The Importance of Early Years Attendance 

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the framework used for educating and caring for children aged birth to 5 years. The aim of the framework is to ensure that all children have access to the best care and support they need for the best start in life. The EYFS sets out requirements relating to keeping children under 5 healthy and safe (Early years foundation stage statutory framework, Nov 2024).  

The EYFS Framework does not provide a curriculum for schools to follow but does give clearly defined milestones that children should be achieving.  

EYFS provisions and practice

When we talk about EYFS it is important to differentiate the settings we are discussing. The EYFS covers children in private day nurseries, childminders, pre-schools, and playgroups and maintained school settings. Children are cared for in a large mix of settings and often these are accessed through paying fees or using government funding.  

For the purpose of this blog and thinking about the importance of attendance in the EYFS we will hold in mind children enrolled in Nursery and Reception in local authority maintained schools and multi academy trust schools.  

The EYFS sets standards for providers to ensure adults provide children with solid foundations to learning and education. This is done through a mixture of learning through play, adults modelling skills and concepts and a heavy focus on care and nurture. Alongside good parenting the EYFS seeks to ensure that high quality learning opportunities will provide children with opportunities for “school readiness” and a positive experience of school.  

Importance of attendance

As children in EYFS are mostly not at statutory school age, the usual attendance enforcements can sometimes not be utilised. Schools often talk about legal routes and enforcement when talking about attendance whereas with EYFS students – these legal routes do not exist.  

Central to attendance is the importance of EYFS education and learning:  

• EYFS builds the foundation for academic success later in school & life. For instance, phonics plays a massive part of a child’s learning journey starting with identifying individual sounds and then progressing to simple words and sentences. This process is not quick and takes time to embed fully. 

• EYFS education allows for the development of key skills, independence, and physical development.  

• Aids the critical development of a child’s ability to manage and understand their emotions  

• Constantly supports children’s ability to build positive relationships with peers and adults;  

• There is a strong focus communication and language development.  

•  Allows children to widen their experiences of the world including other cultures and people from outside their families.  

It is also important to focus on the support available through children being in school including the failure to meet milestones and the routes to support. This is particularly pertinent following the Covid19 pandemic. During the pandemic, decreased access to services, social interactions and nursery provision means children’s needs were missed and key skills including social skills and independence were not developed sufficiently for some children. Children are entering the school system with far greater needs than before.  

The law

Children become statutory school age the first day of term following their 5^th birthday. By law parents/carers must ensure that their child is enrolled and attending school or engaged in full time education (such as Elective Home Education) the term following their fifth birthday. This would be when the child is in Reception class. Most children have already started at a school or are attending a nursery provision prior to this.  

Monitoring and tracking

Schools should monitor and track EYFS attendance in the same way they do for children in Key Stages 1 & 2. This is part of the safeguarding policy and procedures for all children, regardless of their ages. Young children have greater safeguarding risks associated purely due to their age and level of care needed so their lack of attendance at school should be seen in the context of what further support is needed. 

Attendance should be discussed and improvement encouraged at every opportunity and a support first approach taken by schools. There is a phrase often used “it takes a village to raise a child” and whereas most families will invest in their children and provide opportunities for learning outside of the home- we know for some this isn’t possible due to home circumstances or due to a parent’s inability to do so. This is where it is imperative that schools work hard with parents to ensure good school attendance.  

Good school attendance in EYFS provides the foundation to positive attachments with staff and supports resilience and growth. This resilience and seeing school as a non-negotiable should allow children to have a positive experience in school and sets them up for good attendance throughout their school career.  

Parental engagement

For very young children, the parent is the decision maker in whether a child attends school or not. A positive and proactive relationship between school and home is critical for good school attendance. Framing conversations to highlight positives is important to foster a good relationship. Parents must be offered support and advice regarding childhood illness; when to seek support and how their decisions will impact their education. These conversations may feel difficult at first but with consistency and a respectful approach there is the option for success! 

If you require any support around promoting good attendance or parental engagement, please do not hesitate to contact the Pupil Attendance and Safeguarding team at One Education who can discuss our wide package of support.