Attendance/Absence policy 

Aim

We aim to promote good attendance and punctuality in partnership with parents and carers in early years, ensuring that good habits are formed early so that children are school-ready. We recognise the importance of monitoring attendance and will encourage families to participate in early education by ensuring that children take advantage of their funded entitlement of hours, if eligible.

Rationale

The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2024) defines that providers must work in partnership with parents and/or carers to promote the learning and development of all children in their care, and to ensure they are ready for school. As stated in Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings, Ofsted expects Early Years providers to promote good attendance within their settings.

Regular attendance has a positive impact on all aspects of a young child’s learning and development:

• Regular attendance and good punctuality are important for maximising achievement and obtaining the greatest benefit from education
• Good relationships with children and their families are vital in encouraging regular attendance and punctuality
• Children settle well and want to attend settings when they feel valued and have a sense of belonging
• Good habits of attendance and punctuality are key skills for adult life

  Attendance monitoring

  We promote good attendance and punctuality by:

• Ensuring children attend for the expected hours, arriving and leaving at the stated session times
• Recording arrival and departure times in on the paper register
• Recording late arrivals or early collections on the register and including the reason
• Monitoring late arrival and early collection via the paper register
• Requiring parents to call the setting if they are going to be late or absent.
• Communicating with parents and following up on non-notification of absences and poor punctuality as part of promoting good attendance and punctuality
• Following up consistent poor attendance and punctuality and making a record of it as appropriate

  Absence procedures

  This attendance policy supports should be used in line with our safeguarding policy if a child’s attendance is becoming a concern.

• We will inform parents about this process.
• Ensure children are signed in/ recorded on the registers promptly.
• Manager will listen to absence calls, read absence emails.
• Bring together registers, lates, absence calls - produce the list of children absent with no explanation (we will double check in rooms before we start calling).
• We will then start first day calling for children absent without explanation; we will call everyone on the contact list until we get an answer. We will leave messages if there is a voicemail option. However, we will not leave it at that.
• We might get an overseas ring tone and consider if the family are taking a holiday, they haven't informed us about?
• We will call the contact list at least twice.
• By this stage, if we have a good contact list (3 numbers minimum) we probably have a reply.
• If we have been unsuccessful at receiving a reply, we will consider whether any children have additional agency support, such as a social worker, and we will contact them.
• We will explore any internal intelligence within the provision to find out if anyone knows the family.
• If we cannot get an answer, we will refer immediately to Hounslow Children's services Front Door/ Police and request a welfare call (if we can see family inside the home avoiding our knock, we will not refer - unless we think the children are at risk of significant harm.
•  
• The steps we will take for unnotified absences of children with a free entitlement place?

• In addition to the procedure above

• Ask the parent/carer for the child’s expected return date.
• If the child still does not return on the expected date, we will follow up with another telephone call and if the family are known to services, we will inform the support worker that the child has still not returned.
• Work with the support worker to try and re-engage the child again.
• If the child still does not return, we will agree with the support worker what the funding end date should be. This is to give services any additional time they need to try and re-engage the family. Once the date has been agreed, we will send a letter to the family to inform them that the free entitlement place has been withdrawn.
• If we do re-engage with the parent, we will discuss/ consider a reduction in the number of sessions per week or a change in the session times if it would help with the child’s attendance. We will make every effort to encourage and support improved attendance.
• The parent/carer will be advised that any further absences may result in the funding being withdrawn. We will continue monitoring attendance and contact the support worker if the absence continues or the attendance remains low.
• NB: If you are aware that the child’s place was brokered via the 2 Year Old Early Learning Officer please contact her and follow the steps above.

  What is an acceptable number of weeks a child may take a holiday and still receive the entitlement?

  Term time (non-stretched offer) – It is not acceptable for a child to take a holiday during term time just as it is in schools.

  All year round (stretched offer) – it is acceptable for a child to take up to 6 weeks holiday over a twelve month period.

  If there is an exceptional circumstance, please contact Early Education Funding Team to discuss.

  Supporting families

  We recognise that sometimes families may need extra support with attendance and punctuality, therefore good communication is essential between them and their child’s key person. We will work with parents/carers to support a child’s good attendance and punctuality.

  Safeguarding

  We all have a duty to keep children safe. If we are concerned about the welfare of a child who is absent, we reserve the right to contact Children’s Services.