If your child is going to be absent for any reason, please always call the office on 01582 593426 (Option 1) first thing in the morning to let us know.  Although our children are not statutory school age, we do monitor attendance and our target is 85% for children who access a two or three-year-funded place. However, we do appreciate that young children are still building their immunity and are susceptible to coughs, colds and viruses when they start nursery. If you need any help or support with your child's attendance, please speak to Lois.

If your child needs medication of any kind whilst they are at nursery, please contact your Class Teacher or Room Lead to make an appointment to complete a Care Plan before they return to nursery.  If your child has vomiting or diarrhoea, please ensure they are clear for 48 hours before they return to nursery.  If your child is going to be late for any reason, please call the office to let us know.  

For NHS advice on illness and attendance, please go to:  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Children who have regular absences can be unsettled as well as miss key elements of learning. Research shows that children whose level of attendance is higher make better progress than those who are regularly absent.  Regular nursery attendance is important to help children settle and make friends. 
Good attendance is also key for academic progress and attainment, and it does not matter if these absences are authorised (we know the reason) or unauthorised (no reason has been given).  Parents and carers are responsible for ensuring their children develop the habit of regular attendance.

Why good attendance is important

Even for very young children, there are positive benefits to be gained from regular attendance, whatever the weekly pattern. This includes not only coming to every planned session at nursery, but also being here on time.  Benefits include the following:

Good habits

It builds in young children the idea that getting up and going to nursery or school is simply what you do. Children who attend every planned session develop a feel for the rhythm of the week and gain a sense of security from some regular elements, even when the actual pattern or focus of their learning or activity may vary widely from week to week.

Secure relationships

Young children find it easier to build and sustain a range of social relationships when they regularly attend their setting.  For some families, particularly at times of stress, the child’s regular attendance at nursery or school allows parents to get other things done and helps them enjoy spending time with the child when he or she is at home.

Self-esteem

Children who rarely miss sessions at nursery or school and come on time are more likely to feel good about themselves. This is because they know what goes on and what to expect, feel more confident with the adults and the other children and have more opportunities to be valued and praised for their own special contribution.

Children who regularly miss sessions or are generally late, can frequently experience a sense of having to try a little bit harder just to understand what is going on and what other children are talking about or doing.  Regular attendance, on time, helps many young children to separate from their parents or carers at the start of the day and settle more readily into daily life in their nursery setting or school.

Learning and development

Staff carefully plan every session for each child in their care and want to take every opportunity to help them thrive. Experiences gained in one session are often developed further in the next session.  Children learn in many different ways through play with others and through being in the company of staff who actively support their learning and development.

Under-achievement is often linked to lower attendance. For some older students this is linked to a steadily deteriorating trend in attendance which is traceable right back to their first class in school or even their nursery setting.

For all these reasons, good attendance and coming to nursery or school on time is important for every child, but especially those for whom specific factors make them more vulnerable to disengagement or underachievement. Most children are well-supported by their families and continue to thrive, whatever their background or circumstances. However, there are some factors in children’s lives which make it more likely that they will experience some difficulty with staying safe, having good health, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and benefiting from economic wellbeing.