Getting Started

Welcome to Wootzoo. This guide walks you through the essential steps to get your setting up and running, from creating your first session slot to inviting parents and going live with SerenPass.

Get Started on Your Dashboard

Until you have real children, a Get Started card sits at the top of your dashboard. It shows one step at a time, with a number for every step: a green tick on the ones that are done, and grey on the ones you've skipped. Click a number to see that step.

• Do this now opens the page for the step. A bar at the top of the page shows where you are, with a Next button that takes you straight to the next step.
• Skip for now moves on without doing the step. You can come back to it any time from the numbers.
• Click × on the bar to hide it.

Nurseries and cylchoedd also get a Set up funding step, which opens the Flying Start wizard. See Flying Start & Funding.

1. Create Your Account

Register at wootzoo.com/provider/register. You'll be asked to:

• Choose your setting type (Nursery, Club, Cylch Meithrin, Activities)
• Set your public URL - this is the web address parents will use to find you. Choose carefully, as it cannot be changed later.
• Enter your contact details and setting name

2. Complete Your Nursery Profile

Go to Settings → Nursery Profile and fill in:

• Setting name, address and contact details
• Opening times and holiday dates
• A short bio (displayed publicly)
• Photos - add at least one so parents recognise your setting

3. Set Up Session Slots

Session slots define the time blocks children attend (e.g. Morning 08:00–13:00, Afternoon 13:00–18:00). Go to Contracts & Sessions, and in the Time Slots card click New for each session you run. For each slot you can set:

• Title, start time, end time
• The price of the session
• Session type: Term time, Holiday club, All year, or Trip / Event
• Whether Flying Start or Foundation Phase can cover it

See the Sessions & Booking Slots guide for full details.

4. Add Children

You can add children in two ways:

1. Invite parents: parents register themselves and link their child. Go to Children → Invite Parent and send an invite by email.
2. Add manually: go to Children → Add Child and enter the child's details yourself. You can invite the parent to connect later.

See the Children & Families guide for more.

5. Go Live with SerenPass

SerenPass is Wootzoo's digital sign-in/sign-out register. Once children are added and sessions are set up, navigate to SerenPass from the top menu. Staff can sign children in and out, and the register is automatically grouped by session slot.

See the SerenPass guide for full instructions.

6. Set Up Invoicing

Before creating invoices, go to Settings → Invoicing and configure:

• Your bank details (appended to every invoice)
• Payment reminder timing
• Sibling discount (if applicable)

Your hourly rate (for CCOW) and Flying Start are under Settings → Funding. See the Invoicing & Payments and Flying Start & Funding guides.

7. Invite Staff

Go to Staff → Add Staff Member and create accounts for your team. Staff accounts can access SerenPass, record daily reports and write observations. Manager accounts have broader access including messaging and registers.

See the Staff Management guide.

Installing the App

Wootzoo is a Progressive Web App (PWA) - you install it directly from your browser, no app store needed.

1. Go to wootzoo.com/login on your phone or tablet and tap Install the App under the login form. On iPhone, it shows you the steps to add it to your home screen.
2. If you're already logged in, open the account menu (your logo) at the top right and choose Get the App.

Your staff have their own app, installed the same way from wootzoo.com/admin/login.

Your Menu: New or Classic

There are two versions of the menu down the left. The new menu is built around the setting you're working in: the setting's name sits at the top, then Plus and SerenPass come first, followed by everything else for that setting. New accounts start on the new menu. If you were with us already, you stay on the classic menu until you choose to try the new one.

To switch, open the account menu at the top right and click Try the new menu (or Back to the classic menu to go back). Switching doesn't touch your data, and the choice is remembered for your account.

If you have more than one setting, the setting switcher sits at the top of the new menu: click the arrows icon beside the setting's name, pick another one and click Switch. On the classic menu the switcher is in the top left corner next to the logo. It only appears if you have more than one setting.