Schools increasingly rely on multiple systems to manage students, staff, and activities, and keeping that data in sync has historically meant manual re-entry or bespoke workarounds. The SchoolsBuddy Public API changes that, giving schools a secure, direct way to connect SchoolsBuddy with the tools they already use.

Built around core user and activity management, the API gives development teams a scalable, flexible way to interact with SchoolsBuddy programmatically, with access strictly controlled by Organisation Super Admins to keep every integration secure.

Overview

The SchoolsBuddy Public API is designed to reduce manual data entry and keep data synchronized across your school's ecosystem. It's built for technical teams, typically Organisation Super Admins and their developers, who need to automate bulk administrative tasks or integrate SchoolsBuddy with a custom or internally built MIS/SIS platform.

What's New

The API includes endpoints for core data entities including Students, Contacts, Staff, Events, Locations, Groups, and Preference and Instant Book Sign Ups. Key capabilities include:

• Location Management: Create and manage dedicated locations to be used across all school activities.
• Data Export: Export SchoolsBuddy activities by student or event for seamless display and integration with other internal systems.
• Attendance API: Read and write event attendance records programmatically to keep your entire school ecosystem synchronized in real-time.
• External Student Enrollment: Add and manage students not present in the school's SIS, such as pre-admissions, summer school attendees, or external enrichment participants.
• Staff & Facilitator Records: Manage external personnel not found in the SIS, including guest facilitators, external coaches, trip leaders, or district staff.
• Virtual Integration: Update and maintain teachers' online meeting IDs for your school's chosen digital communication platforms.
• Creating and Managing: Preference and Instant Book Sign Ups, Groups for Sports or Trips event scheduling, Groups for Fee charges, and Subject Classes for Parent Teacher conferences (only needed if you don't have another data import source).

Step-by-Step Navigation

Setting up your API client

Admin Settings > Integrations > Public API

1. Confirm you are logged in as an Organisation Super Admin, since this role is required to provision API access.
2. Follow the dedicated setup guide to register your API client and generate credentials.
3. Configure OAuth 2.0 authentication for your integration using the credentials provided.
4. Review the available endpoints (Students, Contacts, Staff, Events, Locations, Groups, Sign Ups) in the Swagger documentation before building your first calls.
5. Test your integration against a non-production dataset where possible before rolling out live data sync.

Full setup instructions are available here: How to Set Up the SchoolsBuddy Public API.

Tips & Best Practices

• Security First: Use the OAuth 2.0 authentication standard provided to ensure secure access to your data.
• Review Documentation: Developers should consult the Integrations Portal and the Swagger page for full endpoint specifications and authentication guidance.
• Efficiency: Utilize pagination metadata for efficient data retrieval when dealing with large datasets.

Warnings & Important Notes

Related Articles

• How to Set Up the SchoolsBuddy Public API
• Managing Organisation Super Admin Permissions

Frequently Asked Questions

What authentication method is used?

The API uses OAuth 2.0 authentication to ensure modern security standards for all integrations.

Is technical documentation available?

Yes, comprehensive developer documentation, including OpenAPI/Swagger definitions, is available via the Integrations Portal.

Who can set up API access?

Only Organisation Super Admins can provision API client access, which keeps integration security tightly controlled.

In Summary

• The API connects SchoolsBuddy with internal or third-party systems to automate data workflows.
• It currently covers Students, Staff, Events, Locations, Groups, and Preference and Instant Book Sign Ups.
• Access is provisioned exclusively by Organisation Super Admins via OAuth 2.0.

Enhance your school's operational efficiency with the SchoolsBuddy Public API.