EYFS Statutory Framework for group and school-based providers – effective 01 September 2026
Section 1 – Learning and Development Requirements
Areas of learning and development – 1.4–1.5
Communication and Language
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Section 3 – Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements
Safeguarding and welfare – 3.3–3.6
Concerns about children's safety and welfare – 3.9
Supporting and understanding children's behaviour – 3.74–3.76
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities – 3.77
Accident or injury – 3.78–3.79
Risk assessment – 3.93
Information and record keeping – 3.95–3.98
The EYFS requires providers to support, understand and manage children's behaviour appropriately. It also requires providers to keep written records of accidents and injuries and to inform parents or carers of an injury and any first-aid treatment on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable.
Communication & Language and PSED are particularly relevant because young children are developing the language, emotional regulation, relationships and conflict-resolution skills that can reduce biting as they mature.
Biting can be upsetting for the child who has been bitten, the child who has bitten and both families.
In our nursery, we recognise that biting can occur during normal early childhood development. It does not automatically mean that a child is aggressive, naughty or deliberately trying to hurt another child.
Young children are still developing communication, emotional regulation, impulse control and social skills. Development Matters recognises that toddlers can become frustrated when they cannot make themselves understood and are only beginning to develop control over strong impulses.
Our approach is therefore to:
We will not label a child as “a biter”.
There is rarely one single reason why a young child bites.
Possible reasons may include:
Understanding the reason is important because the most effective response will depend upon what the child is trying to communicate or achieve.
Practitioners will know the children well and remain alert to situations in which biting may be more likely.
Preventative strategies may include:
Any oral-sensory resources will be selected according to the child's age and needs and appropriately supervised and risk assessed.
Our first priority is the safety and wellbeing of the children involved.
The practitioner will calmly separate the children where necessary and attend first to the child who has been bitten.
The child who has bitten will remain appropriately supervised and will also receive calm reassurance and support.
We will avoid shouting, shaming or lengthy explanations while either child is distressed.
Once calm, language appropriate to the child's developmental level may be used, for example:
“I won't let you bite. Biting hurts.”
The emphasis is on teaching a safer alternative rather than telling the child they are “bad” or “naughty”.
A practitioner will:
The EYFS requires parents to be informed of an accident or injury and any first-aid treatment given on the same day or as soon as reasonably practicable.
Therefore, unlike the wording in our previous policy, informing parents is not simply “if deemed appropriate”.
Where the bite has not broken the skin, staff will assess the area and provide appropriate first aid.
A cold compress may be used where appropriate to reduce discomfort or swelling.
The area will continue to be monitored during the child's session.
Parents will be informed of the incident and any treatment given.
A human bite which breaks the skin requires particular care because it can introduce bacteria and potentially expose the person to blood or other bodily fluids.
Staff will follow standard infection-prevention precautions. This includes appropriate PPE where blood or bodily fluids are involved, cleaning the wound thoroughly with soap and warm running water and covering it with an appropriate waterproof dressing. Current UKHSA guidance says that a bite which breaks the skin should receive prompt medical advice.
The parent or carer will be contacted promptly.
Where appropriate, we will advise the parent to obtain medical advice through NHS 111, their GP, urgent treatment services or another appropriate healthcare professional.
NHS guidance recommends seeking medical help following a human bite that breaks the skin because of the risk of infection.
Where a wound is large or deep, bleeding cannot be controlled or there is another serious concern, urgent medical assistance will be obtained.
The nursery will follow its Accident and Emergency Policy where urgent treatment is required.
The risk arising from a bite will be assessed according to the circumstances.
Where skin has been broken and there has potentially been exposure to blood or bodily fluids, appropriate medical advice will be sought.
A healthcare professional may consider issues including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV and tetanus depending upon the circumstances of the individual incident. NHS guidance confirms that these issues may be considered following a human bite.
The nursery will not itself recommend blanket hepatitis B vaccination for all children or staff.
Decisions concerning vaccination, testing or post-exposure treatment are clinical decisions and will be made by an appropriate healthcare or public-health professional following an individual risk assessment.
The child who has bitten also needs appropriate support.
We will respond calmly and consider what happened immediately before the bite.
Where developmentally appropriate, the practitioner may help the child understand the effect of their actions.
We may say:
> “Sam is crying because the bite hurt. Let's see if Sam is okay.”
We will help the child learn an alternative way to express their need, for example:
> “If you don't want him to take it, say ‘stop’ or ask me for help.”
We do not force children to say “sorry”. Instead, we encourage meaningful repair and empathy appropriate to the child's developmental stage.
This might include checking that the other child is okay, helping fetch a cold pack or tissue, offering another toy or saying sorry where the child understands what this means.
Parents of both children will be informed.
For the child who has been bitten, the parent will be given details of:
The parent of the child who has bitten will be informed about what happened and any strategies we intend to put in place.
Significant incidents will normally be discussed privately rather than in front of other children or families.
We understand that parents naturally want to know exactly what happened.
However, we have a duty of confidentiality towards every child.
We will therefore not normally tell the parent of the child who was bitten the identity of the child who bit them.
Likewise, we will not disclose another child's SEND, developmental needs, family circumstances or other confidential information.
The current EYFS requires children's information to be handled securely and confidentially and accessed only by those with a legitimate right or professional need.
The bite to the injured child will be recorded as an accident/injury and any first aid given will be documented.
Where appropriate, a separate incident record will be completed for the child who has bitten.
Records should be factual rather than judgemental.
For example, rather than:
> “Aarav was aggressive and bit another child.”
we might record:
> “Aarav and another child both reached for the red car. Aarav leaned forward and bit the child's left forearm.”
This provides useful information for identifying triggers and patterns.
Records will include relevant information such as:
The EYFS requires appropriate accident/injury records and relevant information to be shared with parents while maintaining confidentiality.
A single bite and a repeated pattern of biting require different responses.
Where biting occurs repeatedly, we will undertake more detailed observation rather than simply reacting to each incident.
The key person and/or manager may look at:
This enables us to look for a pattern and understand the function or trigger behind the behaviour.
Parents will be invited to discuss what we are observing and whether similar behaviour occurs at home.
Together we may agree an individual biting support plan.
Where appropriate, the plan may identify:
The plan should support consistency without treating every situation mechanically.
As the child's skills develop, strategies will be reviewed and reduced where they are no longer needed.
We will pay particular attention to communication where biting is repeated.
Development Matters recognises that toddlers may become frustrated when they cannot make themselves understood and recommends helping young children express emotions and needs through language.
A child may bite because they cannot yet say:
Practitioners will therefore model useful language and may use visual communication, gestures or other communication systems appropriate to the child.
Where we have wider concerns about speech, language or communication, these will be discussed with parents and additional support considered.
Repeated biting does not automatically mean that a child has SEND, and biting should never be used by itself as a basis for diagnosing or labelling a child.
However, for some children, biting may be associated with:
The current EYFS requires providers to have arrangements to support children with SEND, and locally funded providers must have regard to the SEND Code of Practice.
Where appropriate, the child's key person and SENCO will work with parents to identify needs, make reasonable adjustments and seek further professional support.
This may include advice from speech and language therapy or other relevant specialists.
Where biting is frequent or presents a significant risk of injury, an individual risk assessment may be completed.
This will consider how we can protect all children while continuing to meet the developmental and emotional needs of the child who is biting.
Measures may include increased supervision at identified high-risk times, environmental changes, additional communication support and changes to routines.
The EYFS requires providers to take reasonable steps to protect staff and children from risks and to be able to demonstrate how identified risks are being managed.
Most biting between young children is developmental and is not in itself a safeguarding concern.
However, staff must remain alert where:
The current EYFS requires practitioners to remain alert to concerns in a child's life at home or elsewhere and requires immediate referral to children's social care where there are concerns about a child's safety or welfare.
Any such concern will be reported to the DSL and managed under our Child Protection Policy.
Most nursery biting incidents are minor.
However, where a bite results in a serious injury, we will follow our Accident and Emergency Policy and obtain appropriate medical assistance.
The EYFS requires Ofsted to be notified of any serious accident, illness or injury as soon as reasonably practicable and in all cases within 14 days, and local child protection agencies must also be notified of serious accidents or injuries as required.
A child will not automatically be excluded because they bite.
Repeated biting will first lead to increased observation, partnership with parents, an individual support plan and consideration of communication, SEND, sensory and environmental needs.
Where necessary, we will seek additional professional advice.
Only in exceptional circumstances, where there remains a significant and continuing risk which cannot safely be managed despite appropriate support and reasonable adjustments, would the nursery consider whether alternative arrangements are required.
Any decision would take account of the individual child's needs, the safety and wellbeing of all children, our SEND responsibilities and our duties under equality legislation.
We understand that biting can be emotional for parents on both sides of an incident.
Our approach will therefore be open, calm and non-judgemental.
We ask parents to tell us if their child has been biting at home or in another setting. This helps us understand the child and respond consistently.
Similarly, we will keep parents informed where biting occurs at nursery, particularly where we identify a recurring pattern.
Our aim is not to assign blame. It is to understand the behaviour, keep children safe and help the child develop a safer way to communicate.
Review date: 31 December 2027, or sooner following changes to EYFS requirements, health guidance, safeguarding guidance or nursery practice.
