Preparing for Group improvements in ReachMoreParents
From 11th April 2026, we are improving how Groups work in Reach More Parents. To make sure new features work correctly, we need to ensure your academic year and term dates are accurate in RMP.
What’s changing?
The current 'Group Periods' section is being replaced with:
'Academic Year Configuration'
This section:
- Ensures every school always has valid academic year and term dates
- Improves how time-based groups such as “This week” or “This academic year” work
- Reduces errors caused by missing or incomplete term dates
Why this matters:
Dynamic groups and Preset groups rely on accurate date ranges.
If academic dates are missing or incorrect:
- Groups based on “This term” or “This academic year” may not return the correct students
- Attendance or behaviour-based targeting may not work as expected
This update ensures:
- Time-based features always function
- Schools cannot be left without active dates
- Support issues caused by missing periods are reduced
How dates will work going forward:
SIMS schools:
- Academic dates are automatically synced from SIMS
- SIMS is the master source of truth
- Any manual edits in RMP will be overwritten by the next SIMS sync
Action required: Ensure term dates are correct in SIMS.
Wonde schools:
- Academic dates must be entered manually in RMP
- If no dates are set, the system will apply default dates
- Default dates can be edited at any time
Default structure:
- Autumn: 1 Sept – 31 Dec
- Spring: 1 Jan – 30 Apr
- Summer: 1 May – 31 Aug
Action required: Set term dates in ReachMoreParents, when the groups changes go live on 23rd March 2026. (See below)
Important system protections:
To ensure data consistency:
- Term dates cannot overlap
- Terms are automatically made contiguous
- You can only edit current or future academic years
- A new academic year will always be created automatically before 28 August if one doesn’t exist
What you need to do:
From 23rd March when Groups improvements go live, you must ensure your term dates are correct.
SIMS Schools: Ensure dates are correct in SIMS
Wonde Schools (Eg Arbor, Bromcom, iSAMS): Follow the step-by-step instructions in this article to set your academic term dates in ReachMoreParents.
What happens next?
Once academic dates are confirmed:
- Preset attendance groups will work correctly
- Dynamic groups based on time periods will function reliably
- The new Groups Management improvements will be available
We recommend reviewing your dates as part of your annual summer housekeeping.
Further support :
To help you get started, a series of detailed help articles will be available when the Groups Management changes go live. These include video walkthroughs and step-by-step guidance for the most important actions.