Observations from a photo
Snap a moment. ChildHive drafts the observation against EYFS, and a keyworker checks and approves it.
Built by a working nursery, not a vendor
Less paperwork. More time outdoors.
Observations, registers, funded-hours invoicing, parent newsletters and your Ofsted evidence, in one calm place made for UK nurseries.
Ofsted due? Take the free 3-minute readiness check →
- Ofsted-ready recordsRegisters, accidents, medication and risk checks, signed and time-stamped.
- UK funding and invoicingFunded hours worked into every invoice, with a secure link for parents.
- UK GDPR by designRole-based access, two-factor sign-in for admins and a full audit log.
Free · 3 minutes · no sign-up
How ready is your nursery for Ofsted?
Answer 13 quick questions and see your readiness score, with the gaps to close first.
Everything your day needs, nothing it doesn't.
Built one real need at a time, by people who run a nursery every day.
Invoices that understand funding
Funded hours, sessions and extras calculated for you. Parents get a secure link to view and download.
A register that watches ratios
Sign children in and out and see live ratio checks for every room.
Newsletters from your notes
Jot down what happened this month. ChildHive turns it into a newsletter with your photos.
Accidents and medication, signed off
Record it, collect the parent's signature and keep a clear trail for inspection.
Your Ofsted evidence in one place
Staff records, training, policies, safeguarding and premises certificates, with a readiness score and a report to print.
Getting started is simple.
Watch the demo
See a whole nursery day in ChildHive in 4 minutes, then start your 3 weeks free.
Guided setup
A step-by-step checklist walks you through your rooms, children and staff -- and we're one email away if you get stuck.
Your team goes live
Staff use any phone or tablet, even when the Wi-Fi drops at the bottom of the garden.
Our story
Built at Forest Village Kindergarten
ChildHive comes from Forest Village Kindergarten, an outdoor kindergarten on Morden Recreation Ground. Muddy hands, patchy signal and funded hours to invoice: every feature started as a real problem in our own day, and we use it there every day.
- Monthly parent newsletter
- Menu and allergy chart
- Birthday celebrations
Made for everyone in your setting.
Owners and managers
Invoices, funding, ratios and compliance at a glance, across every room.
Room leaders
Who's in, ratios, meals and allergies for your room on one screen.
Practitioners
Photograph a moment, check the draft, done. Back to the children in seconds.
Parents
Newsletters, invoices and accident reports arrive by email, and they sign on their phone. Nothing to install.
Your first 3 weeks are free.
Pick the package that fits your nursery. Setup is guided step by step, and you can change package any time.
Essentials
Run the day: registers, care and safety.
£59 a month
Sign upIncludes:
- Registers and signing in and out
- Care log: nappies, sleep and meals
- Accidents and medication, by voice too
- Observations with EYFS and AI writing
- Ratio and allergy checks
- Inspection Hub for Ofsted
Plus
For settings that put learning first.
£79 a month
Sign upEverything in Essentials, plus:
- SEND, Montessori and Waldorf frameworks
- Progress tracking for every child
- Monthly planning
- Newsletters for parents
- Photo album
- Staff certificates and policy reminders
Complete
Run the whole nursery, fees included.
£99 a month
Sign upEverything in Plus, plus:
- Invoicing with funded hours
- Enrolment pack and online forms
- Viewing bookings
- Staff attendance and leave
- Bank staff hours
- Daily email when staff certificates or checks are due
Every package: up to 29 children, then £1 a month per extra child. No limit on staff profiles, up to 5 logins. No VAT to add. Pay yearly and get 1 month free.
Childminders
Everything included, for up to 7 children. Then £1 a month per extra child.
£29 a month
Sign upGroups of 2 or more nurseries
One owner login for every branch, a price that fits your group, and we set it all up.
- 3 weeks free
- Nothing taken for 21 days
- Cancel any time
- Guided step-by-step setup
Questions nursery managers ask.
Does invoicing handle funded hours?
Yes. Record each child's funded hours once and ChildHive takes them into account on every invoice. Parents get a secure link to view theirs.
Is our data safe and GDPR compliant?
Access is limited by role, admins sign in with two-factor authentication and sensitive actions are recorded in an audit log.
Will it help at our next Ofsted inspection?
Yes. Registers, accident and medication records, risk assessments and observations are signed and dated, and the Inspection Hub pulls your Single Central Record, training, policies, safeguarding and premises certificates into one readiness view, with a report you can print for the inspector. It shows your evidence; it isn't a judgement of compliance.
What do parents get?
Parents don't need an account or an app. Newsletters, invoices, accident reports and forms arrive by email as secure links, and they can read and sign them on their phone.
What if the Wi-Fi drops outside?
Forms save on the device and sync when you're back in range, so nothing is lost in the garden or the woods.
How much does it cost?
Your first 3 weeks are free. After that nurseries choose a package: Essentials £59, Plus £79 or Complete £99 a month, each for up to 29 children, then £1 a month for each extra child. Each package includes everything in the one before it. Groups with 2 or more nurseries get one owner login for every branch: get in touch for a price. Childminders pay £29 a month for up to 7 children, then £1 a month for each extra child. No limit on staff profiles (staff without a login simply use the nursery tablet), up to 5 logins per nursery, and no VAT to add. Pay yearly and get 1 month free. Setup is guided step by step, and we're one email away if you get stuck.