Academics Module
Welcome to the Academics module! This is where you manage everything related to teaching and learning at your school - from setting up your curriculum to recording student grades and planning lessons.
Academics Module Architecture
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ACADEMICS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 1. CURRICULUM SETUP │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Curriculum Type (ZIMSEC, Cambridge, IB) • Grading Scales • Pass Marks│ │
│ │ │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ────────────┐ │
│ │ 2. SCHOOL STRUCTURE │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Grade Levels (Form 1-6) • Streams (Sciences, Arts) • Class Divisions│ │
│ │ │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 3. SUBJECTS & CLASSES │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Create Subjects • Assign Teachers • Enroll Students • Subject Classes│ │
│ │ │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌────────────┼────────────┐ │
│ │ │ │ │
│ ▼ ▼ ▼ │
│ ┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 4. GRADEBOOKS │ │ 5. LESSON PLANS │ │ 6. ASSESSMENTS │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ Record Marks │ │ Plan Topics │ │ Tests & Quizzes │ │
│ │ Calculate Grades │ │ Attach Resources│ │ Assignments │ │
│ │ Publish Results │ │ Track Coverage │ │ Examinations │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ Results Processing │ │
│ └─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
What You Can Do
The Academics module helps you:
| Feature | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Setup | Configure which curriculum your school follows (ZIMSEC, Cambridge, IB) and set up grading scales |
| School Structure | Organize grade levels (Form 1-6), streams (Sciences, Arts), and class divisions (Form 3A, 3B) |
| Subjects & Classes | Create subjects, assign teachers, and enroll students into classes |
| Gradebooks | Record marks, calculate averages, and publish results to students and parents |
| Lesson Planning | Plan lessons, organize topics, and attach learning materials |
| Assessments & Exams | Create tests, assignments, and formal examinations |
Setup Workflow (What to Do First)
Follow this order when setting up academics for the first time:
START HERE
│
▼
┌ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STEP 1: Curriculum Setup │
│ ───────────────────────── │
│ • Select curriculum type (ZIMSEC, Cambridge, IB) │
│ • Configure grading scales (A=75-100, B=60-74, etc.) │
│ • Set pass marks and grade boundaries │
│ │
│ WHY FIRST? Everything else depends on your grading system │
└────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STEP 2: School Structure │
│ ──────────────────────── │
│ • Create Grade Levels (Form 1, Form 2, Form 3...) │
│ • Create Streams (Sciences, Arts, Commercial) │
│ • Create Class Divisions (Form 3A Sciences, Form 3B Arts) │
│ │
│ WHY SECOND? Classes are where students and teachers go │
└────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STEP 3: Subjects & Classes │
│ ────────────────────────── │
│ • Create Subjects (Mathematics, English, Physics...) │
│ • Create Subject Classes (Math for Form 3A, Physics for Form 4) │
│ • Assign Teachers to each subject class │
│ • Enroll Students into their subject classes │
│ │
│ WHY THIRD? Links everything together - subject + class + teacher│
└────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STEP 4: Daily Operations (can happen simultaneously) │
│ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ Gradebooks │ │ Lesson Plans │ │ Assessments │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ Enter marks │ │ Plan topics │ │ Create tests │ │
│ │ Calculate │ │ Add resources│ │ Schedule exams │ │
│ │ Publish │ │ Track coverage│ │ Process results │ │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
READY TO GO! ✓
Getting Started
If you're setting up academics for the first time, follow these steps in order:
Step 1: Set Up Your Curriculum
Before anything else, you need to tell the system which curriculum your school uses.
- Go to Academics → Curriculum Setup
- Select your curriculum type (ZIMSEC, Cambridge, IB, or Custom)
- Set up your grading scales (how marks convert to grades like A, B, C)
📘 Learn more about Curriculum Setup →
Step 2: Create Your School Structure
Next, set up how your school is organized academically.
- Go to Academics → School Structure
- Create your grade levels (e.g., Form 1, Form 2, Form 3)
- Add streams if your school has them (Sciences, Arts, Commercial)
- Create class divisions (e.g., Form 3A, Form 3B, Form 3 Sciences)
📘 Learn more about School Structure →
Step 3: Add Your Subjects
Now add all the subjects your school teaches.
- Go to Academics → Subjects & Classes
- Add each subject (Mathematics, English, Physics, etc.)
- Set subject details like whether it's compulsory or optional
- Assign teachers to each subject
📘 Learn more about Subjects & Classes →
Step 4: Create Subject Classes & Enroll Students
Link everything together by creating subject classes and adding students.
- In Subjects & Classes, create a new subject class
- Select the subject, grade level, and class division
- Assign the teacher who will teach this class
- Enroll students into the class
📘 Learn more about Subjects & Classes →
Step 5: Set Up Gradebooks
Create gradebooks to track student performance.
- Go to Academics → Gradebooks
- Create a new gradebook for each subject class
- Add grade categories (Tests, Assignments, Exams)
- Set weight percentages for each category
📘 Learn more about Gradebooks →
Quick Access
For Daily Tasks
| Task | Where to Go |
|---|---|
| Enter student marks | Academics → Gradebooks → Select class → Add Entries |
| Create an assignment | Academics → Assessments → New Assignment |
| Plan tomorrow's lesson | Academics → Lesson Planning → New Lesson |
| Check class enrollment | Academics → Subjects & Classes → Select class |
For Administrative Tasks
| Task | Where to Go |
|---|---|
| Add a new subject | Academics → Subjects & Classes → + Add Subject |
| Create a new class division | Academics → School Structure → Class Divisions → + Add |
| Update grading scale | Academics → Curriculum Setup → Grading Scales |
| Publish term results | Academics → Gradebooks → Publish Results |
Understanding the Academic Hierarchy
Your school's academic structure works like this:
📚 Curriculum (ZIMSEC)
└── 📊 Grading Scale (A: 75-100, B: 60-74, etc.)
🏫 School Structure
├── 📁 Grade Level (Form 3)
│ ├── 🔀 Stream (Sciences)
│ │ ├── 👥 Class Division (Form 3A Sciences)
│ │ └── 👥 Class Division (Form 3B Sciences)
│ └── 🔀 Stream (Arts)
│ └── 👥 Class Division (Form 3 Arts)
📖 Subjects & Classes
├── 📘 Subject (Mathematics)
│ └── 📝 Subject Class (Math - Form 3A Sciences)
│ ├── 👨🏫 Teacher (Mr. Moyo)
│ ├── 👩🎓 Student (Tendai)
│ ├── 👨🎓 Student (Tapiwa)
│ └── 📊 Gradebook
Academic Year Workflow
Here's how a typical academic year flows in the system:
Beginning of Year
- ✅ Verify curriculum and grading scales are correct
- ✅ Create new class divisions for the year
- ✅ Assign teachers to subjects and classes
- ✅ Enroll students into their classes
- ✅ Create gradebooks for each subject class
During the Term
- 📝 Teachers plan and deliver lessons
- 📋 Teachers create assignments and tests
- 📊 Teachers enter marks into gradebooks
- 📈 Students and parents view progress
End of Term
- 🔍 Department heads review and moderate grades
- ✅ Administration approves final grades
- 📤 Results are published to students and parents
- 📄 Report cards are generated
Tips for Success
Start with Structure
Always set up your school structure (grade levels, streams, class divisions) before creating subjects and classes. This makes everything else easier.
Use Consistent Naming
Use clear, consistent names for classes. For example:
- ✅ "Form 3A Sciences"
- ✅ "Grade 7 Blue"
- ❌ "F3A" (too abbreviated)
- ❌ "Mr. Moyo's Class" (teacher might change)
Set Up Grading Scales First
Configure your grading scales before teachers start entering marks. Changing scales later can cause confusion.
Need Help?
- Can't find a feature? Use the search bar at the top of the page
- Something not working? Contact your system administrator
- Need training? Ask your school's IT coordinator about training sessions
What's Next?
📚 Curriculum Setup Start here to configure your curriculum and grading scales
🏫 School Structure
Set up grade levels, streams, and class divisions
📖 Subjects & Classes Add subjects, assign teachers, enroll students
📊 Gradebooks Record and manage student grades
📝 Lesson Planning Plan lessons and organize learning materials
📋 Assessments & Exams Create tests, assignments, and examinations