School Structure

This guide shows you how to organize your school's academic structure. You'll set up grade levels (like Form 1, Form 2), streams (like Sciences, Arts), and class divisions (like Form 3A, Form 3B).

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School Structure Setup Flow

START: School Structure Setup (After Curriculum is Set)
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  STEP 1: Create Grade Levels                                 │
│  ───────────────────────────                                 │
│  Add all your grade/form levels:                            │
│  • Form 1, Form 2, Form 3, Form 4, Form 5, Form 6           │
│  • Or: Grade 1, Grade 2... Grade 7                          │
│                                                              │
│  IMPORTANT: Do this first - streams and classes need grades │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  STEP 2: Create Streams (if applicable)                      │
│  ──────────────────────────────────────                      │
│  Add academic tracks/pathways:                              │
│  • Sciences Stream                                           │
│  • Arts Stream                                               │
│  • Commercial Stream                                         │
│                                                              │
│  NOTE: Skip if your school doesn't use streams              │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  STEP 3: Create Class Divisions                              │
│  ──────────────────────────────                              │
│  Create the actual classes students will be in:             │
│  • Form 3A Sciences                                          │
│  • Form 3B Sciences                                          │
│  • Form 3 Arts                                               │
│                                                              │
│  Each class = Grade Level + Stream + Division (A, B, C)     │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
                   STRUCTURE READY ✓
                           │
                           ▼
                Next: Add Subjects & Classes

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What is School Structure?

School Structure defines how your school is organized academically:

• Grade Levels - The year groups (Form 1, Form 2, Grade 7, etc.)
• Streams - Academic tracks within a grade level (Sciences, Arts, Commercial)
• Class Divisions - Individual classes (Form 3A, Form 3B, Form 3 Sciences)

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Understanding the Hierarchy

Think of it like this:

🏫 Your School
├── 📁 Form 3 (Grade Level)
│   ├── 🔬 Sciences Stream
│   │   ├── 👥 Form 3A Sciences (Class Division)
│   │   └── 👥 Form 3B Sciences (Class Division)
│   ├── 🎨 Arts Stream
│   │   └── 👥 Form 3 Arts (Class Division)
│   └── 💼 Commercial Stream
│       └── 👥 Form 3 Commercial (Class Division)

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Setting Up Grade Levels

Grade levels are the year groups in your school (Form 1, Form 2, Grade 7, etc.).

How to Add a Grade Level

1. Go to Academics → School Structure
2. Click the Grade Levels tab
3. Click + Add Grade Level
4. Fill in the details:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Name	Full name of the grade	"Form 3"
Code	Short code	"F3"
Order	Display order (1 = first)	3
Description	Optional notes	"Third year of secondary"
Academic Level	O-Level, A-Level, etc.	O-Level

5. Click Save

Example Grade Level Setup

For a Secondary School:

Order	Name	Code	Academic Level
1	Form 1	F1	O-Level
2	Form 2	F2	O-Level
3	Form 3	F3	O-Level
4	Form 4	F4	O-Level
5	Lower 6	L6	A-Level
6	Upper 6	U6	A-Level

For a Primary School:

Order	Name	Code	Academic Level
1	Grade 1	G1	Primary
2	Grade 2	G2	Primary
3	Grade 3	G3	Primary
...	...	...	...
7	Grade 7	G7	Primary

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Setting Up Streams

Streams are academic tracks that students can follow within a grade level. Not all schools use streams.

When to Use Streams

School Type	Use Streams?	Examples
Primary School	Usually No	All students follow same path
Secondary (O-Level)	Sometimes	Sciences, Arts, Commercial
Secondary (A-Level)	Usually Yes	Sciences, Arts, Commercials
Mixed	Varies	Depends on your structure

How to Add a Stream

1. Go to Academics → School Structure
2. Click the Streams tab
3. Click + Add Stream
4. Fill in the details:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Name	Full name	"Sciences"
Code	Short code	"SCI"
Grade Levels	Which grades use this stream	Form 3, Form 4
Description	Optional notes	"For students taking science subjects"

5. Click Save

Example Stream Setup

For a Secondary School with Streams:

Name	Code	Description	Typical Subjects
Sciences	SCI	Science-focused track	Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math
Arts	ARTS	Humanities-focused track	Literature, History, Geography, Divinity
Commercial	COMM	Business-focused track	Accounting, Economics, Commerce, Math

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Setting Up Class Divisions

Class divisions are the individual classes where students are enrolled (Form 3A, Form 3B).

How to Add a Class Division

1. Go to Academics → School Structure
2. Click the Class Divisions tab
3. Click + Add Class Division
4. Fill in the details:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Name	Full class name	"Form 3A Sciences"
Code	Short code	"F3A-SCI"
Grade Level	Select the grade	Form 3
Stream	Select stream (if applicable)	Sciences
Capacity	Maximum students	40
Academic Year	Current year	2025
Form Teacher	Assign a teacher	Mr. Moyo

5. Click Save

Example Class Division Setup

School with Streams:

Name	Code	Grade Level	Stream	Capacity
Form 3A Sciences	F3A-SCI	Form 3	Sciences	40
Form 3B Sciences	F3B-SCI	Form 3	Sciences	40
Form 3 Arts	F3-ARTS	Form 3	Arts	35
Form 3 Commercial	F3-COMM	Form 3	Commercial	35

School without Streams:

Name	Code	Grade Level	Capacity
Form 3A	F3A	Form 3	40
Form 3B	F3B	Form 3	40
Form 3C	F3C	Form 3	40

Primary School:

Name	Code	Grade Level	Capacity
Grade 7 Blue	G7-BLUE	Grade 7	35
Grade 7 Green	G7-GREEN	Grade 7	35
Grade 7 Yellow	G7-YELLOW	Grade 7	35

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Viewing Your School Structure

Class Overview

To see all classes at a glance:

1. Go to Academics → School Structure
2. Click Class Overview
3. You'll see a summary showing:
   • Total students per class
   • Capacity vs. enrolled
   • Form teacher assigned
   • Status (active/inactive)

Structure Diagram

To see your school structure visually:

1. Go to Academics → School Structure
2. Click View Structure
3. You'll see a tree diagram showing grade levels, streams, and classes

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Managing Classes During the Year

Moving Students Between Classes

1. Go to People → Students
2. Find and select the student
3. Click Transfer Class
4. Select the new class division
5. Enter the effective date
6. Click Confirm Transfer

Changing Form Teachers

1. Go to Academics → School Structure → Class Divisions
2. Click on the class
3. Click Edit
4. Change the Form Teacher field
5. Click Save

Updating Class Capacity

1. Go to Academics → School Structure → Class Divisions
2. Click on the class
3. Click Edit
4. Update the Capacity field
5. Click Save

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Year-End Procedures

Creating Classes for a New Academic Year

At the start of each year, you need to create new class divisions:

1. Go to Academics → School Structure → Class Divisions
2. Click + Add Class Division (or use Copy from Previous Year)
3. Select the new Academic Year
4. Create your classes as needed

Copy from Previous Year

Use the "Copy from Previous Year" feature to quickly duplicate your class structure. Just update the academic year and capacity as needed.

Promoting Students

When students move to the next grade:

1. Go to Academics → Year-End → Promotions
2. Select the current grade level
3. Review students to be promoted
4. Select destination class divisions
5. Click Promote Students

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Tips for Success

Use Clear Naming

Use consistent, clear names that everyone understands:

• ✅ "Form 3A Sciences" - Clear and specific
• ✅ "Grade 7 Blue" - Clear with color coding
• ❌ "F3A" - Too abbreviated
• ❌ "Mr. Sibanda's Class" - Teacher might change

Set Realistic Capacities

Set class capacities based on:

• Physical classroom size
• Teacher-to-student ratios
• School policy requirements

Plan Streams Carefully

Once students are enrolled in streamed classes, moving them is complex. Plan your stream structure before enrollment begins.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change a class name after creating it?

Yes, you can edit class division names at any time. Go to the class, click Edit, and update the name.

What happens if a class exceeds capacity?

The system will warn you, but won't prevent enrollment. You can override the capacity limit if needed.

Can a student be in multiple class divisions?

No, a student can only belong to one class division at a time. However, they can be enrolled in subject classes from different streams.

Do I need streams?

Not necessarily. Many schools, especially primary schools, don't use streams. Only set up streams if your school actually separates students into different academic tracks.

Can I delete a class division?

You can only delete empty class divisions (no students enrolled). If students are enrolled, you must transfer them first.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Can't add a class division	Make sure you've created grade levels first
Stream not showing	Check if the stream is linked to the correct grade levels
Wrong capacity showing	Edit the class division and update the capacity
Students not appearing in class	Verify students are enrolled in the class division
Can't delete a class	Transfer all students out first, then delete

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What's Next?

After setting up your school structure:

1. Add Subjects → - Create subjects and subject classes
2. Enroll Students → - Add students to subject classes
3. Assign Teachers → - Assign teachers to classes

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Need Help?

If you need assistance with school structure:

• Contact your system administrator
• Review your school's academic policy documents
• Consult with the academic director or deputy head