Instant Book - Creating a Container

Creating a Container is the first step in setting up your programme in SchoolsBuddy. The container acts as the framework for your sign-up period, bringing together all related activity groups under one set of rules and timelines.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of creating a container, including key settings like activity dates, sign-up windows, and selection options — everything you need to get started with an Instant Book Signup.

To create a new Instant Book container, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Activities and Clubs tab on the Home page
2. Select the Instant Book & Pay module (Click on the three bars on the top left corner to see the menus).
3. Click the +Add tab to create a new container, and fill in the correct details for the program.
4. Sign Up Title: Title of the Activity program 
5. Description: Description of the program 
6. Allow booking cancellation: Switch off for an after-school activity program.  (This feature is only applicable to one-day events, and does not apply for activities that repeat weekly, parents will need to contact you for cancellation in this case).
7. Block Clash: Switch on if booking is not allowed for students who already have events with a clashing date/time in their diary.
8. Maximum Bookable events per group: Leave this as 0 if there is no limit to how many events they can book.
   
9. Activities start/end dates: Set the dates for when you want the activities to occur between, in this case for the whole term.  
10. Activity default start/end time: The default start/end time for the activities. (You are able to set a different time for each activity later; this is only a default). 
11. Responsibility for confirmation: Select which user type can make bookings according to your School’s preferences.
12. Sign up opens/closes: Set the open window for parents to make bookings. This could be the whole term if you allow students to join activities any time. 
13. Show select all button: This enables the parent/student to select all activities in one go. Please leave this option disabled, unless your activities are not weekly repeating and parents can book all activities at the same time.
14. Use organisation block dates?: This defaults to on so the system skips the block dates that have been set at an organisational level.  Only disable this option if you are running activities during school/public holiday.
15. Accept Voucher Payments: This is only for UK schools. Only select this if childcare vouchers will be accepted. If you select this option, you will have the choice to be able to limit which group can pay by childcare vouchers (please see this article about Restricting the use of Childcare Vouchers.)
16. Send New Booking Alerts: This option is defaulted off. Only Enable this option if you wish to receive emails for each booking made by parents.
    
17. Terms & Conditions: You can enter any terms & conditions that apply to all activities. 
18. T&C's additional info (URL): If you have your school terms & conditions hosted on a website for example, you can add the link to it here.
19. Booking Data Form: We can create a form for you to collect any other information you require of the student at the time of booking.
20. When the correct details have been entered, select the green Save tab.