Nursery attendance / absence. Is this the norm?

[Pollysforever]

My 3 year old and 2 year old go to a small nursery, both receive the 15 hours free funding so go for two full days each week.

As you'd expect with toddlers they're no strangers to picking up all sorts so have had some time off here and there on account of things like D&V, temperatures and coughs throughout the pandemic, awaiting test results etc. Nursery wouldn't accept them in with anything that could be covid understandably.

The nursery also has a policy of: snotty nose = stay at home (which is fine by me)

So a few weeks ago before half term it was my son's 3rd birthday and we booked to take him to shreks adventure. It had to be on a Monday as that's the only day dad was able to come with us. DS needs an adult ratio of 2:1 because he has special needs and trips out need to be planned with military precision. I wasn't going to deprive DD of the trip just to send her to nursery so ofc she came too.

When I told the nursery they wouldn't be in that day as we were taking them to see Shrek for DS birthday I got a bit of a lecture from the nursery manager about booking it on a nursery day and whether I could have chosen another day. I said no.

She mentioned there had been a few absences and we needed to get his attendance up next term.

I was a bit as nursery isn't compulsory but I was caught off guard so said right... ok then.

Since they've come home from nursery today they're clearly coming down with something. DS has puffy eyes and a cough, DD has a temperature of 39 and she's lethargic. I sent a text to let nursery know they won't be in tomorrow and why.

I'm just wondering is it the norm for nurseries to be on at parents about attendance?

DS starts school in September which is a different kettle of fish obviously.

You do know some children don't attend nursery dont you. My nursery are excellent. Fantastic observations and meeting milestones. No one has ever raised attendance as an issue. I would be very shocked if they did. I choose the days she attends and pay. If i decide that she doesnt attend one day that is my choice. This day with whatever the reason she doesnt attend, does benefit my child. They also offer additional days sometimes too if they have spaces that could be equally disruptive if you think thats the reason for the non attendance comments. The OP could just take the child out of nursery with no detriment whatsoever. When did we get so regimented over 4 yr olds. The OP should be able to take her family for a lovely day out without being made to feel her kids are skipping school and shes a terrible parent. What a lovely trip out for the kids.

OP- if he is going to school for children with autism he needs to be there routinely.

And if the other children in the group also have special needs they also need to be in a nice settled setting.
The runny nose thing is also likely to be as some of the children have underlying health conditions. Not the same at all as private daycare.

@MissM2912

OP- if he is going to school for children with autism he needs to be there routinely.

At school, yes.

He wouldn't be taken out of school for family outings.

Many local authorities take funding back from nurseries if a child dies nit attend to a certain level. You can't swap days at short notice, the LA won't pay for a different day to what has been claimed for at the start if term.
So it could well be a funding thing.
Also, as I am sure you know, children with ASD like routine and predictably. Perhaps they were concerned about the impact on him of the out if routine trip.

And at nursery! Seriously. I manage childcare settings- including an additional needs programme. There is already a gap. You need to be working now on his transition plan and as part of that he needs to be in a good routine, and making the most of his two days to make the transition easier. If they are a decent nursery those staff will be putting a lot of time and effort into their planning to get him ready, for very little pay. The least you can do is have him there.

And also- in my experience- it is often the poorly paid childcare practitioners who know MORE about supporting children with ASD as they have had more training, than a nursery teacher with 30 kids. Make the mosh of their expertise!

@MissM2912

And at nursery! Seriously. I manage childcare settings- including an additional needs programme. There is already a gap. You need to be working now on his transition plan and as part of that he needs to be in a good routine, and making the most of his two days to make the transition easier. If they are a decent nursery those staff will be putting a lot of time and effort into their planning to get him ready, for very little pay. The least you can do is have him there.

You raise some valid points thank you

@Pollysforever

OP has pointed out her ds has significant needs and starts school in September. If the school are to stand any chance of getting additional funding to support him in school, the Nursery need to be able to evidence the support they have given and the impact of that support.

He has an EHCP and a place at a specialist school for autistic children.

His current nursery is also predominantly for special needs children, DD doesn't have special needs but they were happy to take her because she has a sibling there.

This might have been quite helpful to put in the opening post.

People are commenting on quite different scenarios.

Sorry for being harsh- but it does frustrate me that often the time before starting school isn’t seen as as important. A child’s brain does most of its development in the first 1001 days- before school.
Best of luck!

I can see both sides tbh. You're taking a funded place and then taking them to the cinema.

I’m going to assume the “funded” place simply means a pittance is deducted from the fees.

The nursery manager can bolt. They are providing a service, OP is the customer and she can use the service as suits her needs. I’d have smiled politely and told them that.

There are no rules in the funding application that says you have to use the space being provided every session.

And for a nursery to have a policy that children with a minor cold have to stay off? That’s not on.

@Endofdaysarehere
Your dd has 2yr old funding because the government has judged that the safest and best place for her to be is in nursery, so yes, you will need to take them to nursery as often as you can (illness aside).
Sorry but that's bollocks. If ops daughter was so at risk that she needed to be in the safety of a nursery and not having fun with her parents, it wouldn't be for three hours a day / two long days. It's nursery not Foster care. You qualify because for one reason or another your child is considered to benefit from those hours, not that they have to be there because its a safe space away from home. How offensive.

If the school are to stand any chance of getting additional funding to support him in school, the Nursery need to be able to evidence the support they have given and the impact of that support.

And a few days off won’t change that.

Sorry for being harsh- but it does frustrate me that often the time before starting school isn’t seen as as important. A child’s brain does most of its development in the first 1001 days- before school.

Many manage just fine to develop without any nursery at all. Imagine that!

Boredzelda- your posts are offensive and wrong, and show zero regard for the professionalism and integrity of Childcare Practitioners who are trying their best to bring children on.
You actually sound really uneducated.

Fuck that. This is mental. I take my four year old out of nursery all the time (I don’t send her during the school holidays when her sister is off school) and not once has it ever been raised as an issue. Plenty of time ahead for regimented attendance if you ask me.

@CookieMunch

Have you checked the details you got about the funded hours. When mine had funded hours a few years ago there was a minimum attendance policy attached to it (by gov not by the nursery). They may be concerned that your funding will be withdrawn if they’ve missed a lot. I’d ask them if this is the concern. It makes sense if you think about it. Otherwise nursery’s could claim funding for kids who regularly don’t attend and it is taxpayer money after all.

But all of those days bar one OP hasn't been permitted to send them in.

If their attendance was poor cos op often cba to take them, fair enough. But we're talking 1 day off in 2/3rds of the year. Her son isn't going to fail to transition well based on one day off in the middle of the year.

They do actually BoredZelda.

I'm not talking about the OP, but some children are given 2 yr funded places to keep them safe.
Some children are given places because of their SEND
There are plenty of those children whose attendance is inconsistent and therefore it is difficult for the benefits of that Nursery place to help the child - the ACTUAL REASON the place is being funded. So many of those children do need consistency and routine.

ParalysisByAnalysis Does your child have additional needs to the point they aren’t going to mainstream school??

I pay an arm and a leg for nursery in spite of the funding, by the way. It’s an excellent nursery but when I can have my daughter at home with me I will do so.

@SleepingStandingUp I think you’ve missed the bit where you see the OP has qualified for 2yr funding.
We’re not talking about universal funding, but the very very hard to get 2yr funding.
This is not given out because the government thinks it’s great that the child have a little extra socialisation, it’s given because the best place for the child, given the OP’s circumstances, is at nursery.

When I put DD into total funded nursery I was told she had to attend so many days as a percentage or else she loose her funded place. It was in the terms and conditions. DD was lucky and never missed any of the nursery prior I paid for. I'm pretty sure it's because you at risk of losing your funding. Ask them op

I'd have loved the snotty nose policy. Far more annoying to have a "bring them in with anything bar D&V policy" that some parents seemed to love at the expense of the rest of us.

Not heard of this before. Whether you pay fees or the government pays the nursery through the funding it makes no difference to the nursery right ? Government's website states "Children must get an education between the school term after their 5th birthday" so technically you aren't obliged to send him anywhere until after he's 5. Meaning you could if you wanted to, take him out of Reception next year before he's 5 and that wouldn't get you into trouble. At least that's my understanding - but I'm sure the teacher will tell you otherwise though!

I think it depends. I work in preschool and one parent took their child to India for over half a term. Some kids get 30 hrs funded and arrive around 11am! I think your nursery manager is being a bit jobs worth unless you are one if those parents who keeps them off for every little thing (and keeps both off if only one is I'll). I would challenge her on the snotty nose policy and get that changed back.