Video: Teachers - How to run your appointments over video call

This video gives you an overview of the process of what to do when your Administrator has informed you that your appointments on an evening will be held via video call.

Video Parents Evening Demonstration from SchoolCloud on Vimeo.

In order to make video calls you need to have as a minimum:

  • a device with a microphone and speaker/headphones

  • a compatible up-to-date web browser:

    iPhone/iPad: Safari, Chrome 

    Android: Chrome, Firefox or the Samsung Browser

    Windows: Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge (Chromium - download here)

    Mac: Safari, Chrome or Firefox

    Linux: Chrome or Firefox

We also recommend:

  • Using your smartphone for video appointments. If you don't have a smartphone with a front-facing camera, use a laptop or computer with a webcam.
  • Using a headset (or earphones with a microphone) to reduce echo.
  • Once an evening is available you can test your setup at any time - see below

How to take your appointments over video call

1. Log in and go to the Evening

On the day of the video appointments (or before, if you want to test your camera and microphone, etc) login to the system in the usual way (please see the main Teacher Guide for more details if you need them). Alternatively you can access from the links on the reminder email sent to you 1 hour before the Evening if the Admin for your system set this option up.

Note: the screenshots below show the view on a computer/laptop. Mobile device screens will contain the same elements though they may be arranged for a smaller screen. 

Note: if no appointments with you have been booked as yet, you will not see the video options covered below. You must have been booked at least once in order to test, etc

At the top of the page you will see a blue notice telling you that you have upcoming video appointments, as well as a "click here" link which allows you to check that your internet connection and device can successfully connect to a video call.

The green  Join Video Appointments button allows you to join your appointment on the day - or to test your camera/microphone at any time.

2. Check Audio and Video

When you click  Join Video Appointments the Check Audio and Video screen will be displayed. You may at this point be asked if you wish to allow access to your camera/microphone, in which case please click yes.


On this screen, under the video box, you can see options allowing you to turn on/off your Microphone and Camera via the round buttons, blur your background in video calls via the switch, as well as the ability to change which devices you will use via  Device Settings. Once you are happy, click  Proceed to Video Call.

Please note that screen background blurring is only available for teachers using Google Chrome on a laptop/desktop device, other devices or browsers will not work.

3. The Video Call

On this screen you can see the following when in a call:

At the top left the parent name (and child details) for the current and next appointment and, if the parent has invited a guest, the name of that guest.

Parents have the ability to grant an additional parent/guardian access to their appointments for a particular student. If you have any concerns about this remember that you can keep your camera switched off, or end the call.

At the top right a countdown to the start of the appointment.

At the bottom the control buttons allow you to mute the mic or turn off the camera. The cogwheel allows you to change the settings, such as blurring your background, or choosing to use a different mic or camera (if you have more than one available). 

Please note that screen background blurring is only available for teachers using Google Chrome on a laptop/desktop device, other devices or browsers will not work.

In the middle, when your appointment is due to start, you will see the  Start Appointment button.

Once started, you will see yourself in the bottom right corner of the screen (unless you have no camera, or have chosen to turn it off). If the others involved in the call have not yet joined you will see a notice to that effect in the centre of the screen:

When another person joins a call (other teachers, the parent, or the parent's guest) you will see them in the main part of the screen - or hear them, if they have no camera (or have turned it off) - and can start your discussion with them.

When you are in a call you also see a red hang up button to leave the call and, next to it, an icon that allows you to share your screen (or an application running on your laptop or desktop) - for more detail on screen sharing please see this article.

The Open Chat button will open a chat window to the right hand side of the video screen, allowing you to communicate with the other attendees of the call. Selecting Close Chat will hide this.

If an attendee sends a message and you have not opened chat, there will be a notification next to the Open Chat button to show this.

The Close or Open Notes button next to the camera allows you to view any notes that have already been entered, this includes any parent notes entered when the booking was made or any teacher notes you added before the appointment. You can also add additional notes while on the call selecting this see this article.

You will also see the remaining time for the appointment counting down in a blue bar at the top of the screen, which will turn red when the last 10 seconds begin.

If anyone loses access to the system for some reason during the call, they can log in again and click green call button to reconnect.

As long as the other person is still in the call this will let you continue with the appointment.

When the countdown stops the appointment time is over and the call will automatically end.

Note that if a anyone is late, or leaves and rejoins a call, it does not reset the timer.

The appointment will always end at the scheduled time.

4. Follow on calls

If you have a consecutive appointment scheduled the screen will display a Start Next Appointment button. When you are ready to proceed, click on it

Note that if you delay starting a call it does not extend the duration for that appointment.

The appointment will always end at the scheduled times.

If you do not have a consecutive appointment, but you have not completed your final scheduled appointment, you will see a countdown telling you how long until the start of your next appointment.

Once your final appointment for the evening is complete you will see a message advising you of this.

When parents have joined a video call this is automatically recorded in the attendance report.