School Bell & Music Scheduler — Automatic School Bell System, Bell Timer & Fire Drill Records for iPad

Q: Can this replace our wired bell timer?

Yes — the iPad plugs into your existing PA amplifier and rings every bell on schedule, replacing wall-mounted programmable bell timers with no rewiring and no special hardware.

Q: Does it keep our fire drill records?

Yes. Every fire drill, evacuation and lockdown is logged automatically. The warden, up to three assistant wardens, the observer, headcount, time to clear and the debrief are filled in on the iPad, a staff iPhone or the office browser, and the record or the whole year's drill pack exports as a PDF for the school's safety file.

Q: Can we try it properly before paying?

Every download includes a 7-day full-featured trial, and schools can email for an extended free-trial code.

New in 1.6 — fire drill records

Run the fire drill. The paperwork is done before everyone's back inside.

Schools have to run an emergency drill every term and keep a record of it. School Bell now keeps that record for you. Start the fire drill from the iPad or a warden's iPhone, give the All Clear from the oval, and the drill is already logged — with the warden's name on it. Fill in the rest on the spot, then hand the PDF to the auditor.

Every drill, on record — automatically

Every fire drill, evacuation and lockdown is logged with the date, the time, how long it ran, who started it and who gave the All Clear. The warden who ran the drill from their phone goes straight on the record as the Warden.

The whole observer and debrief record

Warden and up to three assistant wardens, the observer, the scenario, announced or unannounced, how the alarm was raised, the assembly area, the headcount, anyone unaccounted for, the time to clear, problems noticed, actions with who and by when, the debrief and the sign-off.

Filled in from the yard — even if the iPad doesn't make it

Wardens fill in and send the record from their iPhone. The phone keeps its own copy of every record and syncs it back to the iPad when it's reachable — so a real fire that takes the office with it doesn't take the paperwork too. The office can do it from the browser page as well.

One PDF for the safety file

Export a single drill record, or the whole year's drill pack — the term schedule plus one observer and debrief record per drill — as a PDF. A spreadsheet export is there too. Records are never deleted by the app.

Term reminders, without the clutter

Set your terms — four terms, three, or two semesters — and the Status screen shows one quiet line in the last two weeks of a term if that term's drill hasn't been done. Everything else lives in one place: Settings → Emergency alerts → Drills & records.

Built around the rules

Designed around AS 3745-2010 and the Victorian Department of Education's emergency management policy — a drill every term, a Chief Warden debrief, and Term 1 and Term 4 evacuation drills for bushfire-listed schools — with settings for other Australian states, early learning and schools outside Australia.

School Bell keeps the record; your school still plans and runs its own emergency procedures. Fire is added as one of the school's own alerts, with its own siren and message. A drill and alert tool that plays over your existing speakers — not a certified emergency warning system.

Drills and records: every term ticked off, every fire drill on record, the warden list

Every term ticked off, every drill on record

A fire drill record with the warden, assistant wardens, times and headcount

The fire drill record, done for you

Filling in the drill record on a warden's iPhone

Filled in on the warden's iPhone

The drill record form on the office computer's browser page

Or from the office computer — no app to install

The exported drill observer and debrief record as a PDF

The PDF for your safety file

Emergency alerts

Fire, evacuation, medical and lockdown alerts — one tap, over the speakers you already have

The Emergency tab has Evacuation, Medical and Lockdown built in — add the school's own, such as Fire or Bushfire — and nothing else to read in a hurry. Tap one and the siren sounds over the school PA, followed by a spoken message — two rounds to get everyone's attention, then calmer reminders — until someone presses All Clear on the iPad or from any staff iPhone. Bells and music are held the whole time.

Drill mode, with the record done for you

Flick on Drill mode and the message starts with "This is a drill". Every drill and alert goes straight into Drills & records — the warden, the times, the headcount and the debrief, exported as a PDF for your safety file.

Your sirens, your voice, your own sound files

Choose from built-in sirens — or use the school's own alarm tone (MP3, M4A or WAV). Pick the announcer voice, edit the message, record it in your own voice, or import the recording your school already uses. The All Clear message is yours to change too.

Raise the alarm from anywhere on campus

The same app on every staff iPhone — and the office browser page — carries the same buttons: start an alert or a drill from the playground, and clear it from any of them.

Nothing else gets on the PA

While an alert runs, scheduled and manual bells, music and announcements are all held until All Clear — from the iPad and from every phone.

A drill and alert tool that plays over your existing speakers. It is not a certified emergency warning system and does not replace your fire panel or evacuation system.

The Emergency tab with Evacuation, Medical, Lockdown and the school's own Fire alert, Drill mode on

Fire drill in one tap — Drill mode on

Settings for emergency alerts: each alert including Fire, the all-clear message, and Drills and records

Sirens, messages and the drill record

The Emergency screen on a staff iPhone with the Fire alert and Drill mode

Same buttons on every staff iPhone

Everything a school needs

Simple on the outside. Complete underneath.

A complete school bell scheduler, bell timer, music player and PA announcement system in one app: the iPad lives with the amplifier and does all the playing, the same app on staff iPhones is the remote, and any computer on the school Wi-Fi gets a browser control page — no software to install in the office.

Bells that never miss

The weekly timetable rings every bell on time, every day — recess, lunch, home time, and a different Friday if you need one. One-off changes touch one date only.

Music, two ways

Play the school's own music files fully offline, or connect the school's Apple Music subscription and schedule any playlist — morning music, lunch, end of day.

Announcements from anywhere

Type a message on an iPhone and the announcer voice reads it over the PA — or record in your own voice and play it live with an attention chime.

Holiday calendar

Tap dates on a month grid and the whole day stays silent. The display shows the school is closed — no editing the timetable and putting it back.

Locked-down kiosk

Apple's Guided Access locks the iPad on School Bell, so nobody can close the app or fiddle with the bells. The clock display comes up by itself and the bells keep ringing.

Runs on your network

No cloud account, no server, nothing to break when the internet drops. Bells, local music and announcements all keep working offline.

New in 1.5.1 — power-loss alerts

If the charger gets kicked out, the whole school knows in 20 seconds

The number one way a bell system goes quiet is a charger pulled out of the wall. School Bell now watches the iPad's own power. Lose mains and the station says so over the PA — "Attention. The bell system has lost mains power and is running on battery" — again at 20% and 10%, and "power restored" when it's back. The warning shows on the iPad, on the clock display, on every staff iPhone and on the browser page. Bells keep ringing while the battery lasts.

A notification on staff phones — even with the app closed

Turn on Notify staff phones and paired iPhones get a push notification when the iPad loses power, when its battery is low, when power is back — and if the station stops answering for five minutes, which covers a blackout that takes the Wi-Fi with it.

Buddy, the built-in helper

A round, friendly helper sits in the corner of the iPad and the browser page. Ask him anything — "where do I change the evacuation sound?" — and he explains, then offers to take you straight to the right screen. Works offline, no AI, nothing leaves the school. Switch him off in Settings if you'd rather not.

Power-loss alerts, your own sound files and Buddy arrive in the 1.5.1 update. The push notification needs the iPad to have internet; the PA announcement and on-screen warnings need nothing but the iPad.

Status screen showing Running on battery — 43%

Running on battery — the Status screen

The clock display showing ON BATTERY 43% — CHECK THE CHARGER

The clock display says it too

Buddy answering a question and offering to take you to the right screen

Buddy: ask, then "Yes, take me there"

Questions schools ask

FAQ

Does it work without internet?

Yes. Bells, the school's own music files, announcements, the iPhone remote and the browser page all run entirely on your local network. Only Apple Music streaming needs an internet connection.

Can this replace our wired bell timer?

Yes — that's exactly what it's for. Old wall-mounted programmable bell timers and clock-relay systems are replaced by the iPad plugged into the same amplifier: every bell rings on schedule, plus you gain scheduled music and PA announcements those timers could never do. No rewiring, no special hardware.

We have two campuses with two iPads — can one phone control both?

Yes. The iPhone app remembers every station you pair with and switches between them in one tap — pairing codes are remembered per station.

What happens during school holidays?

Tap the dates on the holiday calendar once and those days stay completely silent. The timetable itself is untouched, so there's nothing to set back up.

Can anyone mess with the bells?

No. Phone and browser access need the station's pairing code, and Apple's Guided Access locks the iPad on School Bell so nobody can close the app or change anything — iPad Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access, then triple-click the top button. The clock display comes up by itself and the bells keep ringing.

Does it keep our fire drill records?

Yes — since 1.6. Every fire drill, evacuation and lockdown is logged automatically with the date, time, length and who started and cleared it. Add the warden, up to three assistant wardens, the observer, headcount, time to clear, problems, actions and the debrief on the iPad, a warden's iPhone or the office browser, then export the record — or the whole year's drill pack — as a PDF. It's designed around AS 3745 and the Victorian Department of Education's emergency management policy, with settings for other states and countries.

Can a warden fill in the drill record from their phone?

Yes. Staff nominate themselves as a warden in the iPhone app, and their name goes on the record when they start or clear a drill. Under More → Drill records they fill in the record and send the PDF straight from the phone. The phone keeps its own copy of every record, so the paperwork survives even if the iPad doesn't.

What data do you collect?

None. There are no accounts and no cloud — your schedules, recordings and settings stay on your own devices. See the privacy policy.

Does the emergency alert replace our fire alarm or evacuation system?

No. The Evacuation, Medical and Lockdown alerts are a drill and alert tool that plays a siren and a spoken message over your existing PA speakers. It is not a certified emergency warning system (AS 1670 / EWIS in Australia) and does not connect to, or replace, your fire panel. Use it for fire drills, lockdowns and staff alerts alongside your certified systems — and keep the drill records it produces for your safety file.

Can the office run it from a computer?

Yes. Since 1.5 the iPad serves its own control page on the school Wi-Fi — open the address shown in Settings in any browser, enter the pairing code, and you have the timetable, announcements, music, holidays and the emergency buttons on a proper screen and keyboard. Nothing to install, no account.

Can we use our own evacuation or lockdown recording?

Yes. Each alert can use the school's own alarm tone and your own recorded announcement (MP3, M4A or WAV) instead of the built-in siren and spoken message — Settings → Emergency alerts → the alert → Choose a sound file.

What happens if the iPad loses power?

It tells you. Twenty seconds after the charger is unplugged the station announces it over the PA, again at 20% and 10% battery, and when power is back. The warning shows on the iPad, every staff iPhone and the browser page, and with Notify staff phones on, paired iPhones get a push notification even with the app closed — including if the station stops answering during a blackout. Bells keep ringing while the battery lasts.

How do we get the most natural announcer voice?

Download Apple's free high-quality voice on the station iPad — it takes about a minute and only needs doing once: iPad Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content → Voices → English → Lee and download Lee (Enhanced), or Premium if it's offered. School Bell picks it up automatically for every typed announcement and emergency message. Apple doesn't allow apps to include these voices, so this one step is done on the iPad itself.

Can we try it properly before paying?

Every download includes a 7-day full-featured trial. Schools that want longer to evaluate can email us for an extended free-trial code — no payment details needed.

One iPad runs the whole school day — bells, music, PA announcements, emergency alerts and fire drills.

Fire drills, bells, music and the PA, in under two minutes

The full iPad setup guide

Run the fire drill. The paperwork is done before everyone's back inside.

Fire, evacuation, medical and lockdown alerts — one tap, over the speakers you already have

Simple on the outside. Complete underneath.

Bells that never miss

Music, two ways

Announcements from anywhere

Holiday calendar

Locked-down kiosk

Runs on your network

A school display when idle, a control desk when touched

The office runs it from a computer — nothing to install

If the charger gets kicked out, the whole school knows in 20 seconds

The whole system in every staff member's pocket

Installed in minutes — one lead and it's done

One subscription covers the school

FAQ

Ready to retire the old bell timer?