Kerboodle is an online learning platform that secondary schools use to share digital books, lesson plans, homework, and tests with students and teachers. If you are a student, you probably know it as the site your teacher asked you to open for homework. If you are a teacher, you may want to know how to set it up, track progress, and save planning time. This guide explains what Kerboodle is, how to sign in, how to fix common login problems, and how to get the most from its tools. You will also find clear notes on cost, support, and newer features.
What Is Kerboodle?
Kerboodle is a subscription service that supports teaching and learning in school and at home. Oxford University Press provides it as a digital teaching, learning, and assessment service, so many tools sit in one place. More than 6 million learners and teachers use the platform, and it covers many school subjects. Schools pick the courses they need, such as science, math, modern languages, English, or geography.
You can think of Kerboodle as three tools behind one login. It works like a bookshelf for digital textbooks, a planner for teachers, and a basket for homework and tests. Because everything sits in one place, students spend less time searching and teachers spend less time preparing.
Who Can Use Kerboodle?
Students and teachers at schools that hold a Kerboodle subscription can use it. Parents cannot buy it themselves, because Oxford sells it to secondary schools only. A school subscription gives access to all teachers and staff. In some cases, students need a separate subscription to open the digital books.
Students receive their login details from a teacher or from the school’s Kerboodle administrator. After signing in, a student can open every course the school has bought. If you are a parent and want to see what your child does on the platform, ask the school how it uses Kerboodle. Your child’s teacher can explain what is set and where to find it.
What Can You Find Inside a Kerboodle Course?
Most Kerboodle courses include digital books, lessons, resources, assessments, a markbook, and reports, although the exact support changes from course to course. Here is what each area does:
- Digital Books: These are online versions of Oxford books for students and teachers to use at school and at home, and they include annotation tools.
- Lessons and planning: You get schemes of work and ready-to-use lesson presentations, with linked resources and teacher notes.
- Resources, exam practice, and revision: Teachers can use these materials in class or assign them to students for use at home.
- Assessment: This is a bank of materials that test knowledge and understanding, with both automatic and paper-based options.
- Markbook: Teachers follow assignments here and enter marks for work that needs hand marking.
- Reports: These show progress and point out where students are strong and where they need help.
Oxford also lists videos, animations, podcasts, and worksheets in its bank of online resources. This mix helps teachers vary their lessons, and it gives students different ways to learn the same topic.
What Subjects and Courses Does Kerboodle Cover?
Oxford’s support site says Kerboodle offers more than 80 courses for Key Stage 3, GCSE, IGCSE, and the IB Diploma Programme. Subjects include modern languages, science, math, English, and geography.
Science shows how deep one subject area can go. Science Kerboodle supports students from KS3 through A Level in biology, chemistry, and physics. Oxford also groups courses by qualification:
- IB Kerboodle
- Cambridge Kerboodle
- Oxford International Resources Kerboodle
- OxfordAQA Kerboodle
Each of these has its own page on the Oxford website. The OxfordAQA option gives online and offline digital access to textbooks.
A quick note for American readers: Key Stage 3 covers students who are about 11 to 14 years old. GCSE courses are usually taken around ages 14 to 16, and IGCSE is the international version of that qualification.
How Do You Log In to Kerboodle?
You log in to Kerboodle at kerboodle.com with the username, password, and institution code your school gave you. Your teacher or Kerboodle administrator shares these details with you. Follow these steps:
- Open your browser and go to kerboodle.com.
- Enter your username. Your school sets the format. One school, for example, uses firstname.lastname.
- Enter your password. By default, it matches your username.
- Type your institution code.
- Change your password when the site asks. Kerboodle prompts you to do this the first time you sign in.
- Choose a course from your home screen. Each course appears as its own tile.
Some schools let you sign in with an email address, a password, and the institution code instead. If you are not sure which way your school works, ask your teacher.
A small habit saves time: bookmark the login page. You will reach it in one click instead of searching each time, and you will avoid fake sites that copy the look of real ones. Always check that the address says kerboodle.com before you type your password.
What Is a Kerboodle Institution Code?
An institution code is a short code that tells Kerboodle which school account you belong to. The sign-in page says it identifies your account and that you should receive it with your username and password, or with a purchased access code. After you log in, you can also find it on your profile page.
Once you know your code, save it somewhere safe. Students can write it in a planner or a notes app. Teachers should share it through the school’s normal channels, such as a class page or an email, and not on a public website.
How Do You Use Single Sign-On With Kerboodle?
Single sign-on lets you open Kerboodle with your school Google or Microsoft account. You visit kerboodle.com, click the Sign in with Google or Sign in with Microsoft button, and follow the directions. This way, you do not need to remember a separate Kerboodle password.
There is one rule to know. The email address linked to your Kerboodle account must match the email address you use for your school Google or Microsoft account. The first time you link the accounts, Kerboodle asks you to share permissions.
If you already have an account, follow these steps:
- Sign in as usual with your username, password, and institution code.
- Check that the email address on your profile matches your school email.
- Next time, click the Google or Microsoft button instead.
Teachers and administrators have a few extra tasks. Each teacher must update their own account to use single sign-on. An administrator can add student email addresses in bulk by choosing All Students in the administrator account. Schools like this option because it cuts down on the number of password reset requests.
What Can You Do If You Cannot Sign In?
Start by checking your username, password, and institution code, because a small typing error causes most login trouble. Also check that Caps Lock is off. If that does not help, use the table below.
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| You forgot your password | Ask your teacher to reset it, or select Trouble logging in if your profile has an email address. |
| You do not know your institution code | Check the message from your school. Once you are in, you can see it on your profile page. |
| The Google or Microsoft button fails | Make sure your Kerboodle email matches your school account email. Ask your teacher to check it. |
| Your activation link does not work | The activation link works only once. After that, use kerboodle.com. |
You can also reset a password by email. Go to kerboodle.com, click Trouble logging in, enter your school email address, and select Reset password. Then open the message from Kerboodle and follow the link to choose a new password. If no message arrives, check your spam folder and ask your teacher for help.
How Do Teachers Set Up Kerboodle for a School?
Setup starts when the purchasing teacher activates the account. That teacher receives an email with an activation link and login details, then sets a password and fills in a profile. After that, the teacher invites a colleague to act as the school administrator. Oxford recommends having an administrator in place even if students will not use Kerboodle.
Teachers can also invite other teachers to give them access to content. The administrator then adds students and handles bulk tasks, such as updating email addresses for single sign-on.
You do not have to do this alone. Kerboodle offers appointments with a team member to help with setup and with your subscription, at no extra cost for subscribers. A short call with the team can save a lot of time, especially in large schools with many classes.
How Can Students Get the Most Out of Kerboodle?
Students get the most from Kerboodle when they check it often and use every part of each course. Try these habits:
- Check for homework. Teachers can assign homework through Kerboodle. Look at your tasks at the start of each week so nothing surprises you.
- Read teacher feedback. Students use the platform to check feedback and revise for exams. Feedback tells you what to fix before the next test.
- Use the digital book. Sign in, choose your subject from your library, select Digital Book, and pick the book you want. Use the annotation tools to mark key ideas.
- Practice before exams. Revision and exam practice materials give you extra chances to test yourself without any pressure.
- Study at home. The service supports learning at home, so short sessions after school can add up.
Treat Kerboodle like a study partner and not only a place to hand in work. A few focused minutes each day often work better than one long session the night before a test.
How Can Teachers Get More Value From Kerboodle?
Teachers get the most value when they use Kerboodle for planning, teaching, marking, and tracking in the same place. The lesson presentations and schemes of work come with teacher notes, so you can adjust a ready-made lesson instead of building one from scratch.
Here are some ways to use the tools well:
- Assign targeted work. You can assign resources to students for homework. Pick short tasks that match what you taught that week.
- Use automatic assessments. They save marking time and give students quick results. Use the paper-based options when you want a class test.
- Follow progress. The Markbook and reports show how assignments are going and where students struggle.
- Share links. Some teachers assign a Kerboodle task and share the link through Google Classroom, which gives students one starting point.
- Learn from videos. Oxford offers free training and a playlist of how-to videos.
What Are Kerboodle Adaptive and Plan Assist?
Kerboodle Adaptive is a newer option that builds learning paths for individual students. Oxford describes it as adaptive learning journeys to support each learner. For science, it offers personalized learning journeys and detailed data, and it is available for KS3 through Oxford Smart Activate and for AQA GCSE Sciences.
Oxford also lists a tool called Kerboodle AI Tools: Plan Assist on its Kerboodle pages. Oxford may change its features over time, so read the current description on the Oxford website or ask the Kerboodle team before you rely on it. Your school may not have these options, because each school chooses its own subscription.
How Much Does Kerboodle Cost?
Kerboodle is free for individual students and teachers to use, but schools pay for it. Schools pay for access, and students and teachers then get individual logins through the school.
Prices depend on the course. The review site EdTech Impact lists prices from £400 per year, using AQA GCSE French as its example, and notes that prices vary by course. That figure is in British pounds and comes from a third-party site, so ask Oxford or your school for a current quote. Remember that student access to the digital books can be a separate subscription.
Where Can You Get Help With Kerboodle?
You can get help from your teacher, from the Kerboodle support site, or by email. Oxford asks users to write to support@kerboodle.com for support. The support site at support.kerboodle.com covers topics such as getting started, adding students, and single sign-on.
For video help, Oxford keeps a dedicated Kerboodle playlist of how-to videos on YouTube. Students should start with their teacher, because teachers can reset passwords and check account details quickly.
Conclusion
Kerboodle gives schools one place for digital books, lessons, homework, assessments, and progress reports. Students sign in at kerboodle.com with a username, password, and institution code, or with a school Google or Microsoft account if the school allows it. When a login fails, check the basics first, then try a password reset or ask a teacher. Teachers who use the Markbook, reports, and free training can save time and see how each class is doing. If your school subscribes, take a few minutes to explore every area of your course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kerboodle free to use?
Kerboodle is not free for schools. Schools buy a subscription, and then students and teachers receive individual logins at no extra cost to them. In some cases, student access to a digital book needs a separate subscription, so ask your school what it has bought.
Can parents buy Kerboodle for their child?
No. Kerboodle is a subscription service for secondary schools, and parents cannot buy it directly. If you want your child to use it, ask the school whether it subscribes to Kerboodle courses for your child’s subjects. The school or the teacher then provides the login details.
What is the default Kerboodle password?
By default, your Kerboodle password is the same as your username. The site asks you to change it the first time you sign in. Pick a new password that you can remember but others cannot guess easily. If your school uses single sign-on, you do not need to remember a separate Kerboodle password.
Can students use Kerboodle at home?
Yes. Kerboodle supports learning in school and at home, and teachers can assign resources as homework. Students sign in at kerboodle.com with the same username, password, and institution code they use at school. Check with your teacher about which courses and books your school has set up for home study.
How do I reset my Kerboodle password?
Students should ask their teacher to reset the password. If your profile has an email address, select Trouble logging in on the sign-in page, enter your school email, and follow the link in the message you receive. The link lets you choose a new password.
