Early Years News #6
December 1, 2025
FAO Solihull early years and childcare providers
Winter guidance for dealing with outbreaks
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has shared some new resources for educational settings for winter, particularly guidance for dealing with outbreaks [attached]. Early years and childcare providers may find these helpful.
Attached are: [or they are located in our Health section click here➡️Health➡️Infections, Illness and Outbreaks ]
- Respiratory Infections Schools
- Guidance for diarrhoea and vomiting
- Winter illness in children leaflet
- Stop Norovirus poster
- Winter Illness Parent Letter
2026 intakes – applications for reception places
15 January 2026 is the closing date for applications for reception. Please remind your nursery parents to apply to their home authority if they have not yet done so.
Starting primary or secondary school | Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
If you have any questions or want more information, please contact Nicola Eatherington neatheri@solihull.gov.uk.
New self-evaluation training available
Two new recorded briefings are now available. We hope that these support you to use tools available to you to, reflect upon and self-evaluate your provision. Feedback about these briefings are gratefully received. [Leaders and Managers Briefing Evaluation]
These briefings and a wide range of pre-recorded information is available to you here – https://www.solgrid.org.uk/eyc/training/solihull-training-resources/
Ofsted have created webinars to explain the new Ofsted guidance…. https://www.youtube.com/user/Ofstednews and the documents- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-toolkit-operating-guide-and-information
Supporting under 2s a summary from Karen -1 year in role 😊
Attached is a summary of some of the findings from Karen’s work in settings with under 2s. How can you support your baby room provision to best meet young children’s needs? Read some of Karen’s thoughts after just over a year in post as our early years practitioner for under 2s.
Dingley’s new training – Creating Inclusive Environments
“Inclusive Environments” explores the fundamentals of creating spaces that include and value all children. It provides you with legislation, recommendations, and practical insights into how to build truly inclusive provision.
You will learn to:
- Use furniture and resources intentionally when setting up your physical spaces.
- Understand the power of reflecting and adapting your provision.
- Consistently meet all children’s needs through your environment.
We have 8 months left to enjoy the 10 modules now available and to get your Mark of Achievement. …’use it or lose it!’. Join the practitioners listed below who have already accessed the training. Sign up to the Comic Relief funded training > https://dingley.org.uk/dingleys-promise-training/early-years-inclusion-programme/ Attached is a Dingley’s Promise Comic Relief set of questions [5 mins of reflection] 😊
Further mini briefings are also available on Childcare Works -free sign in
Think pharmacy first service
Community pharmacists offer free, confidential advice and treatment for seven minor conditions without a prescription: UTI (women 16–64), sinusitis, sore throat, earache, insect bites, impetigo, shingles. This helps avoid GP delays and supports quicker recovery.
If you have any questions or want more information, please contact Shalina Anwar shalina.anwar@nhs.net.
Childcare Works have created recorded guidance and supporting resources for providers, schools and childminders to use when navigating the sustainability of early years funding, and to support in adopting a whole-business perspective when it comes to funding. You can find these on the HUB. ..free sign up
These resources recognise the diversity of the early years sector and focus on the practical tools that can be applied to a range of contexts. They are designed to support providers, schools and childminders in feeling more confident with planning, decision making, and sustaining high quality childcare provision These include:
- Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): understanding the predictable value of a child’s funded journey from 9 months to school.
- Portfolio Economics: recognising how funding rates and ratios work together in group-based providers to balance costs and income across age groups.
- Cashflow Predictability: using regular funding payments as a stable foundation for staffing, planning, and quality.
SSCP newsletter
Sign up to the SSCP newsletter here- https://www.safeguardingsolihull.org.uk/lscp/ [bottom of the page] A copy of the latest news is attached.
We’d Love to Have You in Our Network– HEART SPH News
Sign up to HEART Stronger Practice Hub for regular newsletters.
- Inspiration Network by HEART Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub | Eventbrite
- Nurture Network by HEART Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub | Eventbrite
- Physical Development Network: Move to Thrive! | Eventbrite
Rebecca retires
At the end of December 2025, we say goodbye to Rebecca Clay. Rebecca has been instrumental in shaping our Early Years Team as a Locality Lead when we merged teams in Autumn 2021. She leaves us to concentrate on family and fun 😊Thank you Rebecca for your support both as Area SENCo and Early Years and Childcare Adviser. We look forward to hearing all about your travels.