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Initial Setup

This guide walks you through the steps required to prepare a new sERP installation for first use. Complete these steps in order before onboarding students and staff.

1. Change the Default Admin Password

Your welcome email contains a temporary admin password. Change it immediately after first login.

  1. From the top navigation, click your username → Change Password
  2. Enter your current password, then your new password (twice)
  3. Click Change Password

Password guidelines

Use at least 8 characters, mixing uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and a special character (e.g. !, @, #).

2. Configure School Details

Enter your school's name, logo, address, and contact information. This information appears on reports, receipts, and communications.

  1. Go to Settings → General Settings
  2. Fill in all fields in the School Details section
  3. Upload your school logo (PNG or JPG, recommended size: 300×100 px)
  4. Click Save

3. Configure Student ID Prefix

sERP auto-generates student IDs in the format [PREFIX]-[CLASS CODE]-[SEQUENCE]. Set the prefix before adding any students.

  1. Go to Settings → General Settings
  2. Find Student ID Prefix and click the edit (✏️) icon
  3. Enter your preferred prefix (e.g. KAS for Kasoa Academy School)
  4. Click Save

4. Configure Staff ID Prefix

Similarly, set the staff ID prefix before adding staff records.

  1. Go to Settings → General Settings
  2. Find Staff ID Prefix and click the edit icon
  3. Enter your prefix (e.g. KAS-STF)
  4. Click Save

5. Add Campuses

If your school operates from a single location, add one campus with your school's name. For multi-campus schools, add each campus separately.

  1. Go to Students → Campuses
  2. In the Add Campus panel, enter the campus name
  3. Click Add Campus

Tip

You can add multiple campuses at once by clicking the (+) icon before submitting.

6. Add Divisions

Divisions are broad groupings of classes (e.g. Primary, JSS, SSS; or Basic, JHS, SHS). They affect how reports and analytics are segmented.

  1. Go to Academic → Divisions
  2. Enter the division name and click Add Division

7. Configure the Academic Calendar

The academic calendar setting tells sERP the current term and academic year. sERP supports both a Trimester (3-term) and Semester (2-term) structure.

  1. Go to Settings → Academic Settings → Academic Calendar
  2. Set the current Academic Year and Term for each calendar category in use
  3. Click Save

Note

Most schools operate on a trimester (3-term) calendar. Configure the "Trimester" calendar at minimum.

8. Add Classes

Add all classes your school currently runs.

  1. Go to Academic → Classes
  2. Click the dropdown arrow to expand the Add Class form
  3. Fill in:
    • Academic Calendar: select Trimester or Semester
    • Class Name: the name as it should appear on reports (e.g. Primary 1A)
    • Campus: the campus this class belongs to
    • Division: the division grouping (e.g. Primary)
    • Class Teacher: assign a class teacher (staff must already be added)
    • Class Code: a short code used for student ID generation (e.g. P1A)
  4. Click Add Class

9. Add Staff Departments

Group your staff into departments before adding staff records.

  1. Go to HR → Departments
  2. Enter the department name (e.g. Teaching, Administration, Support) and click Add Department

10. Add Staff Designations

Staff designations represent job titles or grades (e.g. Head Teacher, Class Teacher, Accountant).

  1. Go to Settings → HR Settings
  2. Click the edit icon next to Staff Types Added
  3. Enter the designation and click Add Staff Type

11. Add Fee Items

Fee items are the billable line items on student invoices (e.g. Tuition, PTA Levy, Exam Fees).

  1. Go to Settings → Finance Settings
  2. Click the edit icon next to Fee Items
  3. Enter each fee item name and click Add

12. Configure SMS

sERP uses an SMS gateway to send automated and bulk messages. Configure the gateway before enabling any automated SMS features.

  1. Go to Settings → SMS Settings
  2. Enter your API credentials (provided by your country licensee or SMS gateway partner)
  3. Send a test SMS to verify the configuration

Next Steps

Once setup is complete:

  • Add staff records: HR → Staff
  • Add student records: Students → Add Student
  • Configure grading scales: Settings → Academic Settings → Grading Scales
  • Set fee schedules: Finance → Fee Schedules
  • Set up user accounts: User Management