EYFS Policies and Procedures

Now we are working within the Statutory Requirements and Guidance of the EYFS, a lot of childminders ask me how they should set out their policies and procedures. My answer is that it is up to them!

Ofsted do not prescribe a way of doing it, so it really is a matter of personal choice. My policies and procedures follow the Every Child Matters agenda because that is the way I find easiest to set them out.

While written policies, procedures and plans are not a statutory requirement for Childminders, it is a requirement that you share your day-to-day working procedures and ethos with parents. The best way to do this is through written policies, procedures and plans.

Policies, procedures and plans relating to Safe Child

- Arrivals and departures - with my premises & safety policy;

- Closure policy;

- Emergency evacuation which includes fire and gas safety plan - with my premises & safety policy;

- Health and safety policy;

- Independent arrival & departure policy - with my over 8s policy;

- Over 8s policy - including behaviour management agreement for over 8s;

- Animals policy - I have fish and a newt - with health and safety policy;

- Physical contact policy - with my Safeguarding policy;

- Premises & safety policy;

- Premises & security policy;

- Risk assessment policy;

- Safeguarding children and adults in the setting policy;

- Security & visitors policy;

- Uncollected child procedure;

- Missing child procedure.

Policies, procedures and plans relating to  Healthy Child

- Dental hygiene policy - with healthy living policy;

- Exclusion information - with illness and injury / accident policy;

- Healthy living policy;

- Illness & injury / accident policy;

- Medication policy;

- Nappy & toilet training policy;

- Sleeping babies / children policy - with healthy living policy;

- Smoking & substance policy.

Policies, procedures and plans relating to children Enjoying and Achieving

- Car policy - with outings policy;

- Learning and development policy - including information about observations, assessments and planning;

- Outdoor play policy;

- Outings policy;

- Sun protection policy - with outdoor play policy;

- Technology policy - with learning and development policy.

Policies, procedures and plans relating to Helping children make a positive contribution

- Admissions policy;

- Behaviour management policy;

- Biting policy - with behaviour management policy;

- Bullying policy - with behaviour management;

- Complaints procedure - including sample complaints form;

- Disability and equal opportunities / inclusion policy;

- Physical contact policy- with behaviour management policy;

- Working in partnership with parents policy;

- Working with other settings & professionals policy.

Policies, procedures and plans relating to organisation

- Collected information policy - stating what documents relating to children I keep (following EYFS requirements);

- Confidentiality policy;

- Fees policy;

- Sharing information policy - what will be shared and what is private;

- Stored paperwork policy - with collected information policy;

- List of my relevant training.

Other notes

I ask parents to sign (on my permissions form) to say they have read and understood my policies and procedures. I also ask for their input when I am rewriting them.

I have friends who have changed their policies and procedures layout to follow the EYFS.  If you want to do that, I have put a document in free downloads on the childminding forum which will help.

If any parents are not happy with the contents of any of my policies, procedures and plans, they will need to explain their reasons, so that I might better understand their views.