School admin training

Before you start

Your school office or the saMas team has already added you; if sign-in says you are not linked to a school yet, ask them.

1. Sign in

   High2 min
   1. Open admin.pilot.beta.samas.school, your school's admin site.
   2. Press Continue with Google if your email is a Google account. Otherwise type your Email address and press Continue.
   3. On Check your email, type the 6-digit code we sent you and press Sign in.
   4. The admin site asks for your two-step code once it is set up. Bookmark this address: your work lives here.
   You'll seeYour dashboard.
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2. Set up your two-step code

   High3 min
   1. Press your picture at the top right, then Account and security.
   2. Press Set up two-step. You may be asked to confirm it's you first.
   3. Scan the QR code with an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator or 1Password) and type the 6-digit code it shows. Press Turn on two-step.
   4. Save your backup codes with Copy or Download, then press I have saved them.

   Each backup code works once, for a day your phone is not with you. Office work on the admin site needs this code. If the code does not match, delete older saMas School entries in your app and set your phone's time to automatic.

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3. Add the school year and its dates

   High3 min
   1. Open Classes and subjects and find School years. Press Add a school year, give it a name such as 2026-27, its first and last day, and press Save.
   2. The current year is what Admissions (the Academic year picker) and Fee structure use. Add next year the same way before it starts.
   You'll seeThe year in the list, marked Current.

   A school with no year cannot take applications or set fee amounts.

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Your first week

In this order. High tasks first.

1. Set the timezone and language

   High2 min
   1. Open Settings, the school tab. Choose the Timezone and Language.
   You'll see"Setting saved".
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2. Add classes and sections with their sizes

   High15 min
   1. Open Classes and subjects. On Classes, press Add class: a Class name such as Grade 5, a Sort order, and optional age range.
   2. On Sections, pick the class and press Add section: a Section name (A, B, A1), the Capacity (1 to 60), the Class teacher and a Room.
   You'll see"Class added", "Section added". Overview shows seats filled per section.

   Your spreadsheet import can create missing classes for you. Deleting a class deletes its sections; students in them lose their section.

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3. Give every class subject a teacher

   High15 min
   1. On Subjects, press Add subject for each subject (name and optional code).
   2. On Who teaches what, pick a section and press Map subject: choose the Subject, the Teacher and Periods per week. Press Add.
   You'll see"Subject mapped". Teachers now see that section in their gradebook and timetable.
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4. Load your students from a spreadsheet

   High20 min
   1. Open Students and press Import from a spreadsheet.
   2. Download the Students template and fill it: admission number, name, date of birth, class, section, and at least one parent with a phone or email.
   3. Drop the file on the page (or Choose a file). Read the preview: rows marked fine, to check, or with errors.
   4. Choose Create missing classes, Skip rows with errors and Send welcome emails as you need, then press Import.
   You'll see"N students loaded." Children who share a parent's phone or email are put under one family.

   Up to 2,000 rows a file; .csv or .xlsx. Everything is saved together, or nothing is. Dates as YYYY-MM-DD or DD/MM/YYYY.

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5. Enrol a student and link a parent in three steps

   High3 min
   1. Open Students and press Enrol student. Step 1 asks for Full name, Date of birth and Class and section; the Roll number and the Admission number are offered (change them if the register says otherwise). Press Next: the family.
   2. Step 2: under Find the parent type a phone number or a name. A parent already at the school shows with their children; press Use this parent. Nobody? Press Add a new parent, write the name, the Mobile or an email, and press Next: invite and enrol.
   3. Step 3: press Print the admission slip, Send the welcome again if needed, or Add another from the same family to enrol a sibling with the same parent and section.
   You'll see"Student enrolled". The parent is linked and, if new, gets a welcome email from the school within a minute.

   One call saves the child and the parent together. The admission number cannot change later. Skip for now enrols the child with no guardian; the Students list counts them under No guardian linked. A phone already used by a parent here is refused with their name, so you link them instead.

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6. Invite your principal, finance and a second admin

   High5 min
   1. Open Users and roles (or Staff) and press Invite someone.
   2. Type their Full name, pick the role (Principal, Finance, School admin, Teacher or Class head), and give an Email or a Phone. Add a line from the school if you like, then press Send invite.
   3. For a principal, finance or school admin the app asks you to confirm with your authenticator app if your last check was more than 10 minutes ago.
   You'll see"Invited Hina as principal" and the welcome email goes out from the school within a minute or two. The person shows as Invited until they sign in; Send the invite again resends the email.

   An email already in use adds the role to that person instead of making a second account. Each person can get at most 3 welcome emails a day. A school always keeps at least one school admin.

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7. Load your staff from a spreadsheet

   High10 min
   1. Open Staff and press Import from a spreadsheet. Download the Staff template.
   2. Fill each person's name, role (teacher, school admin, principal or finance) and an email or phone. Import it the same way as students.
   You'll see"N staff loaded." Each person gets in with the email or phone you gave.
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8. Set the bell times

   High10 min
   1. Open Timetable, tab Shifts and bell times. Your school starts with one Main shift.
   2. Press Add period or break for each block of the day: a Label, the Type (Period, Break, Assembly, Lunch and more), Starts and Ends. Press Save.
   3. Under Each day of the week, set any day that differs: Short day (for example Friday ends after Period 5 for Jummah), Closed or Not running, then press Save days.
   You'll see"Bell times saved". Up to 24 periods and breaks a day; only periods take lessons.

   Once classes have published lessons, bell times change from a date: press Plan changes, change them, then Publish changes and pick the date. Discard changes throws them away.

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9. Add an evening or weekend shift

   Low10 min
   1. On Shifts and bell times, press Add a shift. Name it, pick its colour and days, and press Save shift.
   2. Add its periods and breaks with Add period or break, then press Move sections here and pick the sections that attend it.
   You'll seeThe shift on Your week at a glance, by the clock next to the main shift.

   A teacher in two shifts is checked by clock time, so an evening lesson that overlaps a morning one is a clash. A school can have up to 8 shifts.

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10. Add a winter or Ramadan timing

    Low5 min
    1. On Shifts and bell times, press Add a timing on your shift. Name it and pick the first and last day.
    2. Change the times of any period or break, or tick Leave out. Press Save timing.
    You'll see"Timing saved". Families are told the day before it starts and the day before it ends.

    Where two timings overlap, the one with the shorter dates wins; press Use this one on the other to change that.

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11. Close a day or change a day

    Low3 min
    1. On Shifts and bell times, press Close or change a day. Pick the date, the whole school or one shift, and Closed or Follows another day. Add a reason and press Save.
    You'll seeThe day under Closures and changed days, and a notice to families the day before (at once for today).

    Holidays in the school calendar close the timetable on their own.

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12. Build and publish each section's timetable

    High30 min
    1. On Build by section, pick a section. Choose a subject chip and click the cells to place it; Free clears a cell.
    2. Copy Monday to weekdays saves time. Check Clashes is 0. Clashes are checked by the clock, across shifts.
    3. Press Publish and confirm.
    You'll see"Timetable published. N slots are now live." Teachers and families see it.

    Publish stays off while a teacher would be in two places at once; the clashing periods are outlined. When the shift has planned changes, pick Live or Changes at the top first.

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13. List rooms and when teachers are not available

    Medium5 min
    1. On Build by section, press Timetable settings. Under Rooms, type a room, tick One class at a time for labs and the hall, and press Add room.
    2. Under Teachers not available, pick a teacher, press Add a time for each time they are not at school, and press Save.
    You'll seeTwo classes in a one-class room, or a lesson when a teacher is not available, show as clashes in Build.

    In Build, Double places a lesson over two periods in a row, Combine with teaches one lesson to sections together, and Copy from starts a week from another section.

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14. Arrange cover for an absent teacher

    Medium5 min
    1. Open Cover, pick the day, and press Mark absent. Pick the teacher, the periods (or leave them empty for the whole day) and press Mark away.
    2. For each lesson, press Choose cover and pick a free teacher (best fit first), or combine the class or make it a free period.
    3. Press Print arrangement sheet for the staff room, or Share for the staff WhatsApp group.
    You'll seeThe cover teacher gets an email and sees the lesson on their timetable and home page.

    Only free teachers under the daily cover limit are suggested; the school admin sets the limit under Timetable settings. Approved leave is listed on its own.

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15. Import a timetable from Excel

    Medium10 min
    1. Open Timetable, Build by section, and press Import. Press Template and fill one row per lesson.
    2. Choose your file and press Check the file. Fix the rows with problems in the file, or tick to leave them out.
    3. Press Import as drafts, check each class in Build, then Publish.
    You'll see"Imported as drafts" with the number of lessons and classes.

    Subjects must already be mapped to each class. Nothing is published by the import; classes not in the file are not touched.

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16. See the whole school day and put a class board on a screen

    Medium5 min
    1. Open Timetable, School day: every teacher (or every class) for one day. Press a free cell to arrange cover.
    2. On Timetables, pick a class and press Board link, then Make a link, and open it on the classroom screen.
    You'll seeThe board shows now with minutes left, next and later today, and when it was updated.

    A board link shows one class only, with no student names, and ends after a term. Turn off stops it at once.

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17. Set up an extra class

    Medium10 min
    1. Open Classes and subjects, tab Extra classes, and press Add extra class. Name it, pick the class it is mainly for and its shift, and Save.
    2. Press Students, pick a class to choose from, tick the students and press Add.
    3. Map its subjects under Who teaches what, then build its week in Timetable.
    You'll seeIts lessons show on those students' timetables next to their normal class.

    Students stay in their normal class. A student in a normal lesson and the extra class at the same time is a clash.

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18. Run two subjects in one period (Biology or Computer)

    Medium10 min
    1. In Build by section, place one of the subjects in the period, then press Options.
    2. Pick the period, tick each subject, choose each student's option and press Save options. Then Publish.
    You'll seeStaff see every option, marked Option; each student and family sees only the student's.

    Every option's teacher is busy then, and a student is in one option only.

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19. Try a new day shape before changing the bell times

    Medium10 min
    1. Open Timetable, tab Shifts and bell times, and on a shift press Try a shape.
    2. Pick a shape, such as Nordic rhythm or Japanese day, and change the start time or any block.
    3. Read Current vs this shape, what each class keeps and the balance check. Press Cancel, or Use this shape to put it into planned changes.
    You'll seeThe preview compares your week with the shape; after Use this shape, the shift shows Planned changes with the new bell times.

    Nothing live changes until the planned changes are published from a date. Lessons keep their period number at its new time.

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20. Set up Flex time

    Low10 min
    1. In Timetable, Shifts and bell times, add a block of type Flex to the bell times (through Plan changes if lessons are published).
    2. Open Flex and press Offer a session with Study hall ticked, so everyone who does not choose has a place.
    3. In Timetable settings, under Flex, set when Choices close at and press Save.
    You'll seeWhere every student is lists each student's session, room and register mark.
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21. Set up a Montessori work cycle

    Low10 min
    1. In Timetable, Shifts and bell times, give the class's shift a block of type Work cycle (or pick the Montessori day shape).
    2. Open Work cycle: the class shows with today's work cycle, its small-group lessons and each child's work plan.

    Journals are seen by the class's teachers, the family and the office, and are deleted one year after the school year ends.

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22. Choose when weekly plans publish themselves

    Low5 min
    1. Open Timetable, press Timetable settings, then Weekly plan.
    2. Pick a day and time under Publish by itself (Thursday afternoon suits many schools), add what to bring for subjects or blocks such as PE, and press Save.

    A plan publishes itself only when its class teacher has written the note.

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23. Check the balance of the week and protect team time

    Medium10 min
    1. Open Timetable, tab Stats. Read Balance check: Pass, Close or Fail for each rule that is on, and press Show to see who misses it.
    2. Press Rule settings, turn on the rules your school wants, set their numbers and press Save rules.
    3. In Timetable settings, Team time, tick teachers who plan together and press a free time to protect it.
    You'll seeThe rules you turned on show in the check, and the protected time is listed under Team time.

    The check only warns; only clashes stop a publish. A lesson in protected team time is a clash.

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24. Check teacher load and the timetable stats

    Medium5 min
    1. Open Timetable, tab Teachers. The first time, enter the weekly limit and press Save the limit.
    2. Sort by a column or filter by load, and press Download CSV for a copy.
    3. Open Stats and press any number to see the list behind it. Press Print for a one-page report.
    You'll seeTeachers over the limit are marked Over limit; classes not published and drafts with clashes are listed.

    Only the office sees these numbers. The school admin changes the weekly limit under Timetable settings.

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25. See any teacher's or class's timetable

    Medium5 min
    1. Open Timetable, tab Timetables. Type part of a name, class, subject or room in the search box and pick a result.
    2. Use the filters to narrow it, and switch between Week grid and Agenda.
    3. Press Print for one A4 page, or Print all classes or Print all teachers for the notice boards.
    You'll seeThe published week. A teacher's week also shows their free periods and totals, for the office only.
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26. Post the first announcement

    Medium5 min
    1. Open Announcements, press New announcement, write a Title and Message, and press Post. Leave the audience empty for the whole school.
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27. Choose the rules for messages, slips and the directory

    Medium5 min
    1. Open Settings, the school tab. Set who can see the People directory (staff only or the whole school).
    2. Set whether students can write, quiet hours for staff emails, whether only the office sends permission slips, and the blocked words list.
    You'll see"Setting saved".

    Agree these with your principal; only school admins can change them.

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28. Add leave types

    Medium5 min
    1. Open Leave, tab Leave types, and press New leave type: a Name (Casual, Sick, Annual), Days a year, and whether unused days carry over or need a document for more than 2 days.
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29. Fill in staff records

    Medium15 min
    1. Open Staff, open a person and press Edit: Designation, Department, Employment, Joined on, Emergency contact and Emergency phone.
    You'll see"Saved."

    A Leaving date needs a reason; the account switches off on that date.

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30. Add holidays and term dates to the calendar

    Medium10 min
    1. Open Calendar and press Add event: Title, Type (Holiday, Exam, Parent-teacher meeting, Event, Deadline), Starts and Ends.
    You'll see"Event added". Families see it under Notices and calendar.
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31. Add your colors, logo and sign-in picture

    Medium10 min
    1. Open Theme. Set the school name shown, two colors, a font, your logo and a sign-in picture.

    Images PNG, JPEG or WebP up to 2 MB. The main color must be dark enough to read.

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32. Set up Live Sabaq

    Low10 min

    Live Sabaq is an add-on next to the Quran Madrasa. Turn it on under Settings, School, Add-ons once families have given consent.

    1. Open Live Sabaq records under Madrasa. On Settings, set the limits and press Save settings.
    2. On Consent, press Enter a paper form for each guardian who signed on paper, with a photo of the form.
    3. On Usage and Audit log, see what was used and every action. Press Export CSV for a file.

    Only the teacher, the family, the principal and the saMas safety team play recordings.

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When you have time

1. See the app as a teacher or parent

   Low3 min
   1. Open Users and roles, open a person and use See the app as they do.
   2. Leave from the banner at the top.

   Read-only unless you allow changes. It is logged and the person is told afterwards. You cannot view as another admin on the live site; on the beta site you can.

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2. Answer reports for the school

   Low3 min
   1. Open Reports and ideas, tab Office. Open a report and reply, Close it, or Pass to the saMas team.

   App problems and ideas go straight to the saMas team; school questions come to you.

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3. Follow what your school sent to saMas

   Low3 min
   1. Open Reports and ideas, tab To saMas: the app problems and ideas your people sent, with the saMas replies. Add a note with Add a note.
   2. Tab Roadmap shows what the saMas team plans, and what your school asked for.

   You can read these and add a note; you cannot close them or change their priority. A report the sender kept private to saMas is not listed.

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4. Decide on AI assistants and other systems

   Low5 min
   1. Under Settings, the AI tab turns on read-only AI assistants for your school. The API tab makes keys for other systems.
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Inviting a principal or a second admin by hand is done by the saMas team for now. Staff you load from the spreadsheet get in straight away.

Run the Quran Madrasa

Watch the one minute film, then keep the one page guide open while you try it. The Quran Madrasa add-on is live at Gulistan-e-Mussarat Madrassa.

When something goes wrong

Check yourself

Three levels of five questions. Pass a level with 4 right to open the next. Your answers stay on this device.