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This week's update includes information on:

• Nominate a Provider Portal User
• DfE Safeguarding Reforms Q&A
• Education Inspection Framework Engagement Programme
• Early Education Entitlement
  • Code Deadline Autumn 2025
  • New User Sessions Autumn 
  • WellComm Data Collection
• Early Talk Boost

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 . 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 to support our sufficiency data
• 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.

DfE Safeguarding Reforms Q&A 

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its official response to the consultation on proposed changes to strengthen safeguarding requirements in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. These important reforms are scheduled to come into effect from September 2025, subject to parliamentary approval. 

As part of our commitment to supporting early years providers through this transition, the Department has developed a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help clarify the upcoming changes. These FAQs have been informed by valuable input from Local Authorities across the country: Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Safeguarding Reforms September 2025

Education Inspection Framework Engagement Programme

From September 2025, providers can attend live webinars that set out the main changes to education inspections starting in November 2025.

Event bookings can be made through: .

The programme of webinars for early years, schools, further education and skills and initial teacher education settings will also be recorded and available on our .

Early Education Entitlement

Code Deadline Autumn 2025

Each term we receive a number of enquiries from providers asking about code deadlines and queries from parents where they have been turned away from accessing a childcare place because they have not got their eligibility code on time. Please make sure that parents do not miss out on a place by using the following guidance for eligibility codes:  

Working Entitlement Codes: 

The 31st of August is the deadlines for parents applying for eligibility codes for autumn term. These only apply to working entitlement eligibility codes for 9m, 2-, 3-&4-year-olds. Parents must have applied for and received their eligibility code before the deadlines in order to access a place for the following term. If a parent does not get their code until 1st September or later, they will not be eligible for the working entitlement hours until Spring 2026.  

Disadvantaged 2-Year-Old Codes: 

2-year-olds do not have an application date deadline. The only deadline that must be applied is that that they must have an eligible code before accessing their funded place – providers can support parents to apply for their code and if the application does not confirm eligibility providers can view evidence and let our team know that a parent is eligible so that we can update their application. Please view and keep any evidence for your records.  

EYPP – there is no application deadline, but eligibility must be confirmed at the beginning of the term or before children start with you. Providers can support parents to apply for their code and if the application does not confirm eligibility providers can view evidence and let our team know that a parent is eligible so that we can update their application. Please view and keep any evidence for your records. A child that is eligible for EYPP may also be eligible to claim FSM – see below.  

FSM - there is no application deadline, but eligibility must be confirmed at the beginning of the term or before children start with you. If a child is eligible for EYPP they are also eligible for Free School Meals as it is the same application, however a provider can only claim a FSM if the child is attending their place in line with the terms and conditions of funding  - to access a FSM the child must be attending their EEE funded entitlement for a minimum of 5 hours during core hours (9am to 3pm). Providers can support parents to apply for their code and if the application does not confirm eligibility providers can view evidence and let our team know that a parent is eligible so that we can update their application. Please view and keep any evidence for your records. 

New User Sessions Autumn 

PVI group care and childminders. 

We are running two New User sessions in preparation for the Autumn term Headcount.  As a EEE provider, you may be a new provider and might benefit from attending the sessions we have to offer.  The New User Eligibility session and the New User Submitting a Headcount session will be useful for new Portal users who may not have used the EEE Portal before, or for anyone seeking to refresh knowledge.   

The Eligibility session will cover checking eligibility codes using the EEE Portal for disadvantaged, working and EYPP codes, including the override procedure.  There will be an overview of the Headcount process. 

The Submitting a Headcount session will cover entering an estimate claim, completion of the data collection form and provide a demonstration of a Headcount claim.  

Both sessions will be online via Teams and you will have the opportunity to listen to a presentation about how to use the portal and ask any questions you might have.  

Please click on the session dates for each session and this will take you to the registration page. 

EEE New User Session - Eligibility on Portal  

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EEE New User Session - Submitting a Headcount on Portal  

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Sessions last approximately 90 minutes per session, you will need to attend one of each session if you are new to portal and individual sessions if you are looking to refresh specific knowledge.

WellComm Data Collection

The WellComm Data Spreadsheet is intended to assist in collating your WellComm screening results. The spreadsheet includes instructions for its use, a page for entering all of your children's screening results, and an automated analysis page. This analysis page offers a comprehensive summary of the data required for completing the WellComm Data Collection form. Using the spreadsheet is optional, as you may have already developed your own, and it is for your use only and not to be returned to us. We ask that you share your screening data through the online data collection form.

Thank you to the day nurseries, childminders and preschool playgroups that have shared their WellComm screenings on their EEE portal headcount submission in May. You will not be required to fill out the online WellComm data collection form as we already have your screening data.

If you are a school, maintained nursery school or PVI setting that has not shared your screening results on the EEE portal please complete the summer term WellComm data collection form.

The deadline for the form to be submitted is Thursday 31st August 2025.

To complete the survey, please click .

Early Talk Boost

This training is FREE and funded by ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ City Council, suitable for ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ EEE Funding Registered Day Nurseries, Nursery Schools, and School Nursery Classes.

Early Talk Boost is a targeted intervention aimed at 3-4-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 activities include 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 two boxes of Early Talk Boost resources.

The sessions take place at 9.30am – 3.00pm with a 20-person capacity:

2 NEW DATES:

• Wednesday 13th August 2025, Edgbaston Family Hub (Doddington Children's Centre), 28 Doddington Grove, B32 4EL
• Monday 18th August 2025, Erdington Family Hub (Lakeside Children's Centre), 22 Lakes Road, B23 7UH

Fill out a Microsoft form and choose your preferred date