England
EYFS procedures: missing child, uncollected child and medicines
Official wording, responsibilities and review duties.
Requirement and scope
Choose the governance type; academy and maintained duties differ. Choose a phase; confirm age and provision conditions. Confirm EYFS provision. Confirm locally: Provides EYFS education.
Maintained school
Procedure [1]
not stated in the source. Website publication: not stated in the source. Check access and disclosure duties separately.
- Source-established phases
- Nursery, Primary, All-through, Special
- Source-established school types
- Mainstream school, Special school, Maintained nursery school
- EYFS condition
- EYFS provision required
- Accountable
- not stated in the source
- Approval
- not stated in the source
- Operational owner
- not stated in the source
- Review cycle
- set by the school
Conditions: Provides EYFS education.
Independent schools and pupil referral units are outside this catalogue’s supported governance mapping.
Academy or free school
Procedure [1]
not stated in the source. Website publication: not stated in the source. Check access and disclosure duties separately.
- Source-established phases
- Nursery, Primary, All-through, Special
- Source-established school types
- Mainstream school, Special school, Maintained nursery school
- EYFS condition
- EYFS provision required
- Accountable
- not stated in the source
- Approval
- not stated in the source
- Operational owner
- not stated in the source
- Review cycle
- set by the school
Conditions: Provides EYFS education.
Independent schools and pupil referral units are outside this catalogue’s supported governance mapping.
Written procedures cover missing/uncollected children and medicines, with parental consent and administration records. Parents/carers must receive policy details, with copies available on request; this does not establish online publication.
Official wording
Section 3, paragraphs 3.5–3.6
3.5 Providers must have and implement policies and procedures to keep children safe and meet EYFS requirements. Schools are not required to have separate policies to cover EYFS requirements provided the requirements are already met through an existing policy. Where providers are required to have policies and procedures as specified below, these policies and procedures should be recorded in writing. Policies and procedures should be in line with the guidance and procedures of the relevant Local Safeguarding Partners. 3.6 Safeguarding policies must include: • The action to be taken when there are safeguarding concerns about a child. • The action to be taken in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff. • How mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities are used in the setting. • Procedures to follow to check the suitability of new recruits.
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework · Reviewed 2026-10-26
Effective from 2026-09-01
Section 3, Medicines
necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection58. 3.61 Providers must have and implement a policy, and procedures, for administering medicines to children. It must include systems for obtaining information about a child’s needs for medicines, and for keeping this information up to date. Staff must have training if the administration of medicine requires medical or technical knowledge. Prescription medicines must not be administered unless they have been prescribed for a child by a doctor, dentist, nurse, or pharmacist (medicines containing aspirin should only be given if prescribed by a doctor).
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework · Reviewed 2026-10-26
Effective from 2026-09-01
Section 3, Information for parents and carers
• Details of the provider's policies and procedures - making copies available on request. This includes the procedure to be followed in the event of a parent and/or carer failing to collect a child at the appointed time, or in the event of a child going missing at, or away from, the setting. • How staffing in the setting is organised.
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework · Reviewed 2026-10-26
Effective from 2026-09-01
Section 3, paragraph 3.5
• Food and drinks provided for children. • Details of the provider's policies and procedures - making copies available on request. This includes the procedure to be followed in the event of a parent and/or
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework · Reviewed 2026-10-26
Effective from 2026-09-01
Sources and updates
Official evidence reviewed 2026-10-26. Check the source edition and conditions before acting.
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework
Reviewed edition matches. GOV.UK metadata checked; captured PDF matches the reviewed edition. Live file bytes are unverified.
- Reviewed on
- 2026-10-26
- Reviewed version
- 2026-09-01T00:01:05+01:00
- Last checked
- 2026-10-27T11:00:36.203Z
- Reviewed text digest (SHA-256)
60c04c557bed49f39b4ea2c600b56529c321da24cf61c9c6f61f2ad0f86cfa59- Official content identity
- 5f49e15a-7631-11e4-a3cb-005056011aef
- Official content digest (SHA-256)
bbd91cc3af0972f3cb64ae793b0b736273572fe094a38da4b0d8e7cff7e060a5- Reviewed PDF digest (SHA-256)
d52043c2983d1761c12919e027eeec6864d728fd6eb9d7e7c41592b60e3e61dd
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5f8e4fb00f3323bf1a23a1/EYFS_group_and_school_based_from_September_2026.pdf
Official attachment · https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5f8e4fb00f3323bf1a23a1/EYFS_group_and_school_based_from_September_2026.pdf
Guidance, not legal advice. Local checks are not a compliance judgement; other duties may apply.