Tapestry EYFS: A Teacher's Complete Guide to Online Learning Journals

If you have spent any time in an Early Years setting, you know the physical weight of traditional learning journals. You have likely spent your Sunday evenings surrounded by glue sticks, printed photos, and stacks of ring binders. It is a slow, messy process that often keeps you away from the very children you are trying to observe.

Tapestry was built to solve this specific problem. It is an online platform that allows you to record children's progress, share moments with parents, and manage assessments without the sticky mess. While some teachers worry about the transition to digital, the reality is that it often gives you back your time.

This guide will look at how Tapestry works, why it is popular in the UK, and whether it is the right fit for your classroom. We will skip the jargon and focus on what actually happens when the tablet is in your hand and the children are busy at the sand tray.

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What Is Tapestry?

Tapestry is a secure online learning journal designed to record the development of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). It was created by the team at the Foundation Stage Forum, a well-known community for UK educators. They launched the platform in 2012, long before digital journals became the standard in most schools.

Unlike general purpose storage apps, Tapestry is built specifically for education. It provides a structured space where teachers can upload photos, videos, and written notes about a child's learning. This information is then compiled into a digital profile that follows the child through their time at your setting.

Because it is a cloud-based service, you do not need to worry about backing up data on your school servers. Everything is stored securely and can be accessed by staff and parents through encrypted logins. It has become a staple in thousands of UK primary schools, nurseries, and childminding settings.

Consider a new Reception lead, Mr Thompson, who arrives at a school that still uses physical folders. He notices that the staff spend the first two weeks of every term just trying to organise the paperwork from the previous year. He introduces Tapestry, and suddenly the "handover" process is instant. He can look back at a child's entire history from Nursery with a single click, seeing exactly how their fine motor skills have developed over eighteen months.

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How Tapestry Works in Practise

The day-to-day workflow of Tapestry is remarkably simple. Most practitioners use the mobile app, which is available on iOS and Android. You carry a tablet or school-approved phone around the setting, ready to capture learning moments as they happen.

When you see something worth recording, you open the app and start a new observation. You take a photo or a short video clip, then select the child or children involved. You then add a title and a description, explaining what the child did and why it is significant for their learning.

Once the observation is saved, you can add tags or assessments based on your preferred framework. If your school uses Development Matters, you can link the observation to specific milestones or the Characteristics of Effective Learning. After you approve the entry, it becomes visible to the child's parents, who can like or comment on the post.

In a busy Reception class, a child named Leo finally manages to zip up his own coat for the first time. His teacher, Mrs Begum, captures a 10-second video of his proud face and the successful zipping. She tags it under Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Physical Development. Ten minutes later, Leo's father, who is at work, sees the video and leaves a comment saying, "Well done Leo, we will practise this at home tonight!"

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Key Features for EYFS Practitioners

Tapestry is packed with tools that go beyond simple photo sharing. One of the most important features is its flexibility with frameworks. You are not locked into one way of thinking; you can choose between Development Matters, Birth to 5 Matters, or even create your own bespoke school criteria.

The parent engagement features are equally strong. You can send Memos to the whole class for things like forest school reminders or Activities that parents can try at home. Parents can also upload their own photos and videos, which helps you see a child's learning in different contexts, such as a weekend trip to the library.

For those who still need physical records, Tapestry allows you to generate PDF versions of the learning journals. These can be printed at the end of the year as a keepsake for parents. There are also deep analysis tools that help you spot gaps in your provision, showing you which areas of the curriculum are being neglected.

A childminder, Claire, uses the Analysis tab at the end of the autumn term. She notices that she has plenty of observations for Mathematics and Literacy, but very few for Understanding the World. She realises she has not been doing enough outdoor exploration lately. The next week, she plans a nature treasure hunt specifically to address this gap, using Tapestry to document the new experiences.

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Getting Started with Tapestry

Setting up the platform does not require a degree in computer science. You start by creating an account and choosing your subscription level. Most schools begin by importing their student data via a CSV file, which takes the manual work out of adding names and birth dates.

Once the children are in the system, you can set up staff accounts. You have total control over permissions; for example, you might allow a student teacher to draft observations but require a senior teacher to approve them before they go live. This ensures quality control and protects the school's professional image.

Training your team is the final hurdle. Tapestry provides an extensive library of tutorials called Tapestry University. Most teachers find they can learn the basics in about thirty minutes. It is helpful to have a super-user in the building who can answer quick questions during the first few weeks of implementation.

A large three-form entry primary school decides to roll out Tapestry. They spend one twilight session showing the staff how to log in and take their first photo. To make it fun, the teachers spend twenty minutes observing each other making cups of tea. By the end of the hour, even the most tech-phobic staff members feel confident enough to use the app in the classroom the following morning.

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Tapestry Pricing and Plans

Tapestry uses a straightforward pricing model that is generally based on the number of children in your setting. For many small nurseries and childminders, the entry-level plan is perfect. It costs £99 per year for up to 40 children, which works out to less than £2.50 per child per year.

When you consider the cost of physical binders, photo printing, and glue, this often pays for itself. If you have more than 40 children, the price increases in tiers. A school with 120 children might pay closer to £200 per year, which is still a tiny fraction of the overall EYFS budget.

There is also a free 2-week trial available. This is not a lite version; it gives you access to the full platform so you can test every feature. You can upload real observations and see how parents respond before committing any funds. This transparency is one reason why the platform has maintained its market share for over a decade.

A small village pre-school is struggling with its budget. The manager, Helen, calculates that they spend £150 a year on ink cartridges and special scrapbook paper for their journals. She realises that switching to the £99 Tapestry plan will actually save the setting £51 a year, while also saving her staff at least two hours of sticking time every Friday afternoon.

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Tapestry vs Other Learning Journals

Tapestry is the market leader, but it is not the only option. Evidence Me by 2Simple is its biggest competitor in primary schools. Evidence Me is often praised for its auto-tagging features, where the AI suggests which parts of the curriculum a photo might link to. However, many EYFS purists prefer the manual control of Tapestry, feeling it leads to more accurate professional judgements.

Evisense is another alternative, often used in Special Educational Needs (SEN) settings because of its strong focus on evidence of learning and its high-security features. Famly is a broader platform that includes billing, attendance, and parent communication alongside learning journals. If you just want a dedicated pedagogical tool, Famly might feel like overkill. Tapestry remains focused on the story of the child rather than the business management of a nursery.

Paper journals still exist, and some teachers love the tactile nature of a physical book. However, paper cannot play a video of a child singing or be shared instantly with a parent who lives in another city. The environmental impact of printing thousands of photos every year is also a significant factor that leads schools towards digital solutions.

A Headteacher is choosing between Tapestry and a more expensive all-in-one management app. He looks at the Flags feature in Tapestry, which allows teachers to mark an observation as a Significant Moment without attaching a complex data point. He decides that Tapestry's focus on the teacher's voice is better for his staff's well-being than the data-heavy alternatives.

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Making the Most of Tapestry

To get the most out of the platform, you must avoid the quantity trap. Some teachers feel they need to upload five observations a day for every child. This is a quick way to burn out and leads to shallow records. Instead, focus on high-quality observations that tell you something new about the child's thinking.

Use the Reflections tool to link observations together. This allows you to look at a series of events and write a professional summary of a child's progress over a term. It is much more useful than a spreadsheet of tick-boxes. It allows you to demonstrate to Ofsted how you know your children and how you are planning for their individual needs.

Engaging parents is the other key to success. Don't just post photos; ask questions. If you post a photo of a child enjoying a book about dinosaurs, add a caption saying, "Leo loved this story today. Does he have a favourite dinosaur book at home?" This turns the learning journal from a one-way broadcast into a meaningful conversation.

A Reception teacher, Tom, noticed that his class was obsessed with The Gruffalo. He used the Activities feature on Tapestry to send a Gruffalo Crumble recipe home on a Friday. On Monday morning, five different parents had uploaded photos of their children weighing ingredients and mixing the crumble. Tom was able to use these home observations as evidence for Mathematics and Understanding the World without doing any extra work in class.

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Common Tapestry Challenges

No software is perfect, and you will encounter hurdles. Staff resistance is the most common issue. Some teachers feel that having a tablet in their hand makes them look like they are not with the children. The solution is to model how to use it as a tool for a few seconds, then put it down and get back into the play.

Parent engagement can also be inconsistent. You might have one parent who never logs in and another who posts twenty photos of their cat. It is important to set clear boundaries and expectations in your initial parent induction. Explain that the app is for learning moments, not a general social media feed.

Technical issues like forgotten passwords or poor Wi-Fi in the outdoor area can be frustrating. Always ensure your setting has a clear policy for offline working. Tapestry's app allows you to take observations without Wi-Fi and then sync them once you are back in range. This is essential for forest school sessions or trips to the local park.

Mrs Jenkins, a Nursery lead, finds that one father is becoming competitive. He sees another child's learning moment mentioned in a group observation and asks why his son doesn't have as many posts. Mrs Jenkins sits him down and explains that every child has their own rhythm. She shows him how the quality of the observations for his son shows deep, focused learning that doesn't always need a daily photo update.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it GDPR compliant?

Yes, Tapestry is fully GDPR compliant. Data is stored on secure servers within the UK and Ireland. You have complete control over who can see which data, and you can export or delete a child's data whenever they leave your setting.

Can parents upload their own observations?

Yes, and you should encourage them to do so. Parent-led observations are a vital part of the whole child picture. You can choose whether these uploads are private to you or visible to other staff members.

Does it work offline?

The Tapestry app has an offline mode. You can capture photos, videos, and notes while you are away from the internet. Once your device connects to Wi-Fi again, the app will automatically sync your drafts to the secure server.

How many observations should I do per child?

There is no magic number. Ofsted and the 2021 EYFS reforms explicitly state that you should not spend your life tracking data. Aim for a few meaningful, high-quality observations per week that actually inform your planning, rather than dozens of meaningless snapshots.

Can I export data for children who move schools?

Yes, you can generate a full Transfer file. This allows the new school to import the child's learning process into their own Tapestry account. If the new school does not use Tapestry, you can provide them with a full PDF export of the journal.

Is it Ofsted-ready?

Absolutely. Ofsted inspectors are very familiar with Tapestry. They are generally more interested in how you use the information to support children's learning than the software itself. The analysis tools are excellent for showing an inspector how you identify and support children who are at risk of falling behind.

Your next step is to visit the Tapestry website and sign up for the free 2-week trial using your school email address. Upload just five observations of your current focus children and see how it changes your afternoon.

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Further Reading