The preschool management platform built for South African schools
Replace disconnected spreadsheets, paper registers, and WhatsApp updates with one system that handles ELDA and Grade R assessments, DSD-compliant incident reports, daily attendance, staff operations, and parent communication — in English and Afrikaans.
Most South African preschools are running critical operations on patched-together systems
When core school operations run on different tools, notebooks, and spreadsheets, small problems accumulate into systemic ones. Here is what we see in schools every day.
End-of-term reporting chaos
Teachers rebuild Excel grids every term, manually write comments for each child, and principals review everything on paper before reports go out weeks late.
Incomplete incident records
Incident forms are filled in on paper, signatures are chased manually, and there is no reliable way to confirm parents received and acknowledged the report.
Staff admin on spreadsheets
Attendance sign-in sheets, leave tracked in notebooks, qualification expiry dates forgotten, and no real-time view of who is actually on site.
WhatsApp-dependent parent communication
Important updates get lost in group chats, there is no record of who saw what, and sensitive information ends up on personal devices.
Disconnected systems everywhere
Assessments, attendance, incidents, staff records, and parent updates all live in different places. Nothing talks to each other.
Hours lost to admin instead of children
Principals and teachers spend evenings and weekends on paperwork that should take minutes, not hours. The children lose out.
This is not a technology problem. It is a systems problem.
One connected system, built specifically for South African ECD
EarlyTrack replaces the patchwork of spreadsheets, paper forms, and messaging apps with a single platform purpose-built for preschools, ECD centres, and Grade R schools. Explore all features.
Instead of...
You get...
It also automates the repetitive parts.
Built-in capabilities that set EarlyTrack apart
Purpose-built features for South African preschools, ECD centres, and Grade R schools.
ELDA: 492 skills ready to use
Five age brackets, four terms, six developmental domains. The complete ELDA framework is loaded from day one.
Curriculum-alignedGrade R: 98 skills across 3 subjects
Four terms with numeric ratings and subsections in Terms 1 and 2. Matches the national Grade R curriculum.
Grade R readyThree-level and four-level ratings
ELDA uses categorical ratings. Grade R uses numeric averages. Each framework keeps its own assessment logic.
Framework fidelityAuto-save every 30 seconds
Work is saved automatically as teachers complete assessments. No progress is ever lost.
Zero data lossBranded PDF reports
Generate professional reports with your school logo, colours, and layout. Ready to share with parents.
Professional outputTerm-by-term progression tracking
Track each learner's development across terms with clear visibility into growth and areas needing attention.
Growth trackingRecord observations hands-free
Teachers record voice observations during class using their device microphone. No typing needed in the moment.
Hands-free captureAutomatic transcription
Voice recordings are transcribed to text automatically using a dedicated speech-to-text service.
Instant textEnglish and Afrikaans transcription
Transcription is tuned for both languages with vocabulary-specific prompting for accurate results.
BilingualFrom voice to assessment evidence
Transcribed observations link directly to curriculum skills, building an evidence base for assessments.
Evidence-basedFull interface in Afrikaans
The entire platform — every menu, label, button, and message — is available in Afrikaans.
Volledige AfrikaansAssessment skills in Afrikaans
All 492 ELDA skills and 98 Grade R skills are available in Afrikaans alongside English.
TweetaligAI comments in Afrikaans
AI-generated assessment comments and parent summaries are produced in the language of your choice.
AI-ondersteuningPDF reports and emails in Afrikaans
Generated reports, email templates, and parent communication all respect the school's language setting.
KonsekwentVoice transcription in Afrikaans
The speech-to-text service is tuned for Afrikaans vocabulary and pronunciation, not generic Dutch.
AkkuraatDraft, review, approve
Teachers draft assessments, principals review and approve. Nothing goes to parents without sign-off.
Quality control100% completion required
Assessments cannot be submitted until every skill has been rated. No gaps reach parents.
CompletenessChanges requested workflow
Principals can request changes with comments. Teachers see exactly what needs attention.
Clear feedbackAudit trail on every assessment
Every status change is logged with timestamps and user attribution for complete traceability.
Full traceabilityObservation-to-skill linking
AI analyses daily observations and suggests which curriculum skills are demonstrated in each one.
Smart linkingEvidence-based suggestions
Skill suggestions come with the observation evidence that supports them, not just guesses.
Evidence-backedConfirm or dismiss workflow
Teachers review AI suggestions and confirm or dismiss with one click. The teacher stays in control.
Teacher controlWeekly observation summaries
Automated weekly summaries help teachers reflect on patterns and plan for the week ahead.
Structured reflectionAI-assisted column mapping
Upload your existing CSV files and AI maps your columns to EarlyTrack fields with confidence scores.
Smart setupBulk learner and parent import
Import your full learner register and parent contact details in one upload instead of manual entry.
Fast onboardingValidation and error handling
The import process validates data and flags issues before anything is saved, preventing bad data.
Data qualityHow EarlyTrack works
Three steps to a fully connected school. Set up once, use every day.
Set up your school
Add your school profile, branding, terms, classes, teachers, learners, and parents. Most schools complete setup in under two hours.
Capture daily activity
Record observations, mark attendance, log incidents, and track staff movement as they happen throughout the day.
Turn records into action
Complete assessments, generate branded reports, notify parents, and monitor operations from one dashboard.
Cut end-of-term reporting from weeks to days
The ELDA engine has all 492 skills loaded. The Grade R engine has all 98 skills. Teachers rate skills, the system generates comments with AI, principals approve, and branded PDF reports are produced automatically.
- Complete ELDA and Grade R frameworks built in
- AI-generated comments in English and Afrikaans
- Draft, review, and approval workflow
- Branded PDF reports generated automatically
- Auto-save every 30 seconds — no work lost
Keep DSD incident records complete and audit-ready
The incident reporting module implements the DSD 2022 form specification in full. All 15 sections, body-map injury documentation, photo evidence, digital signatures, and automated parent acknowledgement tracking.
- Full DSD 2022 form: all 15 sections
- Body maps and photo evidence attachments
- Digital signatures from teachers and principals
- Automated parent acknowledgement tracking
- Auto-numbered for sequential record keeping
Give teachers back the time they spend writing
AI generates contextual assessment comments based on skill ratings and observations. Teachers review and edit rather than writing from scratch. Available in both English and Afrikaans, with bulk generation across entire classes.
- AI observation comments from skill ratings
- Bilingual: English and Afrikaans
- Bulk generation across entire classes
- Voice-to-text observations during class
- AI parent summaries for approved reports
Replace paper attendance with a live daily register
Digital attendance registers give principals real-time visibility into who is present, who arrived late, and who is absent. Automated absent marking, late detection, and parent notifications reduce manual follow-up.
- Real-time visibility across all classes
- Late arrival detection and alerts
- Auto-absent marking after cutoff time
- Automated parent notifications
- Analytics and attendance history exports
Manage all staff operations from one place
Kiosk-based clock-in with barcode or PIN, leave request workflows, qualification tracking with expiry alerts, and real-time ratio monitoring. Staff admin stops living in spreadsheets.
- Kiosk clock-in with barcode or PIN
- Leave request and approval workflow
- Qualification tracking with expiry alerts
- Real-time child-to-staff ratio monitoring
- Staff portal and printable ID badges
Give parents structured, professional communication
Parents access a secure parent portal where they view approved reports, check attendance, report absences, and acknowledge incidents. Self-registration with magic link login. Branded emails keep communication professional.
- Secure parent portal with magic link login
- Branded email notifications and updates
- Parent self-registration with multi-child support
- Digital incident acknowledgement
- Photo consent and language preferences
Who EarlyTrack is built for
Whether you run one school or five, EarlyTrack is designed for the people who do the daily work of early childhood education.
School principals and owners
Review reports before they reach parents, monitor attendance in real time, track staff compliance, and maintain oversight of every operational area from one dashboard.
Classroom teachers
Record observations by voice, complete assessments with AI-generated comments, mark attendance digitally, and log incidents with structured forms instead of paper.
Operations and administration staff
Manage staff clock-in, leave workflows, qualification tracking, ratio monitoring, and billing from a centralised system with role-based access.
Afrikaans-medium schools
The full platform works in Afrikaans — interface, assessment skills, AI comments, PDF reports, email templates, and voice transcription. Not a partial translation.
Schools preparing for DSD registration or inspection
DSD 2022-compliant incident reports, complete audit trails, qualification tracking, and ratio monitoring help schools demonstrate compliance from day one.
Schools about EarlyTrack
From one of the first schools using EarlyTrack. Learn more about us.
"As a nursery school principal, EarlyTrack has made managing our school much simpler and more organised. Our teachers can easily record observations, complete assessments, and track each child's development in one place. It has reduced a lot of paperwork and saves our staff valuable time each term. The system is user-friendly, and our personnel adapted to it very quickly. EarlyTrack allows us to focus more on the children while still maintaining high standards in administration and reporting."
Built with care for schools that handle children's data
EarlyTrack handles sensitive information about children, families, and staff. We take that responsibility seriously.
Every school's data is fully isolated. Role-based access controls ensure teachers, parents, and administrators only see what they should. A complete audit trail logs every administrative action.
Billing is in South African Rand through PayFast. No surprise charges, no foreign currency conversions, no hidden fees. Start with a free trial, upgrade when you are ready. View pricing.
Questions schools ask before getting started
Honest answers to the concerns we hear most often.
What is EarlyTrack and what does it do?
EarlyTrack is a school operations platform designed for South African preschools, ECD centres, and Grade R schools. It covers ELDA and Grade R assessments, DSD-compliant incident reporting, daily attendance, staff management, and parent communication — in English and Afrikaans.
Does EarlyTrack support ELDA assessments?
Yes. EarlyTrack includes the complete ELDA framework — 492 skills across five age brackets and six developmental domains — ready to use from day one. No manual setup required.
Is EarlyTrack compliant with DSD 2022 incident report requirements?
Yes. The incident reporting module implements the DSD 2022 form specification in full — all 15 sections, including body-map injury documentation, photo evidence, digital signatures, and automated parent acknowledgement tracking.
Does EarlyTrack work in Afrikaans?
Yes. The entire platform — interface, assessment skills, AI-generated comments, PDF reports, email templates, and voice transcription — supports both English and Afrikaans.
How much does EarlyTrack cost?
Standard plan from R299/month. Professional plan from R499/month. Annual billing saves approximately two months' cost. A 14-day free trial with full Professional access is available — no credit card required. See full pricing details.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. EarlyTrack offers a 14-day free trial with full Professional plan access. No credit card required. No commitment. Most schools complete their initial setup in under two hours.
Guides for South African preschool teachers
Practical resources for ELDA assessments, Grade R reporting, and running your school more efficiently.
Grade R Assessment in South Africa — CAPS Guide for Teachers
CAPS requirements, the 1–4 rating scale, and before/after comment examples for all three subjects.
ELDAHow to Write ELDA Observation Comments That Mean Something
A four-part formula, examples for all six domains, and the five most common mistakes to avoid.
→View all blog posts
Start your free trial today
Get 14 days of full Professional plan access. No credit card required. No commitment. See how EarlyTrack fits your school before you decide.
Start your free 14-day trialMost schools complete their initial setup in under two hours.
Standard plan from R299/month. Professional plan from R499/month.