CIW Attendance Requirements
What you must record, how long to keep it, and what inspectors actually look for
Attendance records are one of the first things CIW inspectors ask to see
They're a legal requirement, not just best practice, and yet they're one of the most common areas where providers receive requirements to improve.
This guide explains exactly what you must record, what format is acceptable, and the most common mistakes that lead to a requirement at inspection.
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📋 What the Law Actually Says
Requires records kept on premises at all times during operation:
• Name, home address, date of birth, and sex of each child
• Daily record of names, hours of attendance, and staff members responsible
Records about individual children must be kept secure and confidential, retained for at least three years after the child's last attendance, and always available for inspection by CIW (Standards 5.4 and 5.5).
Paper and digital records can both work, as long as they are complete, secure and available for CIW to inspect on request.
✓ What Must Be in Each Attendance Record
Required by law. Must match the name on the child's registration form.
Required by law. Must be recorded for each individual session, not weekly.
Required by law. The actual time the child entered the setting.
Required by law. The actual time the child left. Cannot be left blank at end of day.
Required by law. Who looked after the child during that session. Must be identifiable, not just initials.
Not listed in the Standard 5 record list, but recording who collected each child is good safeguarding practice.
Good practice. Confirmation that the person collecting was on the authorised list.
Good practice. If an expected child does not arrive, record it and follow it up.
📄 Paper vs Digital: What CIW Accepts
CIW does not mandate a specific format. Both paper registers and digital systems are acceptable, but each comes with conditions.
Must be legible and completed in ink (not pencil). No tippex: errors crossed through with single line and initialled. Stored securely on-site. Retained after the session.
Must be accessible from premises during operating hours. Must produce a printed record on request. Must record all required fields. Data must be backed up. Staff must know how to access records immediately.
Can you show the inspector a complete, accurate attendance record for any given day within minutes of being asked? If your digital system needs internet and your broadband drops during inspection, that's your problem, not CIW's.
🗂️ How Long Must Records Be Kept?
At least 3 years after the child's last attendance (Standard 5.4). Your insurer may require longer.
Not set by the National Minimum Standards. Take advice from your insurer or solicitor on how long to keep safeguarding records.
Keep until the matter is resolved, and take advice from your insurer or solicitor on how long.
You must have a documented retention policy. If CIW asks to see it, produce it.
🔍 What Inspectors Actually Look For
The number of children recorded must match the number physically present.
Not filled in retrospectively. Inspectors can tell.
Attendance records must allow inspectors to reconstruct the staffing picture at any point.
Inspectors pull records going back months to check for consistency.
Not just blank rows: there must be evidence of follow-up.
Who collected each child, and were they authorised?
For funded settings, funded and non-funded hours must be distinguishable.
⚠️ The 6 Most Common Attendance Record Failures
Child's sign-in is present but sign-out is blank at end of day.
Register clearly filled in all at once rather than in real time.
Sign-out time recorded but no collector name.
Expected children who didn't arrive have simply been skipped.
'K' as a staff initial is not an identifiable name.
Registers stored at a manager's home or in a car during the session.
👥 Staffing Ratios and Attendance Records
| Age Group | Staff : Children Ratio |
|---|---|
| Under 2 years | 1 : 3 |
| 2-year-olds | 1 : 4 |
| 3 to 7-year-olds | 1 : 8 |
| 8 to 12 years | 1 : 10 |
Your attendance records must make it possible for an inspector to reconstruct the staffing picture at any point in any session.
💷 Additional Requirements for Funded Settings
Must be distinguishable from non-funded hours.
Must be recorded and followed up separately.
Flying Start has its own attendance monitoring requirements, check with your local authority.
🛠️ Setting Up a Compliant Attendance System
For paper systems:
For digital systems:
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Common Attendance Questions from CIW
What format do attendance records need to be in?
CIW accepts both paper and digital. The key test is whether you can produce a complete, accurate record for any given day within minutes of being asked.
How long do we need to keep attendance records?
The standards require records about individual children to be kept for at least 3 years after the child's last attendance, and your insurer may require longer. For safeguarding records, or anything that could lead to legal proceedings, take advice from your insurer or solicitor on how long to keep them.
Do we need to record who collected each child?
It isn't one of the records Standard 5 lists, but it is good safeguarding practice. The person collecting should be on the authorised collector list.
What if our digital system goes down during an inspection?
That's your responsibility, not CIW's. Always have offline access or a recent printed backup available.