Nursery compliance records: what UK childcare settings must log, and how to keep it digital

Running a nursery or pre-school in England means working to the EYFS statutory framework. Much of it is about children's learning, but a large part is about safety and welfare, and that part runs on written records: accidents, medicines, attendance, sleep, food and complaints.

This page lists the records the framework asks for, how often they are filled in, who looks at them and what happens if they are missing. It is about record-keeping only. For safeguarding and safe sleep practice, follow the framework itself and your local safeguarding partners.

What a childcare & nurseries business needs to record

Record	How often	Why it matters
Daily attendance register	Every session, as children arrive and leave	The EYFS requires a daily record of each child's name, hours of attendance and key person.
Accident, injury and first aid record	Every time it happens, the same day	The EYFS requires a written record of accidents, injuries and first aid, and parents must be told the same day or as soon as reasonably practicable.
Medicine administration record	Every dose given	Medicine may only be given with written parental permission, and the EYFS requires a written record each time it is given.
Sleep checks	Throughout every nap, at the interval your policy sets	The EYFS says all children must be frequently checked when sleeping. A timed log shows it happened.
Dietary requirements and allergy information	Before a child starts, then whenever it changes	You must obtain allergy and dietary details before admission and share them with everyone who prepares or serves food.
Fridge and freezer temperatures	At least daily, usually at opening and closing	If you store or prepare food you are a food business, and chilled food has to be kept cold. A daily log is the normal way to show it.
Cleaning schedule (rooms, toys, nappy areas, kitchen)	Daily and weekly tasks as scheduled	The EYFS requires you to meet hygiene requirements. A signed schedule shows cleaning is planned and done.
Premises and outdoor area safety checks	Daily before children arrive, or as your risk assessment sets	The EYFS expects risk assessments to say what is checked, when and by whom. The daily check is the evidence.
Fire alarm tests and evacuation drills	Alarm weekly; drills at regular intervals	You must have an emergency evacuation procedure. Government fire guidance recommends testing the alarm weekly.
Complaints record	Every complaint	The EYFS requires a written record of complaints and their outcome, which must be available to Ofsted on request.

Who checks your records

Ofsted (England)
Registers and inspects early years providers against the EYFS. Inspectors can ask to see records such as accident records, complaints and staff vetting, and can set actions or serve a welfare requirements notice.
Care Inspectorate (Scotland) and Care Inspectorate Wales
Register and inspect childcare in Scotland and Wales against their own national standards. The EYFS applies in England only.
Local authority environmental health (food)
If you prepare or serve food, including snacks, you are a food business. You must register with your council at least 28 days before you start, and officers can inspect your kitchen and give a food hygiene rating.
Fire and rescue authority
Enforces the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales: fire risk assessment, alarms, escape routes and drills. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire safety law.

If your records are missing

Ofsted inspectors start from the expected standard and look for evidence. They may ask to see records of accidents, complaints and staff vetting, and the inspection information tells providers to check the EYFS for which documents they must have. Gaps can lead to actions listed on your report card and a lower grade. A needs attention grade means re-inspection within 12 months; urgent improvement means within 6 months.

Where there is a significant failure to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements, Ofsted will normally serve a welfare requirements notice, and follows up any actions at the next inspection.

Some duties carry criminal liability. The EYFS says a registered provider who, without reasonable excuse, fails to notify Ofsted of a serious accident, injury or death, or of food poisoning affecting two or more children, within 14 days commits an offence. Good records make that notification quick and accurate.

If a parent makes a claim, your accident and medicine records are your account of what happened. Without them it is your memory against theirs.

Quick answer

Under the EYFS, a nursery in England must keep a daily attendance register, a record of every accident and first aid treatment, a record of every medicine given, allergy and dietary information for each child, and a record of complaints. If you serve food you are also a registered food business, so fridge, cleaning and allergen records apply too.

The EYFS records, paragraph by paragraph

The EYFS framework for group and school-based providers (in force from September 2026) sets out most record duties in section 3. Childminders have their own version with similar wording.

Record	What the EYFS says	Paragraph
Medicines	Written parental permission for each medicine. A written record each time it is given. Parents told the same day.	3.62
Allergies and diet	Obtain details before the child starts. Share with all staff who handle food. Be clear at each meal who checks each child's food.	3.65–3.66
Choking incidents	Should be recorded and reviewed for trends.	3.71
Food poisoning	Notify Ofsted within 14 days if two or more children are affected.	3.73
Accidents and first aid	Written record of accidents, injuries and first aid. Parents told the same day.	3.78
Serious accidents	Notify Ofsted within 14 days, with the action taken.	3.79
Sleep	All children frequently checked while sleeping. Babies under six months have an adult in the room for every sleep.	3.86
Risk assessment	Say what needs checking, when and by whom.	3.93
Complaints	Written record of complaints and their outcome.	3.101
Attendance	Daily record of names, hours of attendance and key person.	3.104

Sleep checks: what the framework does and does not say

The EYFS does not set a fixed interval. It says children must be frequently checked, must stay within sight and hearing of staff, and that babies under six months must have an adult in the same room for every sleep. Your sleep policy sets the interval. The record should then show the time of each check, who did it and what they saw. A log filled in at the end of the session from memory does not show that.

The food side: your nursery is a food business too

If you make lunches, serve snacks or even reheat food from home, you are likely to be a food business. You must register with your council at least 28 days before you start, and the EYFS requires everyone who prepares food to be trained in food hygiene. Many settings use the FSA's Safer food, better business pack for their food safety records.

Keep an allergen matrix for every menu item, using the 14 allergens in the FSA's allergen guidance.
Cross-check it against each child's dietary record before every meal and snack.
Record fridge temperatures daily and note what you did if a reading was high.
Log deliveries if you buy chilled food in, so you can trace a batch if a problem comes up.

Keeping it digital

LogBooks Hub can hold your sleep checks, room checks, fridge temperatures and cleaning sign-offs as timed tasks with reminders. Each entry is timestamped and can include photo evidence. Staff use the iOS or Android app or any browser, and you can export a one-click audit pack PDF before an inspection. Records about individual children may also sit in your nursery management system; keep each record in one agreed place.

LogBooks Hub logbooks for childcare & nurseries

These come ready to use from our 90+ digital compliance logbooks. Each one reminds staff when a check is due, records who did it and when, and can hold a photo as evidence.

Sleep check log
Accident and first aid log
Medicine administration log
Daily room and outdoor safety checks
Toy and equipment cleaning log
Nappy changing area cleaning
Cleaning schedule
Fridge and freezer temperatures
Allergen matrix
Goods-in delivery checks
Fire alarm weekly test
Fire drill log
Emergency lighting test
First aid box check

Free printable versions: Allergen matrix, Fridge and freezer temperature log, Cleaning schedule, Opening and closing checks, Fire alarm weekly test log.

Frequently asked questions

What records does Ofsted check in a nursery?

Ofsted's inspection information says inspectors may ask to see records of accidents, complaints and their resolution, safeguarding referrals, logs of discrimination incidents, paediatric first aid arrangements and staff vetting. It also tells providers to check the EYFS for the full list. In practice that includes the daily attendance register, medicine records and allergy information for each child.

Do nurseries have to record sleep checks?

The EYFS says all children must be frequently checked while sleeping, but it does not set an interval or say the check must be written down. Most settings record each check with the time and the name of the staff member, because it is the only practical way to show an inspector or a parent that the policy was followed.

Does a nursery need to register as a food business?

If you prepare, serve or reheat food, yes in most cases. GOV.UK says food businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must register with their council at least 28 days before trading. Childminders in England are registered automatically through their Ofsted details. If you are unsure, ask your council's environmental health team.

How quickly must a nursery tell Ofsted about an accident?

For a serious accident, illness or injury, or the death of a child, the EYFS says you must notify Ofsted as soon as reasonably practicable and within 14 days, including the action you took. Failing to do so without reasonable excuse is an offence. You must also notify local child protection agencies.

How long should a nursery keep records?

The EYFS says records about individual children must be kept for a reasonable period after they leave, and does not give a fixed number of years. Other records have their own rules, for example accident records under health and safety law. Agree a retention schedule with your insurer and check data protection guidance.

Can nursery records be kept digitally?

Yes. The EYFS says records must be easily accessible and available, and may be kept securely off the premises. It does not require paper. Digital records must be held securely and only seen by people with a right to see them, in line with data protection law.

Official guidance and sources

This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; check with your local authority if you are unsure.

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