Who this is for?
System Administrators
Summary:
After reading this article, you will be able to:
- Set or edit academic year and term dates
- Understand how dates affect group functionality
- Ensure time-based targeting works correctly
Why this matters:
Set accurate dates → ensure time-based groups work → send reliable communications
- For staff: groups based on “This term” or “This academic year” work as expected.
- For parents: they receive relevant and accurate communications.
- For the school/Trust: reduces errors caused by missing or incorrect dates.
Video walkthrough (4:19):
Before you start:
- SIMS schools receive dates automatically from the MIS.
- Wonde schools must enter dates manually.
- Default dates will be applied if no dates are added manually.
- Only current and future academic years can be edited
Step-by-step instructions:
Step 1: Navigate to Academic Year Configuration
Go to:
Your profile in the top right hard corner, select the settings cog by your school name to open a new screen.
On the left hand side, under the 'School' tab, click → 'Academic Year Configuration'
Step 2: Review the current academic year
-
Look for the academic year you wish to change.
-
Under 'Actions' click the edit icon
Step 3: Edit or enter term dates
- Enter all three term start dates
- End dates are automatically calculated to ensure terms are contiguous
- Dates cannot overlap
Step 4: Save changes
The Save button will only activate once all three terms are completed correctly.
Select Save to confirm.
Important notes:
- Term end dates automatically adjust to prevent gaps or overlap.
- Past academic years are read-only.
- A new academic year will be created automatically if one does not exist.
- For SIMS schools, manual changes will be overwritten at the next MIS sync
Troubleshooting & FAQs:
Why can’t I edit last year’s dates?
Past academic years are read-only to protect historical data.
Why are my dates changing automatically?
If your school uses SIMS, dates sync from the MIS and override manual changes.
What happens if I don’t set dates?
The system applies default dates so features continue working, but these will affect reporting and so should be reviewed.