🚀 School Onboarding Process

Complete guide from initial contact to go-live

📋 Overview

Our onboarding process uses a hybrid approach combining web forms and Excel templates for efficient school setup. The entire process typically takes 3-5 business days from initial contact to go-live, depending on how quickly the school completes their Excel template.

What You'll Need: Access to the admin panel, email account for communication, and the ability to process Excel files and upload images.

1 Initial Contact & Form Submission

Schools express interest through our onboarding form at /marketing/onboard/.

What Schools Provide:

  • School name
  • Contact email address
  • Phone number
  • Physical address
  • Package selection (Standard R399/month or Premium R999/month)
Your Action: Form submission triggers an email notification. Review the submission and prepare to generate the Excel template.

Next Steps:

  • Verify school information
  • Confirm package selection
  • Generate personalized Excel template

2 Excel Template Generation & Distribution

Generate a customized Excel template with the school's basic information pre-filled.

Blank Template Available: A blank Excel template is already available. Download blank template → The blank Excel template looks like this and includes all 11 sheets with required fields marked.

Template Includes 11 Sheets:

  • Basic Info - School details, colors, contact (pre-filled from form)
  • About - Mission, vision, values, principal information
  • Programs - School programs with descriptions and features
  • Admissions - Requirements, deadlines, fee structure
  • News - News articles with dates and content
  • Calendar - Events and important dates
  • Gallery - Image filenames and captions
  • Contact - Contact form settings and office hours
  • Portal Users - Teachers, parents, admin users
  • Portal Students - Student data with parent links
  • Portal Initial Data - Optional announcements and assignments
Send to School: Email the Excel template to the school contact. Include instructions on how to fill it out and what images to prepare.

3 School Completes Excel Template

The school fills out the Excel template with their content and data. This typically takes 1-3 days depending on the school's availability.

What Schools Need to Provide:

  • Website content (About page, Programs, News articles)
  • School branding (colors, logo if available)
  • Academic Portal users (teachers, parents, admin accounts)
  • Student data with parent links
  • Gallery images (12+ recommended)
  • Optional initial announcements
Important: Required fields are marked with * in the template. Schools should ensure all required fields are completed before submission.

School Submits:

  • Completed Excel file
  • Images folder (if not embedded in template)
  • Logo file (if available)

4 Process Excel & Onboard School

Use the management command to process the Excel file and create the school's website and portal.

What Gets Created:

  • School account in the system
  • Customized website with all pages
  • Academic Portal (if enabled)
  • Admin user account
  • Teacher accounts from Excel
  • Parent accounts from Excel
  • Student accounts with parent links
  • Initial announcements (if provided)
Output: The command will display admin credentials and a summary of what was created. Save these credentials securely for the school.

5 Training & Setup

Provide training to school administrators and staff on how to use the system.

Training Materials Available:

  • Comprehensive Training Guide - Step-by-step instructions
  • Website CMS training - How to update pages, news, gallery
  • Academic Portal training - For teachers and administrators
  • Parent portal training - How parents access their accounts

Training Sessions:

  • Admin Training - Website CMS and portal administration (1-2 hours)
  • Teacher Training - Academic Portal features (1 hour)
  • Parent Orientation - How to access and use parent portal (30 minutes)
Training Schedule: Coordinate with the school to schedule training sessions. Training can be done remotely via video call or in-person if preferred.
View Training Materials →

6 Go-Live & Handover

Final checks and handover to the school.

Pre-Launch Checklist:

  • Verify all website pages are complete and correct
  • Test all forms (contact form, etc.)
  • Verify Academic Portal access for all users
  • Test login credentials for admin, teachers, and parents
  • Check mobile responsiveness
  • Verify images are displaying correctly
  • Test calendar and events functionality

Handover Package:

  • Admin login credentials
  • Website URL
  • Academic Portal URL
  • Training materials links
  • Support contact information
  • Documentation and guides
Support: Provide ongoing support for the first month to ensure smooth transition. Address any questions or issues promptly.

⏱️ Typical Timeline

1

Day 1: Initial Contact

School submits onboarding form

Your time: 15 minutes - Review and generate template

2

Day 1-3: Template Completion

School fills out Excel template

Your time: Minimal - Waiting for school response

3

Day 3-4: Processing

Process Excel and create website/portal

Your time: 30-60 minutes - Run onboarding command and verify

4

Day 4-5: Training & Go-Live

Training sessions and final checks

Your time: 2-3 hours - Training and support

💬 Support & Resources