Tapestry software package

[KAZBAZ55]

Hi all another online software question....does anyone use Tapestry by fsf?? Another cm mentioned it on here and I have had a look but wondered if anyone actually had experience of using it & their opinions on it.
Thank in advance guys

[Bumble Beez]

I haven't heard of it...I'm gonna have to have a look now tho

Sarah x

[Simona]

Yes I have heard about it and looked on their website but it is online
the one thing I like is that I have heard people refer to it as a child's portfolio not a 'learning journey'...that is really good!

Tapestry Introduction

[Bumble Beez]

Thank you for the link Simona x
I like the idea of the LJ's being called a portfolio...

Sarah x

[hectors house]

I saw it demonstrated at an Early years providers cluster meeting last week - one of the Nurseries there had been using it for 3 weeks and were very impressed so far, especially with the amount of parental feedback they are now getting - the parents get notified that a new observation has been posted, they can look at it with a secure password and add comments about it on line (rather than expecting them to use a pen and paper)!

It looked very simple to use but I didn't see the view that the parents would see - I just worry that it would look a bit boring with everything in the same format - although I have swapped to writing up my observations on the computer, I try to vary the font size and style to break up the writing and make it look more interesting.

[Simona]

I saw it demonstrated at an Early years providers cluster meeting last week - one of the Nurseries there had been using it for 3 weeks and were very impressed so far, especially with the amount of parental feedback they are now getting - the parents get notified that a new observation has been posted, they can look at it with a secure password and add comments about it on line (rather than expecting them to use a pen and paper)!

It looked very simple to use but I didn't see the view that the parents would see - I just worry that it would look a bit boring with everything in the same format - although I have swapped to writing up my observations on the computer, I try to vary the font size and style to break up the writing and make it look more interesting.

I think we will see lots of companies competing with each other about online LJ..
I believe there are a few already out there....can you imagine emailing every single observation to parents? that means being attached to the computer the whole day if, like many cms, observations are made several times each day.

I really have to question the money spent on these but everyone has freedom of choice and cms are especially vulnerable as every one wants to come in and help us to reduce the 'burden of paperwork' to quote Truss on the matter!!

If we all devise our simple format for observations/assessment like we do for 2 year olds Progress check and it is on the computer that can be emailed to parents say at the end of every month?
Also I would guess that agencies will produce their 'own version' so all their members will do the same? Time will tell

Last questions:
do parents really want this version or prefer something they can look at their leisure over the weekend?
how do we give Ofsted this evidence during an inspection if it is on computer?
where does the child's voice fit in this commercial version?

Hope you can share your ideas.

[hectors house]

I think we will see lots of companies competing with each other about online LJ..
I believe there are a few already out there....can you imagine emailing every single observation to parents? that means being attached to the computer the whole day if, like many cms, observations are made several times each day.

I really have to question the money spent on these but everyone has freedom of choice and cms are especially vulnerable as every one wants to come in and help us to reduce the 'burden of paperwork' to quote Truss on the matter!!

If we all devise our simple format for observations/assessment like we do for 2 year olds Progress check and it is on the computer that can be emailed to parents say at the end of every month?
Also I would guess that agencies will produce their 'own version' so all their members will do the same? Time will tell

Last questions:
do parents really want this version or prefer something they can look at their leisure over the weekend?
how do we give Ofsted this evidence during an inspection if it is on computer?

where does the child's voice fit in this commercial version?

Hope you can share your ideas.

The Nursery that demonstrated it have 3 ipads that the staff share, they can only access information on their own key children - they observe child doing something different or interesting - they use ipad to take photo, they log onto their key children - attach the photo, write a few lines to say what they observed - use drop down menu to link to an area of learning, and a specific sentence from Development Matters - they can also link to characteristic of learning and also leuven scales of concentration/engagement. When they are happy with observation or as they are new to using it, when the manager has approved it (spelling and content) it is saved on-line and parents are automatically notified that new observation has been posted.

[Rubybubbles]

I have been using Tapestry since April and love it!

One of my parents was happy to trial it for me and in July I went live to everyone in the setting. Parent love it, the parents view is really nice, not overpowering, and as always the photos come first on the page and really thats all they want to see! I love it and am as up to date now than ever! I used to spend hours downloading photos, printing cutting sticking thats without linking everything! I do still use a progress tracker handwritten along side it as sometimes things you just know don't really need an observation. I love the fact I can view any gaps in the learning, for example I noticed I wasn't observing C&L Listening often, but as we do it everyday in fact nothing had ever jumped at me as a wow (this is where I used my handwritten tracker to jot notes)

I have shown a few childminders Tapestry now ( I set up my own children for example, I used this when getting my head around it all! and viewed everything as a parent would too) and all have signed up! And no, Tapestry have not sent me here like some other companies do haha! I have been here long enough that you all know that and I am just really pleased with it!

Each to their own though, I still print my planning and overview sheets as these change on a daily basis!

I think we will see lots of companies competing with each other about online LJ..
I believe there are a few already out there....can you imagine emailing every single observation to parents? that means being attached to the computer the whole day if, like many cms, observations are made several times each day.

I really have to question the money spent on these but everyone has freedom of choice and cms are especially vulnerable as every one wants to come in and help us to reduce the 'burden of paperwork' to quote Truss on the matter!!I found for £30 (my LA pay for FSF) I am saving money as over last year I spent more than that in ink on paper observations and photo printouts. It's time saving for me too

If we all devise our simple format for observations/assessment like we do for 2 year olds Progress check and it is on the computer that can be emailed to parents say at the end of every month?I email parents individual planning every week and link it back to Tapestry, they can now see the links in WHY we are doing things better (quote for parent)
Also I would guess that agencies will produce their 'own version' so all their members will do the same? Time will tell

Last questions:
do parents really want this version or prefer something they can look at their leisure over the weekend? You can set it so parents get email alerts each time you add an observation, or turn it off, my parents asked for it to be set for each time. It also lets you know if parents have viewed, added comments or there own observations
how do we give Ofsted this evidence during an inspection if it is on computer? You can download as a PDF, which comes out nice, you can chose to have development matters on this or not
where does the child's voice fit in this commercial version? My older children like to view their journals on the computer and when taking photos will say can you add this to my book . The younger children like to view photos as I take them and I talk to them about sending it to mummy and daddy.

Hope you can share your ideas.

[Simona]

Thank you for sharing your ideas...thought provoking!

[hectors house]

I think I will ask the Nursery in town who demonstrated it cluster meeting if I can go for a visit to see how they use it day to day and then ask the owner if she will come to our next Independent Childminders meeting and demonstrate it to everyone as it was only me who went to the Nursery Cluster meeting. I am currently 3 months behind on writing up observations and have whole load of photos to download from camera that I can't remember why I took them now! I need something that will keep me up to date.

[Rubybubbles]

I think I will ask the Nursery in town who demonstrated it cluster meeting if I can go for a visit to see how they use it day to day and then ask the owner if she will come to our next Independent Childminders meeting and demonstrate it to everyone as it was only me who went to the Nursery Cluster meeting. I am currently 3 months behind on writing up observations and have whole load of photos to download from camera that I can't remember why I took them now! I need something that will keep me up to date.

3 months ekkk!

[Bluebell]

I used to get really behind in my scrap books too and have changed over to an electronic version which saves me so much time as its pretty much immediate and what does need to be done at the end of the day takes no time at all!
In answer to Simona's questions -

I use the free one but think Tapestry at £30 is a bargain and would definitely consider switching to it - my local primary school use it so I would be able to link with them.

the one i use e-mails the parent to tells them their childs profile has been updated it and they can view the photos and any comments made about them - if it is linked to development matters or whatever - there is even an area to comment notes or next steps. If you want to e-mail them the PDF version of the learning journey you can. (this is the version i use not tapestry - I think tapestry you can choose to send them information at a certain time. the school didn't want the parents getting used to being 'spoonfed' because they 'wouldn't be getting that kind of feedback in year 1'


I have had good feedback from parents that they can see the links between the development matters and what their children are doing is significant to that. they can look at it when they want.

I'm probably going to print the learning journey pdf version to go in their scrapbooks as i still keep artwork and things by the child to include 'child's voice' i also add in certificates or special photos to personalise it a bit more.

I would hope I would know when ofsted was coming and my printer didn't break so I could demonstrate clearly what it produces.

The one thing with tapestry is I mentioned a couple of things when I was helping at the school and the one I use can do things but theirs can't. for example we saw a child doing colour mixing but the child didn't really get it although they were involved and engaged. They could see that the colours changed but didn't know what they became.
She said she couldn't record that and I said I could because I have the option of putting 'emerging' 'developing' or 'secure'
Also I can add the CofL and say child was engaged but they can't with tapestry.

However on the one i use there does not seem to be very efficient 'overview' tools to help with assessing or planning and I suspect Tapestry may be better with that - but don't know - need to get more involved at the school!

[Simona]

Thank you Bluelion that is another issue to consider
May I ask if £30 is monthly? if it is that would be £360 PA

Whenever something like this comes out my immediate reaction is: can I devise something that is unique to me and works for me and has my copyright?...that is why I am a little reluctant to use packages and have devised a system that I can use for babies, move on to incorporating the Progress check and then on beyond that and adding the 4 Specific Areas....a real journey without interruptions.


The other interesting thing is the names we give a child's record: scrapbook, LJ, Record of Achievements ...I have to say I have used Record of Achievements for 20 year but I will now call it portfolio in future....so thank you Tapestry for the idea!!

[hectors house]

Tapestry is £30 for a year for up to 60 children (so that should be enough!), if your LA doesn't subscribe to foundation stage forum then you will have to pay an extra £20 to join that too.

I do my observations on the computer and have considered e-mailing them (I generally fit 3 on an A4 page) as soon as I have completed a page but in order to send as an attachment to an e-mail I would need to save and name each page separately, whereas at the moment the learning journal is one whole word document. I would still probably print a PDF version of it for children to look through and also for parents to take home and see the whole progression and share with grandparents etc.

[zippy]

I'm very tempted to try this, I use orbit at the moment but tapestry includes videos, parents comments etc, can parents still send postcards to me on it, my parents loop e sending me pics

[Simona]

Tapestry is £30 for a year for up to 60 children (so that should be enough!), if your LA doesn't subscribe to foundation stage forum then you will have to pay an extra £20 to join that too.

I do my observations on the computer and have considered e-mailing them (I generally fit 3 on an A4 page) as soon as I have completed a page but in order to send as an attachment to an e-mail I would need to save and name each page separately, whereas at the moment the learning journal is one whole word document. I would still probably print a PDF version of it for children to look through and also for parents to take home and see the whole progression and share with grandparents etc.

£30 a year? ....that's a bargain!!!

[Bambini2]

I have had a bit of a look around their website and it seems to me that you have to pay a registration/joining fee of £20 and only then can you get Tapestry for £30.00 for 60 children. I would also like to see more of how the finished product looks, not over impressed by the website and page mock ups.

[hectors house]

I have had a bit of a look around their website and it seems to me that you have to pay a registration/joining fee of £20 and only then can you get Tapestry for £30.00 for 60 children. I would also like to see more of how the finished product looks, not over impressed by the website and page mock ups.

I'm going to go up to the Nursery that demonstrated it on my day off (if they will let me), to see how it is used on a daily basis and then try to persuade the owner to come to one of our meetings. Also as Somerset are a member of fsf I think we only have to pay £30 (that's what the Nursery owner said). I too would like to see what the parent gets e-mailed - maybe she can set me up as a pretend parent. What was that other system that other lady talked about at the training yesterday - sounded like she said Prams! but think I misheard - maybe I will e-mail her and ask again.

[Bumble Beez]

it probably was PRAMS...

Introduction to PRAMS

I overheard a nursery talking about prams a while ago and had to research it cos I didn't understand lol!!

[Bambini2]

It was Prams.