Help with signing in
Nobody can make their own account. The school admin adds every teacher and every parent first. If you have not been added, no way of signing in will work. Ask the school.
There are three ways to sign in:
- Your name and PIN, for teachers and admins on a school tablet or phone.
- A code sent to your mobile, for parents, and for teachers who want to use their own phone. Only works for a number the school wrote down for you.
- Your Google account, for anyone whose Gmail address the school wrote down.
Teachers
On a school tablet: your name and PIN
- Open the app. The first time on a new tablet, type the school code the admin gave you. You only do this once on each tablet.
- Tap your name in the list.
- Type your 6-digit PIN and tap Sign in.
- The very first time, the PIN is one the admin chose for you. The app asks you to choose your own new PIN. Pick 6 numbers you will remember and do not tell anyone.
You stay signed in for 12 hours, which is one school day. Tomorrow you tap your name and type your PIN again. On a shared tablet, tap Sign out at the bottom of the menu when you finish.
On your own phone: a code or Google
- Go to Sign in with your phone or Google.
- Type the mobile number the school has for you and tap Send me a code. A 6-digit code comes by WhatsApp or SMS. Type it in.
- Or tap Sign in with Google and choose the Gmail account the school has for you.
You do not need the school code or your PIN this way.
If something goes wrong
| If you see… | Do this |
|---|---|
| My name is not in the list | The admin has not added you yet, or has turned your account off. Ask the admin. |
| “Wrong PIN” many times, then locked | After 5 wrong PINs you must wait 15 minutes. After 10, an hour. The admin can unlock you straight away. |
| I forgot my PIN | Ask the admin to give you a new one. You will choose your own again when you sign in. |
| It asks for the school code again | The admin changed the code. Ask for the new one. This is normal. |
| I was signed out in the middle of the day | The admin changed your PIN, phone or email, or turned your account off. Sign in again or ask the admin. |
Parents
The school must first write down your mobile number or your Gmail address, turn on Parent access for you, and have your permission to keep your family’s records.
With your mobile number
- Open the school’s link and go to Sign in with your phone.
- Type your 10-digit mobile number and tap Send me a code.
- A 6-digit code comes to that phone by WhatsApp or SMS. Type it in and tap Sign in.
The code works once, for 10 minutes. Never tell the code to anyone, even someone who says they are from the school. The school will never ask you for it.
With Google
- On the same page, tap Sign in with Google.
- Choose your Gmail account. Google may ask for your Google password. The school never sees it.
You do not type your email, and no email is sent. Google tells the app who you are, and the app checks that this is the address the school has for you.
After you sign in
You see your own child or children only. You stay signed in for 7 days on that phone. If other people use your phone, tap Sign out at the top when you finish.
If something goes wrong
| If you see… | Do this |
|---|---|
| No code arrives | Wait a minute, then tap Send a new code. Check it is the number you gave the school. If it still does not come, ask the school to check your number. |
| “That code did not work” | Check the 6 numbers. A code stops working after 10 minutes or after 5 wrong tries. Ask for a new one. |
| “Too many codes asked for” | You can ask for 3 codes in 15 minutes. Wait a few minutes and try again. |
| “Not registered with the school” | The school has a different Gmail for you, or none. Tell the school which Gmail you use. |
| “Google sign-in was cancelled” | You went back at Google’s page. Tap Sign in with Google again. |
| “Who is signing in?” | Your phone or Gmail belongs to more than one person at the school (for example a parent who is also a teacher). Tap your own name. |
Admins
You sign in like a teacher, with your name and PIN, on your own phone, or with Google. Everything below is in the Admin menu.
Adding a teacher
- Admin → Staff tab: add the teacher with their name, the Teacher role and a temporary 6-digit PIN. Tell them the PIN in person.
- Admin → Team and classes: give them a class from a start date.
- To let them use their own phone, fill in their Mobile and/or Google email on the same page.
- The first time they sign in with the PIN, the app makes them choose their own.
Giving a parent access
- Family records: find the child. If they have no family yet, make one.
- Tick School may keep this family’s data only after the family has agreed. Without this the parent cannot sign in.
- Add the parent as a guardian with their name, their mobile and/or Gmail, and tick Parent access.
- Tell the parent the school’s web address and which number or Gmail to use. Nothing is sent to them automatically.
When things change
| If you see… | Do this |
|---|---|
| A teacher forgot their PIN | Admin → Staff → Reset PIN. They must choose a new one at the next sign-in, and any phone they were signed in on is signed out. |
| A teacher is locked out | Admin → Staff → Unlock. |
| A teacher leaves | Admin → Staff → Deactivate. They are signed out everywhere at once. Their past notes stay. |
| A parent changes phone or Gmail | Edit the guardian in Family records. The old one stops working at once. |
| A parent should no longer see their child | Untick Parent access. They are signed out at once. |
| A tablet is lost, or the school code got out | Admin → School code tab → choose a new code. Every tablet must type the new code before anyone can tap their name. |
| The admin forgot their own PIN | If there is a second admin, they reset it. If not, the person who runs the server can set a temporary PIN with npm run admin:reset-pin. |
Every sign-in by code or Google, and every change to a family or a parent’s access, is written to Audit and data.
Who can see and do what
| Admin | Teacher | Parent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activities, plans, the teacher guide | Read and change | Read; prepare a day’s plan | This week’s plan for their child’s class |
| Children and observations | All; edit any note | All children; write notes, edit their own | Their own child only, with no scores |
| Attendance, portfolio, follow-ups, meetings | Yes | Yes | Their own child’s portfolio and meeting times |
| Monthly letters | Write and approve | Write a draft | Read approved letters |
| Family records | Read and change | Read | “All about my child”: what they told the school |
| Staff, classes, school code, messages to families, audit, export and erase | Yes | No | No |
A parent can never open a teacher’s page, and a teacher’s sign-in never opens a family’s page. On one phone, signing in as one person signs the other out.