EYFS Statutory Framework for group and school-based providers – effective 01 September 2026
Section 1 – Learning and Development Requirements
Approaches to teaching and learning – 1.16
A quality workforce focused on learning, development, health and safety – 1.19
Section 3 – Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements
Safeguarding and welfare – 3.3
Safeguarding policies and procedures – 3.4–3.6
Concerns about children's safety and welfare – 3.9
Child absences – 3.11–3.12
Information and record keeping – 3.95–3.99
The EYFS requires providers to follow up children's absences in a timely manner. Where a child is absent without notification, or for a prolonged period, providers must attempt to contact the child's parents or carers and alternative emergency contacts.
Providers must also consider patterns and trends in absence, the child's individual circumstances, the vulnerability of the child or parent/carer and the child's home life. Where an absence causes safeguarding concerns, the matter must be referred to children's social care and/or a police welfare check requested as appropriate.
The EYFS specifically requires providers to have an attendance policy shared with parents and carers, explaining how absences should be reported and what the setting will do following unexplained or prolonged absence.
In our nursery, regular attendance is important for children's wellbeing, development and learning.
Young children benefit from familiar routines, secure relationships with practitioners and continuity in their experiences. Regular attendance allows children to build strong attachments with their key person, friendships with other children and confidence within the nursery environment.
The EYFS recognises the importance of warm, positive interactions and secure routines for children's learning and development.
Attendance is also an important safeguarding matter. A child's unexplained, repeated or prolonged absence may sometimes be an early indication that a child or family requires additional support.
Our approach is therefore not simply about achieving an attendance percentage. It is about knowing where our children are, understanding why they are absent and acting when an absence causes concern.
We expect children to attend regularly on the days and times agreed with parents or carers.
Regular attendance helps us to:
We understand that young children will sometimes be absent because of illness, holidays, family circumstances, medical appointments or other legitimate reasons.
Parents should therefore not feel that a child must attend nursery when they are genuinely unwell simply to maintain an attendance percentage.
If a child will not be attending a booked session, parents or carers should inform the nursery as soon as reasonably possible and preferably before the child's normal arrival time.
Parents should tell us:
Parents may notify us by telephone, WhatsApp or another communication method agreed with the nursery.
Where an absence is planned, for example a family holiday or appointment, we ask parents to tell us in advance wherever reasonably possible.
If a child who is expected to attend does not arrive and we have received no explanation from the parent or carer, we will follow up the absence in a timely manner.
Our normal procedure will be:
The EYFS specifically requires providers to contact parents/carers and alternative emergency contacts following unexplained or prolonged absence and to consider referral to children's social care or a police welfare check where concerns arise.
We will not automatically wait for a fixed number of missed sessions before taking safeguarding action.
If we are concerned about a child's immediate safety or welfare, we will act immediately.
The EYFS does not prescribe a single number of days that defines a “prolonged absence”. Instead, providers must use professional judgement and consider the individual circumstances of the child and family.
At our nursery, we will therefore consider:
For one child, a particular length of absence may be entirely understandable. For another child, the same absence may require immediate follow-up.
Our decisions will therefore be based on professional judgement and the child's individual circumstances, rather than a rigid number of days.
Attendance is recorded for every booked session.
We will monitor children's attendance and look for patterns or changes, including:
The current EYFS specifically requires providers to consider patterns and trends in a child's absences as part of their safeguarding responsibilities.
Where a pattern causes concern, the child's key person, manager or DSL will speak with the family to understand what is happening and identify whether any additional support may be helpful.
Our existing policy uses 85% attendance as an internal trigger for discussion. I would keep this if it is useful operationally, but make clear that it is not an EYFS statutory threshold.
Where a child's attendance falls below approximately 85% of their expected booked sessions, we may review the attendance with the child's parent or carer.
The purpose of this review is not to penalise families. It is to:
We will always take account of the individual circumstances of the child, including illness, disability, SEND, medical needs and family circumstances.
A safeguarding concern may require action well before attendance reaches 85%.
Absence in itself does not mean that a child is at risk.
However, unexplained, repeated or prolonged absence can sometimes be an indicator of wider safeguarding concerns.
All practitioners have a responsibility to remain alert to concerns in a child's life at home or elsewhere. The EYFS requires providers to notify their local authority children's social care team immediately where there are concerns about a child's safety or welfare and, in an emergency, the police.
Where we have concerns, we will follow our Child Protection Policy and the procedures of the relevant local safeguarding partners.
Depending upon the circumstances, this may include:
We will not allow concerns about fees, attendance statistics or funding to override a child's safeguarding needs.
Where a child is known to Children's Social Care or another professional service, unexplained or concerning absence will be considered particularly carefully.
Where appropriate and lawful, we may inform the relevant professional of significant attendance concerns.
The EYFS requires providers to obtain and share relevant and accurate information with parents, professionals, police, social services and Ofsted where appropriate so that children's needs are met and settings remain safely managed.
We recognise that some children may have unavoidable periods of absence because of:
Such absence will be considered sensitively and individually.
We will work with parents and relevant professionals wherever appropriate to support the child to access nursery consistently.
Attendance procedures will never be used in a way that disadvantages a child because of disability, SEND or a genuine medical need.
Children should not attend nursery when they are too unwell to participate comfortably in the normal nursery day or where attendance could place other children or staff at unnecessary risk of infection.
Parents should follow our separate Illness and Disease Policy.
For vomiting and diarrhoea, children should normally remain away from the nursery for 48 hours following the last episode, in accordance with current infection-control guidance.
Other illnesses have different exclusion periods and therefore a blanket 48-hour rule does not apply to every infection.
Parents may take their child on holiday or arrange other planned absences, but we ask that the nursery is informed in advance.
This is particularly important where a child receives funded early education.
For funded children, attendance and absences are also subject to London Borough of Harrow's current early years funding conditions.
Harrow's published provider guidance currently states that funded attendance and periods of absence may affect funding and requires providers to contact the Families Information Service where a child is ill or absent for more than 10 working days.
We will therefore explain to parents where prolonged holidays or absences may have implications for their child's funded place.
Funding requirements may change, so we will follow the current Harrow Provider Agreement and Provider Handbook rather than relying solely on fixed wording within this policy. Harrow requires funded providers to comply with its Provider Handbook and funding agreement.
Parents should make every reasonable effort to arrive at the agreed start time for their child's session.
Regular late arrival can:
We understand that occasional delays happen.
If a child is likely to arrive late, parents should let us know.
Where lateness becomes frequent, we will discuss this with the parent or carer and work together to identify a practical solution.
We will maintain appropriate records of children's attendance and absence.
Where an absence requires follow-up, we may also record:
Information will be stored securely and shared only where there is a legitimate reason to do so.
The EYFS requires providers to maintain appropriate records and securely hold information relating to children, as well as maintaining an effective two-way flow of information with parents and carers.
Parents must ensure that we hold accurate and up-to-date telephone numbers and emergency contact details.
The EYFS requires providers to keep emergency contact details and states that, where possible, settings should hold more than two emergency contact numbers for each child.
We strongly encourage parents to provide us with at least two alternative emergency contacts wherever possible.
Where a child attends our nursery and another early years nursery, school or childcare provider, parents should tell us about those arrangements.
Where appropriate and with due regard to data protection and safeguarding requirements, we may communicate with the other setting to support:
The EYFS requires an effective two-way flow of information between providers where a child attends more than one setting.
If a parent decides that their child will leave our nursery, they must inform us in accordance with the notice provisions in their nursery agreement.
Where possible, parents should tell us which nursery or school the child will attend next so that we can support a smooth transition.
Relevant information about the child's learning, development, SEND and safeguarding will be transferred appropriately and securely where required.
For funded children, we will also follow the current London Borough of Harrow funding procedures.
Harrow confirms that when a funded child moves provider, funding follows the child and the existing provider cannot continue claiming funding after the child has stopped attending.
Persistent non-attendance may result in the child's place being reviewed, particularly where:
However, a child's place will not simply be withdrawn because an absence raises a safeguarding concern.
Safeguarding action must be completed first and any decision about the place must take account of the child's welfare, family circumstances, contractual arrangements and any applicable local-authority funding requirements.
Parents will normally be contacted and given an opportunity to discuss the circumstances before a place is withdrawn.
Where a funded place is being withdrawn, we will comply with Harrow's current requirements concerning notice, reasons for withdrawal and any applicable right of appeal. Harrow's provider guidance requires provider contracts to state the notice period and arrangements when a provider withdraws a place.
Our aim is to work with families, not simply monitor them.
If circumstances are making it difficult for a child to attend regularly, we encourage parents to speak with us.
Where possible, we will work together to identify practical solutions or appropriate support.
Regular attendance matters because children benefit most when nursery and home work in partnership and practitioners have sufficient opportunity to know the child well, understand their needs and support their development.
Review date: 31 December 2027, or sooner following changes to the EYFS, safeguarding guidance, London Borough of Harrow funding requirements or nursery practice.
