PTC - Creating a Container

Creating a Container is the first step in setting up your Parent Teacher Conference in SchoolsBuddy. The container acts as the framework for your sign-up period, bringing together all related Teacher 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 PTC dates, sign-up windows, and eligibility options — everything you need to get started with your Parent-Teacher Conference setup.

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

1. Click the Activities & Clubs / Bookings Admin tab (this may be labelled differently due to your School's preferences) Click the 'Parent Teacher Conference' container type Click '+Add' to create a new container Complete the overall settings:
2. Sign Up Title: Name of the Parents Evening(s) / Parent Conference(s)
3. Information to Parents: Include details relevant to all PTC's to be displayed to parents.  For example, who to contact if you cannot attend at the last minute/ whether parents can cancel appointments themselves.
4. Allow booking cancellation: If you wish to allow parents to make cancellations/change their chosen time slots, select the box. Parents will see up-to-date availability of time slots. NB. Parents can only cancel/make changes during the time sign-up is open. 
5. Meeting Format: Select Online (via default online method)

6. Maximum meetings with a teacher per student: If you would like parents to book more than 1 meeting with a teacher, change this to the number of meetings they can book. Otherwise please leave it as 0.

   

Fill in the rest of the details.  

1. Meetings start date/end date: The first and last day of the PTC. 
2. Meetings default start time/end time: The earliest start time and the latest finish time of PTC.
3. Who can book meetings: Whether parents, students or both will make bookings
4. Sign up opens: Date and time when sign up opens 
5. Sign up closes: Date and time when sign up closes
6. Use Organisation Block Dates: Selecting this will prevent any PTCs being created on days that have been blocked for your organisation, for example public holidays.
7. Terms & Conditions: You can enter any Terms & Conditions for the parent to agree to before making a booking, or link to a page of your school's Terms and Conditions hosted on your website by entering this URL in the Terms & Conditions' additional info (URL) box.

8. Booking Data Form: SchoolsBuddy can create custom data forms if you need to collect any information from parents at the time of booking. For example, translator requirements. Contact us with any requests.
   When all details have been entered, select the green 'Save' tab.

   

Next step, see PTC - Creating Teacher Groups