Early years assessment for nurseries and schools
Early years assessment that shows what every child needs next
Arc Pathway is an early years assessment platform for nurseries and schools. Teachers profile each child across all seven areas of learning, including wellbeing, and get next steps written by early years specialists. From 12 months to the end of Year 1.
UCL“Arc Pathway has a significant positive effect on teacher competence”University College London study (2025)Watch the product tourParent? Follow your child's progress or discover Arc at Home.
Chosen by nurseries and schools around the world
Who it's for
One platform for your setting, your team and your families
Nurseries and schools use Arc Pathway to assess, plan and report. Their families follow along in the parent app.
Arc at School
For nurseries and schools
Assess, plan, share and report in one place. Developmental profiles, next steps, a full learning journal, the parent app and cohort reports, priced per child.
- Nursery, pre-school, Reception and Year 1
- UK settings and British international schools
- Unlimited staff and parents
- Free training and support
Parents at an Arc Pathway setting
Your child's nursery or school uses Arc Pathway
See your child's observations, progress and next steps in the parent app. Your child's setting will send you an invite.
Get the parent app
Arc at Home
For families on their own
Understand your child's development and get simple activities matched to their stage.
Explore Arc at HomeThe whole child, at a glance
Every child's development in one clear picture
Each arc shows where a child is in an area of learning, in small steps from 12 months to the end of Year 1. Next steps are ready to use.
Illustration of a child's profile in Arc Pathway.
What only Arc does
Built to tell you what each child needs
See the whole child
A sensitive profile across seven areas, including wellbeing, shown as simple arcs. Minutes per child.
Know what to do next
Personalised next steps and support plans for every child, written by early years specialists. You're never starting from a blank page.
Evidence you can trust
Researchers at UCL found teachers using Arc were significantly better at assessing and supporting development than non-users, even allowing for experience and qualifications.
Read the studyEverything in one place
Everything a learning journal does. And the part it can't.
Arc does all the day-to-day recording you rely on now, then adds what no learning journal can: a clear view of what each child needs next.
Everything you'd expect
All included in your Arc subscription
Only with Arc
What turns your records into next steps
How it works
How Arc Pathway works
Profile each child
Answer short, observation-based questions. Arc Pathway builds a profile in small steps across seven areas. Minutes per child.
Get next steps
Personalised next steps and support plans for every child, written by early years specialists.
Share and report
Families see progress in the parent app. Leaders get cohort reports by class and year group.
Up and running in a few hours. Training and support are free and unlimited.Switching from another system?
Security and data protection
Children's data, kept safe and in the UK
Arc Pathway is built for nurseries and schools, so protecting children's information comes first.
- Hosted in the UK on Microsoft Azure, with backups also kept in the UK
- Two-factor sign-in now rolling out to manager accounts
- Photos and videos can only be viewed by signed-in users
- A named Data Protection Officer and a Data Processing Agreement for every setting
In their words
Trusted by early years leaders in 27+ countries
We have found that it is really meaningful and not just a tick box exercise, which is what most other platforms out there are.
I rave about Arc Pathway to everyone. We absolutely love it and feel so thankful to have found you!
We've looked at other assessment platforms but you have really raised the bar.
Arc at Home · for parents
Support your child's development at home
Arc at Home is Arc Pathway's app for families. Profile your own child's development and get simple activities matched to their stage, from the same specialists behind Arc at School.
Your setting
Built for your setting
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is Arc Pathway?
Arc Pathway is an early years assessment and learning journal platform for nurseries and schools. It profiles each child's development across seven areas of learning, including wellbeing, and gives teachers personalised next steps written by early years specialists.
What ages does Arc Pathway cover?
Arc Pathway covers children from 12 months to the end of Year 1, in small developmental steps. That includes nursery, pre-school, Reception (FS2) and Year 1.
How much does Arc Pathway cost?
Arc Pathway is priced per child, per year, with no set-up fees. Unlimited staff and parents, training and support are included. Book a demo for an exact quote.See pricing
How is Arc Pathway different from a learning journal?
Arc Pathway includes a full learning journal, with photo and video observations and a parent app. It also profiles each child's development and tells you what they need next, which a learning journal on its own does not.
Can parents see their child's progress?
Yes. Families at Arc Pathway settings use the parent app to see observations, progress and next steps. Unlimited parent accounts are included. Parents whose setting doesn't use Arc Pathway can use Arc at Home.About the parent app
Is children's data secure?
Yes. Arc Pathway is hosted on Microsoft Azure in the UK, with backups also kept in the UK. Data is encrypted, photos and videos can only be viewed by signed-in users, and two-factor sign-in is rolling out to manager accounts. We can send our data protection documents to your data protection lead.How we look after your data
Is Arc Pathway aligned to the EYFS?
Yes. Arc Pathway is aligned to the EYFS and produces EYFS Profiles, 2-year checks and reports for parents. Nurseries and schools in 27+ countries use it, including British international schools.Arc Pathway for UK settings
Ready when you are
See how Arc Pathway could work for you
Just 20 minutes on Microsoft Teams, at a time that suits you. No obligation.