Student Management

Comprehensive guide to managing student records, guardians, medical information, and bulk imports.

Overview: Student Management is the core of Craft Cart. Each student record contains comprehensive information including personal details, academic placement, guardian information, fee tracking, and performance records.

Table of Contents

Adding Students Manually

You can add individual students through the web interface with complete profile information.

Step 1: Navigate to Add Student Page

  1. Click Students in the main sidebar menu
  2. You'll land on the Active Students page
  3. Click the Add Student button in the top-right corner

Step 2: Fill Required Information

The following fields are required (marked with a red asterisk *):

Field Description Example
First Name Student's first/given name John
Last Name Student's surname/family name Kamau
Gender Select Male or Female Male
ID Type Birth Certificate, Passport, or National ID Birth Certificate

Step 3: Optional Information

You can also provide the following optional details:

  • Email: Student's email address (auto-generated if left empty)
  • Admission Number: Unique student identifier (auto-generated if left empty)
  • ID Number: Birth certificate number, passport number, or national ID
  • Date of Birth: Student's birth date
  • Enrollment Date: Date the student joined the school (defaults to today)
  • Year Group: The student's year level (e.g., Year 7, Grade 1)
  • Academic Class: The student's homeroom class (filtered by selected Year Group)
  • House: School house for competitions and activities
  • Address: Student's home address
Tip: The Academic Class dropdown automatically filters based on the selected Year Group. Select the Year Group first, then choose the appropriate class.

Step 4: Save Student Record

  1. Review all entered information for accuracy
  2. Click the Create Student button at the bottom
  3. You'll be redirected to the Students list with a success message
Success! The student has been created with a unique ID, and a user account has been automatically generated for them.

Bulk Import via Excel/CSV

For importing multiple students at once, Craft Cart provides a powerful Excel/CSV import feature with preview and validation.

Step 1: Download the Excel Template

  1. Navigate to Students → Active Students
  2. Click the Import Students button
  3. In the modal dialog, click Download Template
  4. Save the template file to your computer

Step 2: Fill the Excel Template

Open the downloaded template and fill in student data. The template includes the following columns:

Column Required? Format/Options Example
first_name Required Text (max 255 characters) John
last_name Required Text (max 255 characters) Kamau
gender Required male or female male
email Optional Valid email format john.kamau@example.com
admission_number Optional Unique identifier 2025001
id_type Required birth_certificate, passport, or national_id birth_certificate
id_number Optional Text 123456789
date_of_birth Optional YYYY-MM-DD 2010-05-15
year_group_name Optional Exact name from Settings Year 7
academic_class_name Optional Exact name from Settings 7A
house_name Optional Exact name from Settings Blue House
enrollment_date Optional YYYY-MM-DD 2025-01-08
Important: For year_group_name, academic_class_name, and house_name, use the exact names as they appear in your Settings. Names are case-sensitive.

Step 3: Upload and Preview

  1. Back in the Import Students modal, click Select Excel File
  2. Choose your completed Excel/CSV file (max 10MB)
  3. Click Preview Import
  4. The system will validate the file and show a preview

Step 4: Review Preview Results

After uploading, you'll see an Import Preview showing:

  • Total Rows: Number of students in the file
  • Valid Rows: Students that passed validation
  • Invalid Rows: Students with errors that need correction

The preview table displays all students with color-coded rows:

  • Green rows - Valid, ready to import
  • Red rows - Invalid, contain errors

Step 5: Edit Invalid Rows (Optional)

If you have invalid rows, you can edit them directly in the preview:

  1. Click on any editable field in an invalid row (highlighted in red)
  2. Select a valid option from the dropdown
  3. The row will be re-validated automatically
  4. If all errors are fixed, the row will turn green

Editable fields include: ID Type, Year Group, Academic Class, and House.

Step 6: Confirm and Import

  1. Review the summary at the top of the preview
  2. Ensure you have 0 Invalid Rows (or accept that invalid rows will be skipped)
  3. Click the Confirm and Import button
  4. The import will process in the background
  5. You'll receive a notification when the import completes
Background Processing: Large imports run in the background, so you can continue working on other tasks. You'll be notified when the import is complete.

Viewing Student Records

Student List

The Students page displays all students in a searchable, sortable table with the following information:

  • Name: Full name (first + last)
  • Admission Number: Unique student ID
  • Gender: Male or Female
  • Year Group: Current year level
  • Class: Homeroom class
  • House: School house
  • Enrollment Date: When they joined
  • Status: Active, Inactive, Graduated, or Withdrawn
  • Actions: View, Edit, Archive, or Restore buttons

Filtering Students

Use the filter buttons to switch between:

  • Active: Currently enrolled students
  • Alumni: Archived/graduated students

Viewing Student Profile

  1. Click the View button next to any student
  2. You'll see the complete student profile including:
    • Personal information and profile picture
    • Guardian/parent contact details
    • Medical information and allergies
    • Fee statements and payment history
    • Academic performance and reports
    • Attendance records
    • Previous schools attended

Editing Students

How to Edit a Student Record

  1. Navigate to Students → Active Students (or Alumni)
  2. Find the student you want to edit
  3. Click the Edit button
  4. Update any fields as needed
  5. Click Update Student to save changes

Editable Information

All fields from the creation form can be updated, plus:

  • Status: Change to Active, Inactive, Graduated, or Withdrawn
  • Profile Picture: Upload a new photo (JPEG/PNG, max 2MB)
Note: Changing a student's status to "Graduated" or "Withdrawn" does not archive them. Use the Archive button to move students to the Alumni list.

Managing Guardians

Each student can have multiple guardians (parents, legal guardians, emergency contacts).

Adding a Guardian to a Student

  1. Open the student's profile page
  2. Scroll to the Guardians section
  3. Click Add Guardian
  4. Fill in guardian details:
    • Full Name
    • Relationship (Mother, Father, Guardian, etc.)
    • Phone Number
    • Email Address
    • Physical Address
    • Primary Contact (Yes/No)
  5. Click Save Guardian

Linking an Existing Guardian

If a guardian already exists in the system (e.g., parent of multiple siblings):

  1. Click Link Existing Guardian
  2. Search for the guardian by name or phone
  3. Select the correct guardian from the results
  4. Specify the relationship type
  5. Click Link Guardian

Primary Contact

Designate one guardian as the Primary Contact for:

  • Emergency notifications
  • Fee statements and invoices
  • Report cards and academic updates
  • General school communications

Medical Information

Track important health and medical information for each student to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

Adding Medical Information

  1. Open the student's profile page
  2. Scroll to the Medical Information section
  3. Click Add Medical Record
  4. Enter details:
    • Allergies: Food, medication, environmental allergies
    • Medical Conditions: Chronic conditions (asthma, diabetes, etc.)
    • Medications: Current medications and dosages
    • Dietary Restrictions: Vegetarian, halal, lactose-free, etc.
    • Emergency Contact: Doctor's name and phone
    • Blood Type: A+, B-, O+, etc.
  5. Click Save Medical Information
Critical Information: Medical information is visible to all staff members with access to student records to ensure student safety in emergencies.

Archiving Students & Alumni Management

Archiving Students

When a student graduates, transfers, or withdraws, you can archive their record:

  1. Navigate to Students → Active Students
  2. Find the student you want to archive
  3. Click the Archive button
  4. Confirm the action in the popup dialog
  5. The student will be moved to the Alumni list
Note: Archiving does not delete the student. All records (fees, reports, attendance) are preserved and can be viewed in the Alumni section.

Restoring Archived Students

If a student returns to the school, you can restore them from Alumni:

  1. Navigate to Students → Alumni
  2. Find the archived student
  3. Click the Restore button
  4. The student will be moved back to Active Students

Viewing Alumni Records

Alumni records include complete historical data:

  • All previous fee statements and payments
  • Historical report cards and grades
  • Attendance history
  • Guardian information
  • Medical records

Best Practices

Tips for Effective Student Management:
  • Use Bulk Import for New Intakes: Save time by importing entire year groups at once
  • Always Add Guardian Information: Essential for emergency contacts and fee communication
  • Update Medical Records: Ensure medical information is current and complete
  • Verify Before Archiving: Ensure all fees are settled and reports are generated before archiving
  • Regular Data Audits: Periodically review student records for accuracy
  • Use Consistent Naming: Follow a standard format for admission numbers
Staff Management Guardian Management