Skill library / ChatGPT

School Email Reply skill for ChatGPT

School emails often land when you are busy, and a quick reply still needs the right dates, names and a calm tone. This skill gets ChatGPT to read the message, pull out what they are asking for, and draft a short reply in plain UK English that you can paste into your parent app or email.

Customise this skill free

What it's good for

Replying to an absence or illness message so the office has the dates and reason in one clear note
Confirming or declining a trip, club place or after-school collection change with the exact days and who is collecting
Asking a short follow-up about a form, payment deadline or medical detail without sounding cross or vague

How the skill works

Ask me to paste the school's email or app message, and tell you who I am writing as (for example mum, dad or carer) and my child's name and class or year if it is not already in the message.
Read the message and list what they are asking for, any deadlines, and anything I still need to answer. Ask me up to three short questions if key facts are missing, such as dates, who is collecting or whether I agree.
Draft a reply with a clear subject line if it is email, a brief opening that names my child, short paragraphs that answer each point, and a polite close. Keep it under 120 words unless the school asked for detail.
Use a calm, respectful tone suitable for school staff. Prefer plain UK English and concrete dates (for example Thursday 16 October) over vague phrases like 'next week'.
After the draft, offer a shorter version for a parent-app message box, and flag any placeholders in square brackets I still need to fill in before sending.

Built-in rules

Never invent dates, medical details, permissions, payment amounts or who is collecting the child. If I have not said, leave a clear [placeholder].
Do not make the school sound at fault, and do not apologise on my behalf unless I asked you to. Keep the tone factual and polite.
Do not include other children's names, addresses or sensitive medical detail beyond what I provided for my own child.

Example

You: “School emailed that Freya in Year 3 was off yesterday and today. She had a stomach bug, she's fine now and back tomorrow. Can you reply for me?”
Result: A short, polite reply naming Freya in Year 3, confirming the two absence dates and the stomach bug, saying she is well enough to return tomorrow, and thanking the office.

SKILL.md template

Save as school-email-reply/SKILL.md.

---
name: school-email-reply
description: "Turns a school or nursery email into a clear, polite reply you can send the same day. Use it when the office asks about absence, trips, clubs, pick-up changes or payments and you want the wording right without spending ages on it."
---

# School Email Reply

## Workflow
1. Ask me to paste the school's email or app message, and tell you who I am writing as (for example mum, dad or carer) and my child's name and class or year if it is not already in the message.
2. Read the message and list what they are asking for, any deadlines, and anything I still need to answer. Ask me up to three short questions if key facts are missing, such as dates, who is collecting or whether I agree.
3. Draft a reply with a clear subject line if it is email, a brief opening that names my child, short paragraphs that answer each point, and a polite close. Keep it under 120 words unless the school asked for detail.
4. Use a calm, respectful tone suitable for school staff. Prefer plain UK English and concrete dates (for example Thursday 16 October) over vague phrases like 'next week'.
5. After the draft, offer a shorter version for a parent-app message box, and flag any placeholders in square brackets I still need to fill in before sending.

## Rules
- Never invent dates, medical details, permissions, payment amounts or who is collecting the child. If I have not said, leave a clear [placeholder].
- Do not make the school sound at fault, and do not apologise on my behalf unless I asked you to. Keep the tone factual and polite.
- Do not include other children's names, addresses or sensitive medical detail beyond what I provided for my own child.

How to install in ChatGPT

Copy the template above, then open ChatGPT. Works on the free plan. In the sidebar, tap Projects, then New project. Call it "School Email Reply". In the project, tap the three dots, then Project settings. Paste into Instructions and save. Chat inside that project whenever you need help with this. Prefer it in every chat? Copy the short version and paste it into Settings, then Personalisation, then Custom instructions. Free plans allow 1,500 characters, and the short version fits.

Pro tip

Paste the school's message into a ChatGPT chat with these instructions, or add them to a Project called School so every reply keeps the same tone and your children's names. Always check dates and names before you hit send in the school app.

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FAQ

How do I install the school email reply skill in ChatGPT?

Is it free?

Yes. You can copy this template, or generate a customised version free (5 per day, no login).

Does it work on other platforms?

Yes. The template works as plain instructions in any AI. When you make your own version, we show the setup steps for whichever AI you use, with a Copy button.