Non-Attendance Policy

• Parents/Carers are required to notify absence to the nursery on the first day of a child’s absence. Staff may require to know the reasons for absence and may advise on return to nursery (some illness may require a certain time of absence in order to prevent spread of infection).
• Parents/Carers should notify by phone. The nursery phone number is 07713622761 Please note that emails and texts are not a secure form of contact with regard to sensitive or confidential information
• Following un-notified absence the nursery will attempt to contact the parents in order to establish reasons for absence. The nursery manager will make the call on the first day of absence, a message will be left requiring the parent to return the call if it goes unanswered a text with a similar message will be made to a provided mobile number. No personal information will be included, the text or email will contain a generic message as follows.  Please notify nursery, by telephone, of reason for absence. A written record of this procedure will be made and stored in the main nursery register. If un-notified absence continues, at the next session which the child would normally attend, the previous procedure will be repeated up until the child has not attended for two calendar weeks, (except where there are concerns for the safety of the child when alternative procedures may be followed with regard to team around the child advice or team around the family advice or procedure, or the child is on the child protection register. ( For further information please see our Safeguarding Children Policy.)
• If a child is absent without parent notification to nursery for more than two calendar weeks advice will be taken from the duty team at social services. See the Safeguarding Children policy and procedures.
• If any member of staff is concerned about a child, procedures in accordance with our Safeguarding Children Policy will be followed.
• Parents are required to complete a Notification of Absence from nursery form, available from the key person or nursery manager, if they wish to take their child out of nursery for a family holiday, visiting relatives etc. This can also be used to inform nursery of a visit to the doctor or other planned absence.  The form will be kept in the register drawer and the daily registers marked with the relevant code for the days notified.
• If a child is in receipt of the Free Entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds or the 30 hour entitlement the EYFE Surrey Early Years and Childcare Service will be informed of any absence of more than two weeks. Parents should inform the nursery of a return date for the child, this information is passed to EYCS on report of absence.
• For children in receipt of the FEET funding, un-notified absence of two consecutive sessions is followed as above and then reported to the FEET Team on 01372 833833 who will contact the referrer and talk through a strategy to re-engage the family or ascertain reasons for absence.
• Parents will be notified, in writing, of sessions allocated to their child at acceptance of a place at Ladybirds Nursery. Any changes to this allocation will be discussed with the parent and confirmed in writing.
• Full fees are payable for all types of absence.
• There is no charge for sessions closed by the nursery due to bad weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances.
• Full fees are payable if the nursery is open for business as usual.

This policy was written with support from the EYCS procedures and guidance and with regard to the requirements of the Free Entitlement and FEET.

Langshott Ladybirds Nursery adheres to the principles of the data protection act.

January 2018