Absence and Collection of Children

When your child first attends Bridlington Nursery School, you will be asked to complete an Emergency Contact Form – this information is very important. In the event of your child being ill during a Nursery session or school closure, we must be able to contact you or a nominated person as soon as possible.

If your child is not coming to Nursery for any reason, please ring 01262 678485 to let us know. If your child has not arrived at nursery 15 minutes after registration and we have not heard from you, we will follow the procedure outlined below: 

Procedure for Parents - School Absence Reporting

Step 1: 1st Session of Absence
 

1. If your child is absent from school, you will receive a phone call from the school to ask the reason for the absence.
2. If there's no answer, the school will send you a text or email to inquire about the absence.
3. If your child has a named social worker (CP, CIN), the school will inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
4. The school will also inform the social worker via email about the absence and whether they have received a reason or not. They will log this information.
5. If there's no response from the social worker within 4 hours, the school will contact the social worker's duty desk and note this as the "1st session of absence."

Step 2: 2nd Session of Absence
 

1. If your child is absent again, the school will repeat the steps from the 1st session.
2. This includes a phone call to you, sending a text or email, checking for a named social worker, informing the DSL, and contacting the social worker.
3. If there's still no response within 4 hours, the school will contact the social worker's duty desk and mark this as the "2nd session."

Step 3: 3rd Session of Absence
 

1. In case of a third absence, the school will follow the same procedure, including trying to contact you, the social worker, and marking it as the "3rd session."
2. The DSL will phone the social worker for a welfare check, and if necessary, the school will conduct a doorstep welfare check.
3. If there's still no response, the school will reach out to other relevant parties.
4. The procedure continues for the 4th, 5th, and subsequent absences.

Step 4: Absent for Two Weeks or 11th Session
 

1. If your child is absent for two weeks or reaches the 11th session (whichever comes first), the school will seek advice from the Safeguarding in Education team.

Step 5: 20th Day of Absence
 

1. If your child remains absent, the school will complete a CME (Children Missing from Education) referral.
2. They will also log a concern with the duty social worker.
3. If there's no contact, they will send a second letter requesting a meeting with you.

Note: If you, as a parent, decide that your child should not return to the nursery school, the school will offer an "exit" discussion. During this meeting, the school will explore the reasons for this decision and may suggest additional support services like children's centers or health visitors.
 

Mid-Term Leavers: If your child leaves the school, the school will try to gather important information, including their new address and contact details. They will also inquire about the receiving nursery. If there are safeguarding concerns, they will inform the duty social worker and Early Years Team. An "exit interview" may be conducted to understand the reasons for leaving and to offer support services if needed.
 

This procedure ensures that the school takes appropriate steps to address student absences while keeping parents informed and involved in the process.

Collecting Your Child at the end of the Nursery Session

Please ensure that your child is brought to Nursery and collected by a responsible adult. The Nursery staff will not allow your child to go home with anyone who is under 16 years of age. If this situation is unavoidable then the Nursery MUST be informed in writing prior to the collection of your child. If a different person collects your child, please let us know. We need to be prepared for a new face.

It is most important that you collect your child on time. If you are going to be late, please telephone the Nursery to let us know.

Procedures are in place if your child is not collected. If your child is still with us an hour after the nursery session has ended and we have not heard from you, then we have to inform Social Services. This is why it is most important that we have up-to-date contact numbers.