What do I need to give them? I have a folder with bits of their artwork, observations and some photos in - do I give them it all, including observations?

I just keep information record, contract, medical concerns,accident form,register, incident forms. Everything else gets given to parent. So learning journal, diary, photos, art work and observations.

At its most basic, anything they brought from home is theirs and must be returned. Everything else is, strictly speaking, yours - but still has to be dealt with responsibly.

There's little point holding onto artwork, so return it to the child.

Retain all the stuff BlueBear has listed (to which I'd add the consents form) and attach a clear photo of the child to your archive file. If they do decide to sue you within the next 20 or so years (which is the main reason for keeping this evidence) you may need the photo to help remember them.

You don't strictly have to hand over observations, photos, etc. although there is usually no good reason not to. If I felt a parent might be sneakily considering a complaint, I'd be tempted to scan/copy the LJ and obs, so I could provide evidence if needed. IIRC DAta Protection Act and EYFS require us to retain certain information for a "reasonable time" without actually defining how long that is. Anything you keep must be safely stored as per ICO regulations on data handlers. Anything beyond that ought to be deleted/shredded/composted as appropriate. :thumbsup: