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Development in the sidebar is where you record what the children you care for are learning, and share it with their families. It has three parts:
  • Observations — quick write-ups of single moments, usually with a photo or video. They build up into each child’s learning journal.
  • Two-year checks — the progress check every child needs between their second and third birthdays. Pigeonhole tells you who’s due.
  • Progress reports — a longer summary of how a child has been getting on over a term or another stretch of time, drawn from their journal.
The Pigeonhole sidebar with the Development group highlighted and expanded, showing Observations, Progress reports and Two-year checks

Observations

Capture a moment, use the AI assistant, add learning links and submit it for approval.

Two-year checks

See who’s due, choose levels, draft the summary, pick evidence and sign as key person.

Progress reports

Choose a reporting period, draft from the child’s journal and send it for approval.
Don’t see one of these in your sidebar? Your setting hasn’t switched it on. Ask your manager.

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How sharing works

Observations, two-year checks and progress reports all go through the same steps before a family sees them: Most staff click Submit for approval when they’ve finished. If you have the Publisher role, or you’re a manager, you’ll see Publish (or Share with family on a two-year check) instead, and your work goes straight to the family.

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Writing reminders

Your setting can set some plain-language writing rules — for example, “refer to other children as ‘a friend’”. When you submit or publish, Pigeonhole checks your writing against them. If anything is flagged, you’ll see what was flagged, which rule it breaks, and a suggested rewrite. You can click Fix all to accept the suggestions, or Proceed anyway to carry on as written. The reminder never stops you sharing, and it never changes your writing unless you ask it to. Saving a draft never triggers a check.

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Using the AI assistant

If your setting has AI drafting switched on, Pigeonhole can write a first draft for you: an observation from your rough notes, or a two-year check or progress report from the child’s published observations. The draft is a starting point. Read it, correct it and make it your own before you share it. The AI only ever sees text. Photos and videos are never sent to it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Can I do this on my phone?

You can capture and submit observations in the staff app. See Observations in the staff app. Two-year checks and progress reports are written on the web.

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Who can see my drafts?

Only you, unless your manager has chosen to share drafts with all staff. In that case colleagues can see your drafts, and perhaps edit them. Only you can submit, publish or delete your own draft.