Attendance For Nursery School Child

mellyc

Does anyone know the policy for attendance at nursery schools? My son is 3 and attends a nursery at a local primary school. I’ve noticed that their attention to absence regarding nursery children is very different to their view of absence in Reception year and above. Is it more relaxed for nursery school because children are not required by law to attend as they are from reception year ?
i recently noticed that I reported my son’s absence due to illness directly to the main school office on the first day he was off school. He was then absent from nursery for the following 6 sessions over the next 2 weeks and as I was so preoccupied with 3 of my children falling ill that week I forgot to contact the school at all. I’m wondering about attendance policy because I haven’t had any contact from the school asking where my son is, why he’s not at school and when he might return. Is this normal for a nursery setting?

rach_k

Schools set their own policies, taking into account the law.  Try the school's website for yours.

At my children's school, they apply the same policy across all ages (nursery to Y6) but fines can't be issued to parents of under 5s.  

On the first day of absence, school calls home at 9.30am if parents haven't called in.  Once they have confirmation that the child isn't supposed to be in school, they don't call on subsequent days.  I normally call every day my child is off, but I don't actually think we have to after the first day.

For nursery children, the school says that if attendance falls below 80% or they miss 10 consecutive sessions without good reason, the place may be offered to another child.

JGB1955

The absence of Reception children isn't reported... so it makes no odds statistically (other than missing out on learning time) if your child is absent then (or before).  The school may just be hoping to set a standard from Nursery age though....

Kynthia

School nurseries aren't the same as school. The admissions criteria is very different, with no catchment area requirements (unless they choose to enforce one) and no reporting on absences. You are essentially paying to send your child there like with a private nursery. You may be using your child's allocated free hours to pay for it but if you exceeded those you would be paying money directly. So it's normal for them to treat absences this way, just as a childminder or nursery would.

Fireflyaway

Nursery is optional so attendance can't be enforced. The consequence of not attending regularly could be the child's place being given to someone else. If this is a school nursery hey may be required to submit attendance records to the local authority ( not specific kids, just generic). 

DevilsAdvocate1

When my youngest son started nursery I explained that I only wanted him to go there 3 mornings a week as we did things on the other 2 days that I did not want to give up.  This was a school nursery.  They were happy to go along with this I think because I explained my reasoning in advance and I was allocated a place on this basis.  I know they applied for funding for all 5 sessions and suspect they marked him in on his two absent days.  Think its up to the individual nursery what they do.