When a new child joins your setting, the first few weeks are one of the most valuable times you have. It's your chance to get to know them properly: their interests, their routines, how they communicate, what comforts them, what worries them, and how they like to learn. This is a settling-in period first and foremost, which means you may not yet see a true picture of where a child is developmentally. That's completely to be expected. The priority is building trust, getting to know the child, and supporting their transition into your setting.
tiney doesn't have a standalone "assessment" section in the app, but the tools built into it give you everything you need to build a clear picture of each child as they settle in.
What does the EYFS say about assessment?
The EYFS is clear that assessment should be purposeful, not burdensome. Childminders are expected to build an understanding of each child's progress and development, but there is no requirement to prove this through physical evidence or excessive paperwork. What matters is that you know your children well, act on what you observe, and keep parents informed. The approach we recommend at tiney reflects this directly. The one formal assessment that is mandatory is the progress check at age two, which gives parents a written summary of their child's development in the prime areas of learning.
The recommended approach
The best way to complete a settling-in assessment is through the tools already built into the app. You can use snapshots, EYFS observations, or a combination of both. Whichever you choose, we recommend completing settling-in observations weekly for at least the first six weeks, so parents can see how their child is getting on.
Snapshots capture key moments, behaviours, and interests as they happen. They're quick to add and build up into a useful record over time.
EYFS observations let you link what you're seeing to the relevant areas of learning and development within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. This is a good option if you want to connect your observations directly to the EYFS.
Together, these give you a child-led, natural picture of how each child is settling in, without relying on a single formal assessment at a fixed point.
Optional: separate settling-in forms
If you'd prefer to use a more structured form alongside your observations, we have resources available to support you:
Settling-in review form — available within the app, this gives you a structured way to record how a child has settled during their first weeks, and is a great way to support the conversation with parents about how their child is getting on. [Link to settling-in review form in app]
Development termly summary form — because the settling-in period may not give you a true picture of where a child is developmentally, we wouldn't recommend using this as a formal record during the first six weeks. However, if you'd find it helpful as a guide to inform your observations, it's available here. It's also worth noting that there is no formal requirement to complete development summaries, other than the two-year check. The EYFS is clear that paperwork should not be burdensome, but we know some childminders find them a useful way to organise their thinking and track progress over time, so they're there if you find them helpful. [Link to development summary form]
These are optional. Best practice is to use snapshots and EYFS observations as your primary record, with these forms as a supplement if they're useful to you.
We also ran a webinar on settling in and working with families, which covers this in more detail. [Link to Settling In and Working with Families webinar]
Why we take this approach
At tiney, we believe observations should reflect real children in real moments, not just boxes ticked on a form. Building your picture of a child through snapshots and observations keeps your practice child-led, reduces unnecessary admin, and still fully meets your EYFS requirements.
FAQs
Do I have to complete a formal settling-in assessment? No. There's no requirement to complete a formal document. What matters is that you're building a genuine understanding of the child through observations and planning accordingly.
Can I still complete a progress check at age two? Yes, completing the two year check is mandatory. Your snapshots and EYFS observations can support your progress check at age two. The development summary form can also help you structure this if you prefer.
Need a hand?
If you'd like support working out what approach suits you, or want help using any of the tools above, get in touch with the tiney team at community@tiney.co.