ATTENDANCE POLICY
Little Crickets Ltd

 

 

September 2025

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​At Little Crickets, we recognise that consistent attendance is essential for children’s learning,
development, and emotional well-being. Regular attendance helps children build secure
relationships, establish routines, and make steady progress in their Early Years Foundation Stage
(EYFS) journey.

This policy reflects the September 2025 statutory EYFS framework updates, which place increased
emphasis on tracking attendance, monitoring absence patterns, and taking timely action to
safeguard children’s welfare.

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Our commitment is to:

 

• Promote good attendance and punctuality.

• Work in partnership with parents and carers to remove barriers to attendance.

• Act swiftly on unexplained or prolonged absences to ensure children’s safety and well-being.

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Attendance Expectations

 

• Children are expected to attend their scheduled sessions regularly and arrive on time.

• Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring attendance and notifying the nursery of any

absence at the earliest opportunity.

• Staff will record attendance accurately on our management system each day and monitor

patterns of absence.

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Definition of Prolonged Absence

At Little Crickets, a prolonged absence is defined as:

 

• Missing two or more consecutive scheduled sessions without notification, or

• A repeated pattern of absence over a short period that causes concern for the child’s

welfare or learning.

This definition helps us act quickly to check on a child’s safety and offer support if needed.

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Reporting Absence

Parents/carers must:

 

• Notify the nursery by phone on 020 8883 1394 or email info@littlecricketsdaycare.co.uk on

the day of absence, giving the reason.

• Inform us in advance of any planned absence (e.g. holidays, appointments).

• Provide medical evidence (e.g. GP note, hospital letter) for absences longer than 5

consecutive days, where possible.

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Monitoring and Escalation Procedures

Our safeguarding duty requires us to act promptly where there are concerns about a child’s absence.
We will:

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1. Day 1 – Initial Welfare Check:
If a child is absent without prior notification, a welfare call will be made to parents/carers to
check on the child’s well-being and confirm the reason for absence.

2. Day 2 – Follow-Up Contact:
If no response is received after the first attempt, a second welfare call will be made, and an
email will be sent requesting an update.

3. Prolonged Absence (Two Consecutive Sessions):
If a child misses two consecutive sessions without explanation, the Designated
Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will be informed, and a formal email or letter will be issued to
parents/carers to request immediate contact.

4. Persistent Absence:
Any child whose attendance shows a consistent pattern of missed sessions, without a valid
reason, will be flagged for review by the DSL. A meeting may then be arranged with
parents/carers to discuss any concerns, explore support options, and agree on next steps to
promote regular attendance.

5. Escalation to Safeguarding Services:
Where we are unable to make contact, or concerns for the child’s welfare remain, the
matter will be escalated to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) or other
appropriate local authority safeguarding services.

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Safeguarding and Record-Keeping

 All absences, reasons provided, and actions taken will be recorded securely in line with
GDPR.
 Attendance data will be reviewed termly by the management team and reported to the DSL
to identify patterns or concerns.
 This policy should be read alongside our Safeguarding Policy.

Partnership with Parents

We will:
 Share information about children’s attendance with parents regularly.
 Work with parents to identify and address barriers to good attendance.
 Offer support or referrals to relevant agencies where needed (e.g. Early Help).

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Review - This policy will be reviewed annually or as needed to ensure its effectiveness and
compliance with relevant legislation.

Signed: Ibadete
Ibadete Sejdijaj
Role: Nursery Manager / Deputy Safeguarding Lead

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​Play On Kids Limited - Ofsted Registration RP547648​​

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