Tapestry online EYFS

[Becci26]

Apologies if this post is not allowed? (haven't seen any posts about them?)

I am just trying to find a decent online paperwork system and have come across this site, does anyone use them/know anything about them?

I see you have to pay a minimal subscription but looks quite professional, and looks like they have a mobile app running along side too which would be good.

Also looked at megaminder (or something!) which I registered to but the site was really, really slow and looks a bit amateurish so have been a bit put off, shame.

[hectors house]

I went to a Nursery cluster meeting in our town - one Nursery has been using Tapestry since September and apart from one child whose parents don't have internet access to see on going observations and reports, the Nursery is now paper free. The Nursery has i pads, the staff take a photo, write up the observations (which are checked by the manager for spelling!) and then added to on-line journals and the parents get an e-mail informing them (I think) that the journal has been updated. This Nursery manager is coming to talk to our childminding network about this system in a couple of months. If your county are registered with them then it only costs £30 a year I believe.

[Becci26]

Thankyou for that, it does sound good. After I posted I found a thread somewhere else with all positive things on it and your right it's only £30 plus vat (fortunately my la is registered! :)
Going to take another good look at it tomorrow when I'm less tired

[mama2three]

Im an orbit convert - I was very wary of online systems , but I gave it a try as the local school eyfs units use it - I love that I can see what school have put too and it all joins together in the tracking / evaluation pages so both school and I can see gaps....parents love it too. I don't like the way it prints out particularly , the pics are small , so for my LJ I will use this and a photogallery for each month ...much prettier for me and for parents!

[hectors house]

Im an orbit convert - I was very wary of online systems , but I gave it a try as the local school eyfs units use it - I love that I can see what school have put too and it all joins together in the tracking / evaluation pages so both school and I can see gaps....parents love it too. I don't like the way it prints out particularly , the pics are small , so for my LJ I will use this and a photogallery for each month ...much prettier for me and for parents!

I signed up for Orbit and did a couple of trial observations but didn't continue with it as I also didn't like the look of it when it was printed - I know it's designed to be paperless but I thought I would want to print it out for when a child left. I do my observations on the computer now, using my own form, try to make it look more interesting than the Orbit page by selecting different fonts and different sized fonts and inserting a photo (sometimes the photo is the main part) but still print it off for the LJ.

[mama2three]

I signed up for Orbit and did a couple of trial observations but didn't continue with it as I also didn't like the look of it when it was printed - I know it's designed to be paperless but I thought I would want to print it out for when a child left. I do my observations on the computer now, using my own form, try to make it look more interesting than the Orbit page by selecting different fonts and different sized fonts and inserting a photo (sometimes the photo is the main part) but still print it off for the LJ.

The photos were always previously the prominent part of my obs , afterall that is what parents are really interested in. But the obs are so much quicker to complete with orbit and the drop down boxes - which is why I now use both. im much more able to keep on top of things now , and have the added incentive of knowing parents can see what Ive put straight away which means I need to keep more or less up to date. parents still see the LJ every half term or so , with all the extra photos , childs work , things like the 2 yr check , all things that orbit alone wouldn't offer. Anything that saves me time and means my paperwork isn't so far behind has got to be good!

[hectors house]

The photos were always previously the prominent part of my obs , afterall that is what parents are really interested in. But the obs are so much quicker to complete with orbit and the drop down boxes - which is why I now use both. im much more able to keep on top of things now , and have the added incentive of knowing parents can see what Ive put straight away which means I need to keep more or less up to date. parents still see the LJ every half term or so , with all the extra photos , childs work , things like the 2 yr check , all things that orbit alone wouldn't offer. Anything that saves me time and means my paperwork isn't so far behind has got to be good!

I like your idea of still printing it off and adding to it - I do e-mail the parents a daily sheet of what their child has been doing each day and would like to be able to e-mail any observations too (so they don't have to wait 3 months to see in LJ) but as I do my typed LJ as a word document and it is a rolling document - I can't think of a way (without saving each page individually) to send it as an attachment. Would love to catch up on paperwork - day off today and will be spending most of it updating LJ's!