Getting started in SkoolBro: a first week guide for new institutions

The first days with any new system decide whether staff keep using it. If the setup drags on for a month, people go back to their spreadsheets. SkoolBro now puts a short Getting started list on the home page, so a new owner can see what is left to do and where to do it. This guide explains how the list works and gives a plan for the first week, using a fictional school as the example.

Before the list: confirm your email

An email address is required when you sign up. SkoolBro sends a 6 digit code to that address, and you enter it before the account can be used. This keeps out sign-ups made with fake addresses, and it means the emails SkoolBro sends you, such as a password reset, reach a real inbox. If the code does not arrive within a few minutes, check your spam folder and that the address was typed correctly.

How the Getting started list works

Once you are in, the home page shows Getting started with a progress bar, such as "2 of 7 done", and these steps:

1. Choose your type of institution: your words, logo and colours.
2. Add your academic year and classes.
3. Add your staff.
4. Add your students, one by one or by importing a spreadsheet.
5. Add parents.
6. Set up fees.
7. Invite your team.

Each step links to the screen where the work is done. There is nothing to tick by hand. SkoolBro looks at your real records and marks a step done when they exist. Add the first section and the classes step is done. Add the first fee structure and the fees step is done.

People only see the steps they have permission for. A fee clerk who cannot set up classes will not see that step, so the list never sends anyone to a screen they cannot use. When your institution no longer needs the list, an admin can hide it for everyone.

A plan for your first week

Take Maple Leaf Junior School, a fictional school with 240 students in Grades 1 to 6, one section per grade, 14 teachers and an office of two. The owner, Mrs Ndlovu, signed up on a Monday. Here is how her week went, step by step.

Monday: the institution and your words

She opened the first step and chose school as the type of institution. An academy, college, coaching centre, training institute or vocational institute would choose its own type here, and the menus would then say batch, cohort or trade where a school says section or class. More on that in using your own words in SkoolBro. She also uploaded the school logo and set the colours to match the uniform.

Tuesday: academic year and classes

Next she added the academic year with its start and end dates, then Grades 1 to 6 with one section each, and the subjects taught in each grade. Getting this right first matters, because students are placed in sections and fees are set per grade.

Wednesday: staff

She added the 14 teachers and the two office staff with their contact details. Adding someone as staff is separate from giving them a sign-in, which comes on Friday.

Thursday: students and parents

The school already had a student list in a spreadsheet. Mrs Ndlovu tidied it so there was one row per student, with the grade, section and the parents' names, phone numbers and email addresses, then imported it. A school with a handful of students can add them one by one instead. Parents linked to each student were added in the same pass, which ticked off both the students step and the parents step. For new admissions after this week, see admissions and student records.

Friday: fees and your team

She set up the fee heads (tuition, exams, books) and a fee structure for each grade, with how often each is charged. If families owe money from before, bring their opening balances across now so the first invoices are right. Simplifying school fee collection covers this in more detail.

Last, she invited her team. Each person gets an email invitation and sets their own password. She gave the office manager, Mr Haddad, the role for fees and admissions, and the teachers the teacher role, so each person sees only the work their job needs. With that, the list showed 7 of 7 done.

Tips for a smooth first week

Do the steps in order. The list is arranged so that each step has what it needs from the one before: students need sections to sit in, and fees need grades.

Import before you invite. If teachers sign in to an empty system, their first impression is a blank page. Invite them once their classes and students are in.

Clean the spreadsheet before the import. Remove students who have left, fix duplicate rows and make sure every student has a grade and section. An hour spent here saves days of corrections later.

Keep the old register for one more week. Run attendance in SkoolBro and on paper side by side for a few days, then stop the paper one. The daily checklist for the education office is a good routine to adopt from the second week.

If your setup looks different

Not every institution needs every step on the first day. A training institute paid by sponsors may set up fees later, and a coaching centre run by one tutor may not invite anyone at first. The list still shows those steps until they are done or an admin hides it. The features page describes every module, and pricing explains what each plan includes.

Questions

Why do I need to enter a code after signing up?

SkoolBro sends a 6 digit code to the email address you signed up with. Entering it confirms the address belongs to you, which keeps fake sign-ups out and makes sure messages about your account reach you.

Do I have to tick the steps off myself?

No. Each step is ticked off when the records exist, for example as soon as the first student is added. Doing the work on its own screen is enough.

Can I hide the Getting started list?

Yes. An admin can hide the list, and it is then hidden for everyone in your institution.