state-funded primary school 
  • At least one pre-Reception early years provider (for example, a PVI nursery, childminder, maintained nursery school etc)  

While other potential partners such as Best Start Family Hubs or organisations involved in supporting children in their Early Years may join partnerships, please note: 

  • Only a state-funded primary school can act as the Partnership Grant Administrator (PGA). 
  • The PGA is responsible for submitting the application and managing the grant on behalf of the partnership. 

We encourage all those who are interested in joining a partnership, to consider who they may wish to work with locally and to start conversations now, as the application deadline is fast approaching! 

Next steps 

If you are interested in forming a partnership, we encourage you to: 

  1. Read the DfE guidance and familiarise yourself with the expectations of the programme. 
  2. Reach out to local schools, early years providers and other relevant partners to explore opportunities to establish a partnership and collaborate on a funding application. 
  3. Consider how your existing transition and reception readiness work could be enhanced through collaborative working. 

Even if you are not leading an application, it may be beneficial to review the guidance in case you are approached by another organisation wishing to form a partnership. 

Deadline 

Applications must be completed and submitted by 17 July 2026. 

Need more information? 

Webinar Recording 

If you were unable to attend one of the DfE webinars, or would like a recap, you can access the webinar recording here: https://youtu.be/ceC26f8Eerc  

Frequently Asked Questions 

The DfE has also produced a Frequently Asked Questions document in response to questions raised by providers and webinar attendees: Early education partnerships webinar Q&A | Birmingham City Council

A Final Request: Please Keep Us Informed 

This initiative represents a significant opportunity to strengthen local early years systems, support children and families more effectively and develop sustainable practice that can continue beyond the lifetime of the programme.  

If your identified partnership is successful in securing DfE funding, Birmingham's Early Years and Childcare Service would be delighted to hear about your plans and periodically follow your partnership journey.  Please let us know of your success by contacting the Quality, Impact and Outcomes Officer at: EYDuty@birmingham.gov.uk   

Good luck with your applications! 

School Based Nursery Phase 3 Capital Funding Programme  

A fantastic opportunity for schools to increase the capacity of their existing nursery provision or create a new nursery provision subject to meeting eligibility criteria. 

The Department for Education has recently rolled out Phase 3 of the School Based Nursery Capital Programme. 

The purpose of the programme is for schools to either increase the number of early education places for (0- to 4-year-olds) in their existing early years provision or create places at a new provision based on the school site to meet an unmet gap in the local area where the school is located. 

The funding will only support capital costs associated with the refurbishment or repurposing of existing space on the school site. 

The funding opportunity is aimed at all state funded schools e.g. Maintained Nursery Schools, Primary Schools and all through schools with Primary provision. 

If you are a school interested in this funding opportunity, please email Kevin.Caulfield@birmingham.gov.uk and Rebekah.Horton@birmingham.gov.uk directly so we can set up a meeting to discuss your proposal and share information regarding the application process and eligibility.

Early Education Entitlement

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) Funding – Are children in your setting missing out? 

Do you deliver government-funded Early Education Entitlement (EEE) hours in your setting? 

If the answer is yes, you may be able to claim Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) for eligible children attending your provision. 

What is EYPP? 

The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) provides additional funding to support improved outcomes for disadvantaged children.  When used effectively, it can help settings strengthen children's learning, development and wellbeing through high-quality, evidence-informed practice. 

Who is eligible? 

Children may be eligible for EYPP if they meet one or more of the following criteria: 

  • Their parent or carer receives certain qualifying benefits 
  • They are currently looked after by a local authority 
  • They have previously been looked after and left care through adoption, a Special Guardianship Order, or a Child Arrangements Order 

Why does claiming EYPP matter? 

We have identified that some Birmingham providers are not currently claiming EYPP.  This means settings may be missing out on valuable additional funding and, more importantly, children may be missing opportunities to benefit from support that could further enhance their learning, development and wellbeing. 

It is also important to remember that EYPP is about impact, not just the claiming of funding. Effective use of EYPP should focus on improving outcomes through high-quality practice, staff development, communication and language support and improvements to the learning environment.  Funding should be considered strategically and used to benefit eligible children collectively, rather than being viewed solely as funding for individual children. 

Act Now – EYPP Cannot Be Claimed Retrospectively 

The Early Years and Childcare Service is encouraging all eligible providers to review their current EYPP claims. 

EYPP funding is only available from the point at which eligibility has been confirmed and a claim has been submitted.  Claims cannot be backdated. 

To ensure your setting and children do not miss out, we recommend that: 

  • Eligibility checks are sensitively completed in collaboration with parents or carers as early as possible. 
  • EYPP claims are submitted promptly alongside funded hours claims. 
  • Robust systems are in place to regularly review eligibility throughout the year. 

Key Actions for Providers 

  • Review children currently attending your setting who may be eligible for EYPP. 
  • Encourage parents and carers to complete EYPP declaration forms where appropriate. 
  • Incorporate EYPP eligibility checks into admissions procedures and termly review processes. 
  • Regularly review how EYPP funding is being used and the impact it is having on children's outcomes. 

Access Further Information or Support 

For detailed information about EYPP, including eligibility guidance, practical examples and evidence-informed approaches to spending EYPP funding effectively, please see: 
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP): Making Every Penny Count 

Free school meals and early years pupil premium | Free childcare and education for children aged 9 months to 4 years | Birmingham City Council 

For advice and support relating to EYPP, please contact your District Early Years Consultant or the Early Years Duty Service: 

Email: EYDuty@birmingham.gov.uk  
Telephone: 0121 675 4996 

Monday to Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm (excluding Bank Holidays) 

For queries specifically relating to funding payments or the application process, please contact the Early Education Entitlement Team: 

Email: EarlyEducation@birmingham.gov.uk  
Telephone: 0121 303 0267 

Every eligible child identified is an opportunity to secure additional funding that can help improve outcomes and narrow developmental gaps for Birmingham's children. 

Speech, Language and Communication (SLC) and the Home Learning Environment (HLE)

WellComm Data Collection for 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 school 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 Summer 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 August 2026. 

To complete the survey, please click Primary Schools and Maintained Nursery Schools WellComm Data Collection Summer 2026 – Fill in form 

Introduction to WellComm training 

For the attention of EEE 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. If you are not yet using WellComm to screen your children’s speech and language, please attend one of our online training sessions. Birmingham City Council will fully fund one WellComm Toolkit for all schools, nurseries, pre-schools, and childminders registered to offer Early Education Entitlement (EEE) places. Early Years settings need to attend an ‘Introduction to WellComm’ workshop. During the workshop, you will be provided with instructions on how to receive your 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 the link next to your preferred date to book your place:

Early Talk Boost

Early Talk Boost is a targeted intervention aimed at 3- to 4-year-old children who need help with talking and understanding words, helping to boost their language skills to narrow the gap between them and their peers. The programme aims to accelerate children’s progress in language and communication by an average of 6 months, after a nine-week intervention.  

Children selected to take part in the intervention will attend three sessions per week during circle/story time, each lasting 15-20 minutes delivered by an early year’s practitioner. The sessions include activities that cover the foundation skills in speech, language, and communication that children need for learning and understanding new words, as well as having conversations. The training is delivered face to face and each setting will receive 2 boxes of Early Talk Boost resources. 

  • Friday 14th August, 10am – 3pm at Edgbaston Family Hub, (Doddington Children’s Centre), 28 Doddington Grove, Birmingham, B32 4EL 

Settings to fill out a Microsoft form and choose their preferred date Expression of Interest for Early Talk Boost Training 2026 – Fill in form 

This training is suitable for Birmingham EEE Funding Registered Day Nurseries, Nursery Schools and School Nursery Classes. 

Do you have a Speech and Language Champion? 

The new Early Years Speech & Language Support Practitioner Level 5 Apprenticeship is designed to help you develop one from within your existing team. 

 Created for early years practitioners, room leaders and lead practitioners, this Level 5 programme gives learners the practical skills, knowledge and confidence to lead speech and language support across their setting. 

By the end of the programme, learners will be equipped to: 

  • Identify speech, language and communication needs earlier 
  • Create communication-friendly environments 
  • Support children’s interaction, play and access to learning 
  • Share effective approaches with colleagues 
  • Work confidently with families 
  • Recognise when further support or referral may be needed 

In other words, they will become a knowledgeable, confident point of contact for speech and language support in your setting - helping to embed stronger practice across the whole team. 

The programme is delivered in partnership with Speech & Language Link, with input from qualified speech and language therapists. Learners will also gain Speech & Language Link certification alongside their apprenticeship. 

At a glance 

  • Fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy for eligible employers 
  • Delivered over up to 21 months 
  • Online learning, training events and monthly one-to-one coaching 

To learn more and apply please use the link below but hurry as places are limited and the deadline for applications is 26th July 2026. 

Early Years Speech and Language Support Practitioner | Best Practice Network 

 

This entry was posted by Jessica Wykes on 15/07/2026.

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