More than thirty tools, built one real need at a time inside a working nursery — with the AI parts gated behind a person, always.
Photograph a moment and a full observation comes back written — the learning that's happening, where it goes next, wellbeing and involvement, and a summary a parent can actually read — tagged to EYFS, Montessori and Waldorf in a single pass.
Where other nursery software has AI at all, it only polishes wording a staff member has already typed. Nothing else builds the whole observation from a photograph, or reads it against more than one framework at once. And nothing reaches a parent until a keyworker has checked it.
The statutory EYFS two-year progress check, assembled automatically from the observations already on file — every judgement links straight back to the evidence behind it, and the termly milestone tracker feeds it as you go.
No other nursery platform automates this specific report. Everywhere else it's a form someone fills in from memory the week it's due.
Every allergy and medication is tracked on the child's record and against a schedule. The label scanner reads a product's packaging into a verified product library, and the day's meal plan is cross-checked automatically against each child's allergies — with a staff member confirming every entry before it counts.
The result: the kitchen gets a per-child warning before a meal goes out, not a note that got missed on a clipboard.
A magic link to their email signs a parent in, with nothing to download. They see the observations you've approved, today's nappies, sleep and meals, and the photo album — the same care record you're already keeping, nothing re-entered. It's the gap most other platforms still charge extra to close.
The register, the accident form, the medication round — the things that have to be right every single day, done on a tablet on the wall rather than a desk.
Sign children in and out against a live ratio check — by room and age band, warning you before you tip over, not after. AM, PM and tea-time sessions, and a log an inspector can read.
Log an accident with a body map and a photo; the parent signs on the screen or from a link, and a head-injury letter prints if it's needed.
Every dose recorded against a schedule, every allergy on the child's record — and on the kitchen's radar through the meal cross-check.
Nappies, sleep and meals logged in a couple of taps, flowing straight through to the parent's feed.
Plan and track each new starter's settling visits on one calendar, so nobody's first full day is a surprise.
A shared ambient sound player for nap time, controlled from any device in the room.
Observations, planning and progress — the pedagogy side of the job, without the evenings spent writing it up.
AI observations from a photo — full write-up, multi-framework tags, next steps, parent summary. See the detail above.
The AI's own confidence sets the queue: uncertain drafts wait for a person, confident ones are still never sent without one. Nothing skips review.
Run EYFS, Montessori and Waldorf — or write your own framework, its areas and its statements. The AI tags observations against all of them at once, and a built-in SEND Development Pathway covers children working below the EYFS bands.
The theme-led planning web your team sketches by hand, made digital — with prompts from what worked last time on the two-year rotation.
More than a list: individual support plans, EHCP details, outside-agency referrals and review dates — the whole SEND caseload in one place, visible only to the staff who should see it.
A shared album per child that feeds both the learning journey and the parent portal.
Every keyworker's children at a glance — drag a child from one to another to rebalance, and the change is logged like any reassignment.
The records an inspector asks for, kept as you go rather than reconstructed the night before a visit.
A tamper-evident record of who was signed in when, and who did the signing — unlockable only with an admin PIN.
Meal plans with allergen tags, cross-checked against every child's allergies, plus the label scanner and its verified product library. See the detail above.
Reusable assessment templates and dated checks — indoor rooms, outings, the lot — with any actions tracked through to done.
The statutory check, rolled up automatically from real observations with full traceability. See the detail above.
Who's in, who's on a break, who's owed leave, and whose DBS is about to lapse.
A PIN kiosk for staff to clock in and out, with breaks tracked and overruns flagged.
The clocked hours in one view, ready to check against the rota and the payroll.
Build the week and see your ratios before you publish it, colour-coded by room.
Requests, approvals and a year-planner of who's off when, with entitlement tracked.
Log casual and bank shifts separately, with their own admin sign-off.
Every DBS, first-aid, paediatric and safeguarding certificate with its expiry date — warning you weeks before one runs out.
From the first show-round enquiry to an invoice that works out the funding by itself.
Every enquiry from first contact through show-round to signed contract, with e-signature enrolment packs and duplicate-child detection.
Funded hours, term-time patterns and fees calculated automatically; PDF invoices sent to parents and chased for you.
A birthday list, and a printable diet-and-allergy reminder sheet for the week ahead.
Draft, review and send a nursery newsletter to every parent on file.
A signed visitor record at the door, exportable for an inspection.
Who can see what, who changed what, and getting back anything deleted by mistake.
See at a glance which children are due an observation and who's fallen behind.
Every change to a sensitive record — who, what and when.
Nothing's really gone: soft-deleted records sit in a bin you can restore from.
Staff access, PINs, funding rates, thresholds and branding, all in one place.
Row-level security on every table, two-factor for admins, and the safety-critical forms keep working with no signal — syncing the moment you're back.
ChildHive is invite-only. Request access and we'll set you up ourselves.