Co-op class timetable
Classes by day, room and age group, with tutor details and changes pushed straight to families' phones.
Homeschool co-op software: classes, rosters & excursions
Homeschool groups: the co-op, out of the group chat. Teach more, chase less.
The term timetable is a screenshot from three weeks ago, the parent roster has a gap every Thursday and excursion money is coming in by bank transfer with no reference. We build simple scheduling, roster, excursion and resource systems for homeschool groups and co-ops that volunteer parents can actually use, then we host them and look after them.
Looking for homeschool co-op scheduling software that volunteer parents will actually use?
A homeschool co-op is a small school run by people who already have a full-time job: teaching their own kids. Classes get planned in a Facebook group, the roster lives in a Google Sheet only one parent understands and excursion consent forms come back on paper, half signed. The coordinator ends up chasing everyone for everything and it burns them out by term three.
Wollopit builds custom software for homeschool groups around how your co-op really runs. Families enrol their kids in classes online, parents claim their teaching and helper slots, excursions take bookings, consent and payment in one go and the shared resource library is finally somewhere everyone can find it. We keep it simple enough to use from a phone at the park, connect the tools your group already likes and host the lot ourselves.
01The problems
What we hear from homeschool groups
Does your homeschool group have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most co-ops we talk to are run by a handful of generous parents holding it all together with a group chat and good will. It works until the coordinator needs a break.
- The problemPlanning lost in the group chatThe term plan, room changes and who's bringing the microscope are buried under 200 messages about a lost hat.How we fix itA live class timetable everyone can see on their phone, with changes pushed out as a short notification instead of another thread.
- The problemRoster gaps nobody noticesThe spreadsheet says someone's on the craft table Thursday. Nobody is. You find out at 9:05.How we fix itParents claim teaching, helper and clean-up slots themselves, with gaps flagged a week out and reminders sent the night before.
- The problemEnrolments by commentFamilies reply 'yes please for Liam and Ruby' under a post and someone tallies it by hand. Popular classes overfill.How we fix itOnline class enrolment per child with age ranges, class caps, waitlists and sibling bookings in one go.
- The problemExcursion money and consent everywhereBank transfers with no reference, cash in an envelope and permission slips signed on the back of a receipt.How we fix itOne excursion booking that takes the headcount, consent, medical notes and payment together. You get a clean list for the bus.
- The problemTerm fees chased by handHall hire, materials and tutor costs split between families on a calculator, then the treasurer chases who hasn't paid.How we fix itFamily accounts that work out fees per child, add sibling discounts, take card payments and send reminders on their own.
- The problemResources scattered across drivesLesson plans, worksheets and the good YouTube links live on six parents' Google Drives and three USB sticks.How we fix itA shared resource library sorted by subject, age and term, with uploads from any parent and a quick search.
- The problemBlue Cards and checks in a folderOutside tutors and parent teachers need current working with children checks and nobody knows whose expires next month.How we fix itA checks register with expiry dates, upload of the card and a heads-up to the coordinator before anything lapses.
- The problemNew families onboarded by memoryA new family joins, gets added to the chat and is left to work out the rules, the venue and the fees on their own.How we fix itA welcome pack, family sign-up form, group agreement and first-term checklist that runs itself.
- The problemMedical and allergy info in someone's headThe parent on duty doesn't know which kid has the nut allergy or who can't be photographed.How we fix itChild profiles with allergies, medical notes, emergency contacts and photo permissions, visible to whoever's rostered on that day.
- The problemLearning records rebuilt at report timeWhen families write their home education report, they're digging back through photos to remember what the co-op covered.How we fix itEach class keeps a simple log of topics and activities so families can export what their kids did for their own records.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for homeschool groups. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Class enrolments & waitlists
Families book each child into classes with caps, age ranges, waitlists and sibling bookings.
Parent teaching rosters
Teaching, helper, set-up and clean-up slots that parents claim themselves, with swaps and reminders.
Excursion bookings
Headcounts, consent, medical notes, payment and a printable bus list in one booking.
Term fees & family accounts
Fees worked out per child, sibling discounts, card payments, receipts and gentle reminders.
Shared resource library
Lesson plans, worksheets, videos and links sorted by subject, age and term.
Child profiles & permissions
Allergies, medical notes, emergency contacts and photo permissions for the parent on duty.
Checks & insurance register
Working with children checks, tutor details and group insurance with expiry reminders.
New family onboarding
Sign-up forms, the group agreement, a welcome pack and first-term checklist.
Group noticeboard & messages
Announcements by email or SMS that don't get lost, with a calendar families can subscribe to.
Class learning logs
Topics and activities logged per class so families can export them for their own records.
A simple group website
Quick on mobile, explains who you are and takes enquiries from new families in your area.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole co-op term, in one place.
These are the systems homeschool groups ask about most. Each works on its own and they get a lot easier when they're joined up.
Classes & enrolments
A timetable families can actually find.
Set the term's classes once with the day, room, age range and who's teaching. Families enrol each child from their phone and the timetable updates for everyone the moment anything changes.
- Classes by day, room and age group
- Enrol each child in a couple of taps
- Class caps and waitlists
- Sibling bookings in one go
- Room and venue changes pushed out
- Subscribe to the timetable in Google Calendar
- Outside tutor classes alongside parent-led ones
- Term-by-term copy so you're not starting over
- Class lists for whoever's teaching
Parent rosters
Every slot covered before Thursday morning.
Teaching, helper, set-up and clean-up slots go up for the term and parents claim the ones that suit. Gaps get flagged early and swaps happen between parents without the coordinator playing go-between.
- Parents claim their own slots
- Teaching, helper and clean-up roles
- Fair-share targets per family
- Gaps flagged a week out
- Swap requests between parents
- Reminders the night before by SMS
- Class list and allergy info for the day
- Coordinator view of the whole term
Excursions & events
Excursions booked, paid and signed for in one go.
Post the zoo trip or the museum day once. Families book each child and adult, sign the consent, update medical notes and pay in the same step. On the day you've got a clean list for the gate and the bus.
- Child and adult tickets per family
- Online consent and permissions
- Medical and allergy notes checked
- Card payments with receipts
- Numbers capped to the venue booking
- Waitlists and cancellations
- Carpool and meeting point details
- Printable gate and bus lists
- Reminders the day before
Fees & families
Term fees that collect themselves.
Each family gets an account that works out what they owe from their kids' classes, hall hire and materials, with sibling discounts built in. They pay by card and the treasurer sees who's square without a spreadsheet.
- Fees calculated per child and class
- Sibling and hardship discounts
- Card payments via Stripe
- Payment plans across the term
- Automatic reminders, kindly worded
- Receipts emailed to families
- Hall hire and tutor costs tracked
- Exports for Xero or your treasurer
04How it changes
Before and after
A co-op excursion, wolloped.
Here's how organising one term excursion could change. Every group runs differently, so we map yours first.
Before
- Post the trip in the group chat and hope people see it
- Tally names from comments and DMs
- Print permission slips and chase them back
- Match bank transfers with no reference
- Ring around to find out about allergies
- Handwrite the list for the bus on the morning
After
- Post the excursion once and families get notified
- Families book each child and adult online
- Consent signed on their phone
- Payment taken in the same booking
- Medical notes checked as they book
- The gate and bus list prints itself
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for homeschool groups.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for homeschool groups
Built around how your homeschool group actually runs: co-op class timetable, class enrolments & waitlists and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for homeschool groups
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Homeschool group system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for homeschool groups
Parent teaching rosters and excursion bookings: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Google Workspace, Google Calendar and Google Drive so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your homeschool group, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We connect to the tools your group already relies on and keep it all free or cheap to run wherever we can.
- Google Workspace
- Google Calendar
- Google Drive
- Microsoft 365
- Stripe
- Square
- PayPal
- Xero
- Zoom
- Mailchimp
- Twilio SMS
- Canva
- YouTube
- Facebook Groups
- TryBooking
- Humanitix
- Dropbox
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your homeschool group: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We sit in on a co-op day and talk to the coordinator, the treasurer and a few parents to find what's wearing everyone out.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your classes, families, rosters, excursions, fees, resources, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering kept simple for volunteers, shown to you early. Usually the roster or enrolments first so next term starts smoother.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and tweak it each term. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things homeschool groups ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Is it simple enough for volunteer parents?
Yes. That's the whole brief. It's built to work from a phone at the park and most parents only ever see their own kids, their slots and what they owe. No training sessions needed.
Can parents sign up for their own teaching and helper slots?
Yes. You set the slots for the term and parents claim the ones that suit them. Gaps get flagged early and swaps happen between parents without the coordinator in the middle.
Can we take excursion payments and consent online?
Yes. Families book each child, sign the consent, check medical notes and pay by card in one step. You get a clean list for the day.
We already use a Facebook group and Google Drive. Do we have to switch?
No. We build around what's working. Your Facebook group can stay for chatting and your Drive files can feed the resource library. We just take the bookings, rosters and money off the chat.
Can it help families with their home education records?
It can keep a simple log of what each class covered so families can export it for their own records. Registration and reporting stay with each family and your state's home education unit.
How much does a co-op system cost?
It depends on what your group needs, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and your group owns what we build.
How long does it take?
Smaller pieces like a roster or class enrolments can be ready quickly. Bigger systems are built in stages so you get the first win before next term instead of waiting for everything.
What happens when our coordinator steps down?
Nothing breaks. Everything lives in the system rather than one person's spreadsheet or inbox, so handing over is a matter of changing who has the coordinator login.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need a change you ring the people who built it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most homeschool groups we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got a homeschool group problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.