Following your child's learning journey

See the observations, photos, and EYFS progress your childminder records — and how it all builds into your child's Learning Journey.

Written byDaniel Broadhurst (Founder)|Published: 18 June 2026|
Ofsted Aligned

ℹ️Who this is for

Parents whose childminder records their child's learning in KinderStart. You'll need the parent app (see

Getting started as a parent

). It takes about three minutes.

Video Walkthrough

Your childminder notices what your child is learning, not just what they did, and records it as an observation: a photo or a short note, linked to an area of your child's development.

In England these areas come from the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage), the framework for how children learn and develop from birth to five. In Scotland you'll see the Curriculum for Excellence and the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators, and in Wales the Curriculum for Wales.

1. Open the Learning Journey

Tap the Menu at the top left of your home screen, then choose Learning Journey. If more than one of your children goes to this childminder, choose the child you want to see.

2. See the latest moments

Your child's journey shows every moment your childminder has recorded, newest first. Each one shows the photo or note, the area of learning it's linked to, and any next steps your childminder has planned.

Use the filters at the top to narrow it down: Snapshots, Observations, or Next Steps to see everything your childminder is working on with your child in one list.

3. Open your child's story

Tap your child's story at the top of the journey for the bigger picture. It's the same moments, told as a story rather than a list:

  • How many months together and moments captured so far.
  • How far they've come: where your child started, and what they're doing now.
  • What's been filling their days: the areas of learning their moments have touched.
  • Moments that mattered: recent highlights.
  • What we're working towards next: your childminder's next steps, including the ones already Achieved.
  • Share this with family, if you'd like others to see it.

4. Follow one area of learning

In What's been filling their days, tap an area, such as Physical Development. You'll see every moment linked to that area, from the first one on, so you can watch that interest grow.

5. See the steps towards a next step

Back on your child's story, scroll to What we're working towards next. Where your childminder has recorded progress towards a next step, each moment is listed under it, from the day it was set. Tap a moment to read what your childminder saw.

ℹ️Statutory checks, too

When your child is due a statutory review, like the 2-Year Progress Check, your childminder draws on these same observations. What you see here is the evidence behind those reports.

Why KinderStart does it this way

Childminders must track your child's development and share it with you. Showing each moment as it's recorded, rather than saving it up for a termly report, means you can talk about it at pick-up, try a next step at home, and spot how your child is growing week by week.

What to do next

🚀
Track Your Progress
Don't get lost in the paperwork. Use our free interactive checklist to tick off each step as you complete it.

Next guide

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KinderStart strives for accuracy. Competitor features and pricing comparisons are based on publicly available information as of May 2026. Details are subject to change by respective providers.

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