Everything Together School Can Do For You

From emergency pickups to walking buses, carpools to tutors. Your complete guide to stress-free school coordination.

Get Started in 60 Seconds

Add Together School

Click the WhatsApp link and message the bot. You'll get a signup link to create your account. Takes 30 seconds.

Set Your Preferences

After signup, verify your phone number. Then type "help" to see available commands and set your preferences.

Start Using Commands

Try "running late 10m" or "walking bus tomorrow 8:15" and watch the magic happen.

What You Can Do

Real use cases. Real commands. Real results.

Emergency Pickup (SOS)

The Problem:

Meeting runs late. No idea who can grab your child from school.

The Solution:

One message gets you help from your trusted circle in under 3 minutes.

Commands:

running late 15m

Quick SOS - bot asks for details

running late - Isla, Reception, 3:20pm, Gate A

Full details in one go

Example:

You: "running late 15m"
Bot: "Who needs cover? (child name/class)"
You: "Isla, Reception"
Bot: "Pickup time & location?"
You: "15:20, Gate A"
Bot: 🚨 Broadcasts to trusted circle
Emma: "I'll cover"
Bot: ✅ "Emma will pick up Isla at 15:20"

Walking Bus

The Problem:

You're on early shift. Need someone to walk your child to school.

The Solution:

Set up a walking bus route and parents join via DM. Track participants and manage schedules.

Commands:

walking bus Monday 8:15 from park

Create walking bus route

walking bus

List all available routes

join walking bus abc12345

Join a walking bus route

leave walking bus abc12345

Leave a walking bus route

Example:

You: "walking bus Monday 8:15 from park"
Bot: "✅ Walking bus created!
🚶 Monday at 8:15
📍 From: park
🎯 To: School
Share my number with other parents so they can join!
To join, reply: join walking bus abc12345"

Sarah: "join walking bus abc12345"
Bot: "✅ Joined walking bus successfully!"

You: "walking bus"
Bot: "🚶 Walking Bus Routes
1. Monday at 8:15
   📍 park → School
   👥 2 spots left
   ID: abc12345"

Carpool Coordination

The Problem:

You can drive Tuesday but need help on Thursday. Coordinating carpools is a nightmare.

The Solution:

Set up recurring or one-off carpools via step-by-step DM flow. Join, leave, and track status.

Commands:

carpool Monday 8am

Create carpool (multi-step flow)

carpools

List all available carpools

join abc12345

Join a carpool by ID

leave abc12345

Leave a carpool

status abc12345

View carpool details

Example:

You: "carpool Monday 8am"
Bot: "🚗 Creating carpool for Monday at 8:00 AM
What type of carpool?
1️⃣ Drop-off (morning)
2️⃣ Pick-up (afternoon)
3️⃣ After-school care
4️⃣ Club transport"
You: "1"
Bot: "Where will you pick up children?"
You: "Mill Road area"
Bot: "Where will you drop off?"
You: "School main gate"
Bot: "✅ Carpool created! 🚗
Monday 8:00 AM - Drop-off
Mill Road area → School main gate
2/4 spots filled
ID: abc12345"

After-School Care (3-6pm)

The Problem:

You work until 5:30pm. After-school club is full or too expensive.

The Solution:

Coordinate informal care with other parents. Track who helps who.

Commands:

after school care this week

Find care for the week

can host 2 kids Monday 3-6pm

Offer to host other children

Example:

You: "need after school care Tuesday and Thursday 3-6pm"
Bot: "📍 After-school care needed: Tuesday & Thursday 3-6pm"
Emma: "I can take Tuesday"
Sarah: "Thursday works for us"
Bot: ✅ "Care sorted! Tuesday: Emma's house. Thursday: Sarah's house."

Sports Team & Club Coordination

The Problem:

Managing multiple teams within one club is chaos. Match days, training schedules, and team selection need coordination.

The Solution:

Create separate groups for each team. Parents join their team's group. Coordinate match transport, equipment, and schedules.

Commands:

create group

Create team: U10 Falcons

carpool Saturday 9am

Coordinate transport to away match

need spare shin guards

Request equipment from team

Example:

Signup: "Reigate Football Club - Falcons"
Parents join: /signup?t=invite_code
Bot handles: Fixtures, training, match-day logistics

You: "carpool Saturday 9am"
Bot: "🚗 Creating carpool for Saturday at 9:00 AM
Where will you pick up?"
You: "Mill Road"
Bot: "Where will you drop off?"
You: "Away ground - Surrey Park"
Bot: "✅ Carpool created! 2/4 spots filled"

You: "need spare shin guards"
Bot: "📢 Asking Falcons group..."
Sarah: "I have size 6"
Bot: "✅ Sarah has size 6 shin guards available"

Tutor Coordination

The Problem:

You've hired a tutor but coordinating sessions with other families is messy.

The Solution:

Schedule tutor sessions directly. Creates recurring sessions that parents can book.

Commands:

schedule math tutor Mondays 4pm

Create recurring tutor session

schedule english tutor Tuesdays 3pm

Create another subject session

Example:

You: "schedule math tutor Mondays 4pm"
Bot: "✅ Tutor session created!
📅 Math Tutoring
📆 Every Monday at 4:00 pm
📝 Session ID: xyz78901
Parents can book their children via 'book [session-id]' or use the dashboard."

Daily Digest

The Problem:

Scrolling through 200+ messages to find what matters.

The Solution:

One message every evening with everything important. Personal summary across all your groups.

Commands:

my summary

Get today's summary immediately

digest 6pm

Change when you get your digest

my week

See full week view

Example:

Bot (6pm daily): "📋 Today's digest:
• PE kit tomorrow
• Trip form due Friday (£8)
• Bake sale Monday
• Non-uniform day next Wednesday
📍 Your summary across all groups:
3 events this week, 2 payments due, 1 pickup change"

Fundraising Events

The Problem:

Organising a cake sale or sponsored walk. Need volunteers and contributions but tracking is chaos.

The Solution:

Create fundraising events, list volunteer roles, and track contributions all in one place.

Commands:

fundraising

List all fundraising events

volunteer abc12345 setup

Volunteer for a role in an event

Example:

You: "fundraising"
Bot: "🎉 Fundraising Events
1. Cake Sale
   📅 15 Nov at 2pm
   👥 3/8 volunteers
   ID: abc12345
To volunteer, reply: volunteer abc12345 [role]"

You: "volunteer abc12345 setup"
Bot: "✅ Volunteered for setup"

Gift Coordination

The Problem:

Want to organise a group gift for a teacher but collecting money and coordinating is awkward.

The Solution:

Create gift collections, set contribution amounts, and track who's contributed.

Commands:

gifts

List all gift collections

contribute abc12345 £10

Contribute to a gift collection

Example:

You: "gifts"
Bot: "🎁 Gift Collections
1. Mrs Smith - End of term
   💰 £5 per family
   📅 Due: 20 Dec
   👥 8 contributors
   ID: abc12345
To contribute, reply: contribute abc12345 £10"

You: "contribute abc12345 £10"
Bot: "✅ Contributed £10.00 successfully!"

Item Listings (Uniform/Equipment)

The Problem:

Your child outgrew their uniform. Want to sell, lend, or swap but no easy way to coordinate.

The Solution:

List items for sale, swap, or lend. Other parents can browse and reserve items.

Commands:

items

Browse all item listings

reserve abc12345

Reserve an item

Example:

You: "items"
Bot: "🛍️ Item Listings
1. School jumper size 8
   💰 £8
   📍 CB4 area
   ID: abc12345
To reserve, reply: reserve abc12345"

You: "reserve abc12345"
Bot: "✅ Item reserved successfully!"

Holiday Care

The Problem:

School holidays coming up. Need to coordinate care for your child with other families.

The Solution:

Organise holiday care groups. Set dates, activities, and costs. Parents can join easily.

Commands:

holiday care

List all holiday care options

join abc12345

Join a holiday care group

Example:

You: "holiday care"
Bot: "📅 Holiday Care
1. Summer Holiday Care
   📅 1 Aug - 15 Aug
   🎯 Swimming & crafts
   💰 £25/day
   👥 5 participants
   ID: abc12345
To join, reply: join abc12345"

You: "join abc12345"
Bot: "✅ Joined holiday care successfully!"

Playdates

The Problem:

Want to organise a playdate but coordinating dates, times, and RSVPs via group chat is messy.

The Solution:

Create playdate invitations. Parents RSVP via simple commands. Track confirmations.

Commands:

playdates

List all upcoming playdates

rsvp abc12345 yes

RSVP yes to a playdate

rsvp abc12345 no

RSVP no to a playdate

Example:

You: "playdates"
Bot: "🎈 Upcoming Playdates
1. Sat 20 Nov
   ⏰ 2:00 - 4:00
   📍 Park
   👥 3/6 confirmed
   ID: abc12345
To RSVP, reply: rsvp abc12345 yes or no"

You: "rsvp abc12345 yes"
Bot: "✅ RSVP confirmed!"

Event Volunteers

The Problem:

School event needs volunteers. Tracking who's doing what and filling gaps is chaotic.

The Solution:

List volunteer opportunities. Parents can volunteer for specific roles. Track coverage.

Commands:

volunteers

List all volunteer opportunities

volunteer abc12345 setup

Volunteer for a specific role

Example:

You: "volunteers"
Bot: "🙋 Volunteer Opportunities
1. Sports Day
   📅 20 Nov at 9am
   👥 5/10 volunteers
   ID: abc12345
To volunteer, reply: volunteer abc12345 [role]"

You: "volunteer abc12345 setup"
Bot: "✅ Volunteered successfully!"

Trusted Circles: Mutual Aid Made Simple

Your opt-in network of parents who can help each other when life gets messy. Fair Help Balance system tracks who helps who—organising activities like carpools and fundraising counts too!

What Are Trusted Circles?

Trusted circles are opt-in mutual aid networks within your WhatsApp group. When you join, you're saying "I'm happy to help other parents when I can" - and they're saying the same back to you.

It's not a formal arrangement. It's just parents looking out for each other. Together School makes it easy to ask for help, tracks your Help Balance (helping others and organising activities like carpools and fundraising), and ensures fairness over time. Parents with positive balances are prioritised when they need help.

How to Join

help on

Join the trusted circle (default: available for everything)

help tuesdays only

Join but only available on specific days

help school run only

Join but only for specific activities

help off

Leave the trusted circle (no hard feelings!)

How It Works

1. Ask for Help

Type "need help monday 3pm pickup" - the bot broadcasts to your trusted circle

2. Someone Accepts

Emma replies "accept" - you're matched automatically

3. Help Balance Updated

After the help, both rate it. Together School tracks your Help Balance (times you've helped vs. received help) to keep things fair. Organising activities like carpools and fundraising also builds your balance!

Example: How a Help Request Works

You: "need help monday 3pm pickup - Isla from Reception"
Bot: 🆘 "Help needed Monday 3pm: Pickup Isla from Reception"
     "Asking your trusted circle (5 parents available)..."

Emma: "accept"
Bot: ✅ "Match confirmed! Emma will help with Monday 3pm pickup."
     "Details sent to both of you privately."

[Monday evening after pickup]
Bot: "How did the help go? Rate 1-5 stars"
You: "⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ lifesaver!"
Emma: "⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ easy"
Bot: "Great! Reciprocity updated. Emma +1 help given, You +1 help received"

Track Your Help Balance

my balance

See your Help Balance: times you've helped others (including organising carpools, fundraising, etc.) minus times you've received help. Positive balance = prioritised when you need help!

View Help History

my helps

See all your help exchanges

Rate Past Help

rate help [id] 5

Rate a help exchange later

Quick Command Reference

All commands you can use via WhatsApp DM (direct message)

⚠️ Note: Together School bot works via DM only. It cannot be added to WhatsApp groups.

Digest & Summary Commands

my summary

Get today's summary immediately

my week

See full week view

digest 6pm

Set digest time (e.g., 6pm, 7am)

what's happening friday

See events for specific day

when is sports day

Search for specific events

search trip

Find events matching keywords

Action Commands

done [item]

Mark an item as done

dismiss [item]

Remove item from your digest

save [message]

Save important message for later

remind me friday PE kit

Set a personal reminder

Trusted Circle Commands

help on

Join trusted circle (available for all help)

help off

Leave trusted circle

need help [details]

Request help from trusted circle

accept

Accept a help request

decline

Decline a help request

my balance

See help given vs received

my helps

View all help exchanges

rate help [id] [1-5]

Rate a help exchange

📧 Email Integration Commands

Connect your school Gmail to unify email + WhatsApp in one daily digest. We only read emails from the addresses/domains you specify. School emails automatically appear in your digest with events, actions, and reminders extracted.

Example: Connecting Your School Email

You:connect email

Bot:

📧 Connect Your School Email

First, what's your school's email address or domain?

Examples:
• headteacher@oakwood.school.uk
• @oakwood.school.uk
• oakwood.school.uk

You:@oakwood.school.uk

Bot:

✅ Thanks! Now click this link to authorise Gmail access:

https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/...

Note: I'll only read emails from @oakwood.school.uk

Bot:

✅ Email Connected!

Your Gmail (parent@gmail.com) is now connected.

What I'll monitor:
📧 Emails from: @oakwood.school.uk

What happens next:
• I'm syncing your recent emails (last 7 days)
• School emails will appear in your daily digest with a 📧 icon
• I'll extract events, actions, and reminders from emails automatically
• Emails sync every 15 minutes automatically
• You can view settings anytime with "email settings"

connect email

Start the email connection wizard (shown above)

email settings

View email connection, sync stats, and privacy settings

disconnect email

Remove email connection and delete all stored email data

🔒 Privacy Guarantee

We only read emails from the addresses/domains you specify. Your personal and work emails stay completely private.

Coordination Commands

carpools

List all available carpools

walking bus

List walking bus routes

fundraising

List fundraising events

gifts

List gift collections

items

Browse item listings

holiday care

List holiday care options

playdates

List upcoming playdates

volunteers

List volunteer opportunities

Settings Commands

settings

View/update your preferences

help

Get list of all commands

Troubleshooting

Bot not responding?

Make sure you're messaging the bot directly (DM), not in a group
The bot cannot be added to WhatsApp groups - it only works via direct messages
Check your internet connection
Wait 30 seconds and try again (rate limiting)
Type "help" to see all available commands

Commands not working?

Make sure you're messaging the bot directly (DM), not in a group
Check spelling and format (commands are case-insensitive)
Make sure you're using the exact command syntax
Type "help" to see all available commands
Ensure you've verified your phone number (type "start" if not)

Not getting digest messages?

Check your digest time setting: "settings" or "digest 6pm"
Make sure notifications are enabled for WhatsApp
Digest only sends if there's something to report
Try "my summary" to get an immediate summary

Still need help?

Contact our support team at hello@togetherschool.ai

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