A habit, not a cram
Start with one short bite a day, and keep going when they're on a roll. Cards come back just before they'd be forgotten, so the knowledge sticks and the night before a test is calm.
Why it works
Made for their phone
Saved to the home screen like any app. One tap, their PIN, done. A gentle 7:30pm reminder if they want one, and nothing else.
Straight from their teachers
Offset reads Satchel One every morning. Homework, tests and the teachers' own sheets become cards, mini lessons and quizzes on exactly what's coming up.
A smart friend, not a teacher
Offset, the little character, gets friendlier the more they show up. Ask Offset helps them work things out, rather than handing over answers.
Everything in view for you
The parents' app shows what's due, how ready each child is for every test, the time they've put in, and their conversations with Ask Offset.
Pocket money, if you want it
Children can earn by revising: cards, lessons, quizzes and good questions. You set the rates and a weekly cap, per child, or switch it off. A Monday message tells you what to pay.
Getting set up
About ten minutes, once. You'll need your invite link and a computer with Chrome or Edge that you use most days.
How homework keeps coming in
Satchel One doesn't let other apps read homework, so Offset reads it through your own Chrome or Edge, where you're already signed in. That means:
- The computer needs to be on, with Chrome open, at least once a day. It doesn't have to stay on. Offset collects new homework once a day, any time after 4am, so if the computer was off it catches up a minute or two after you next open Chrome.
- Stay signed in to Satchel One in that browser. If you're signed out, the Offset button in Chrome shows a red ! and the parents' app tells you.
- A missed day doesn't lose anything. The next sync picks up everything set since the last one.
- Children's phones don't need the computer. Their apps work from whatever has already come in.
So add the extension on the computer you use most days, not one that's usually switched off. Offset needs a computer: it can't sync from an iPad or a phone.
ParentsSet up your family
- Open your invite link on the computer. Give your family name and your email, choose a parents' password, and read the privacy notice.
- Connect Satchel One. Add the Offset sync extension to Chrome or Edge (one click: Add to Chrome), sign in to Satchel One as you normally do, then type the connect code shown on screen. Your Satchel One sign in never leaves your browser.
- Add your children. Offset finds them on Satchel One. Check each one's year and choose a PIN for them (4 to 8 digits).
- Check the first sync, then get your links. Offset shows you the homework it has read, then gives you one link for the parents' app and one private link for each child. We email them to you too, so you can carry on from your phone.
Both parentsPut the parents' app on your phones
- Send the parents' link and password to the other parent. Open the link on each of your phones and type the password.
- Add it to the home screen (see below), open it from the new icon, and turn on the Monday summary if you use pocket money.
ChildrenGet them going
- Send each child their own link (a text or WhatsApp is fine) and tell them their PIN.
- They open it on their phone and add it to the home screen (see below).
- They open Offset from the new icon, type their PIN and do today's bite. That's it. If they'd like the 7:30pm reminder, they can turn it on from Today.
iPhone
Open the link in Safari. Tap Share ⬆︎, then Add to Home Screen, then Add.
Android
Open the link in Chrome. Tap the menu ⋮, then Add to Home screen or Install app.
On iPhone, reminders only work once Offset is on the home screen.
Offset is a small, invite-only pilot run by a parent at the school. Your children's information stays private to your family: read the privacy notice. Questions or ideas? Tell Ben, we'd love to hear them.