Administrator guide

1.1Register your school

The first administrator creates a Skulbase account and registers the school. Skulbase then checks and approves the school before it goes live.

1. 1

   Create your account

   Go to skulbase.com and choose Get Started. Enter your name, email address and a password, or continue with Google.

2. 2

   Choose “Register a School”

   The welcome screen asks how you will use Skulbase. Teachers and learners join with an invite code instead; you are setting up a new school.

3. 3

   School information

   Enter the school’s name, email, phone number and postal address. These print on report cards and receipts, and you can change them later in Settings.

4. 4

   Academic calendar

   Enter the current academic year (for example 2026) and the current term.

5. 5

   Curriculum

   Tick every curriculum and grade your school teaches: CBC, 8-4-4, or both if you still have 8-4-4 classes. Only these appear when marks are entered.

6. 6

   Wait for approval

   Submit the request. While Skulbase approves it you can “Explore while you wait” on a demo school to see how everything works. You are told as soon as your school is approved.

1.2Activate your account with an invite code

Teachers, staff and learners do not sign up on their own. Your school adds you, and you get a personal invite code (or a link that has the code in it) to set up your login.

1. 1

   Get your code

   Your school administrator gives you a six-character invite code, for example A7X3K9, by SMS, WhatsApp, on paper, or as a link. The code only works for your account.

2. 2

   Open the activation page

   Tap the link you were sent, or go to skulbase.com, choose Sign in and then “Activate your account”. If you opened a link, the code is already filled in.

3. 3

   Check it is you

   Press Continue. Skulbase shows the name the school registered. If it is not you, choose “Not you?” and ask the school for the right code.

4. 4

   Choose how you will sign in

   Pick a username (one is suggested for you) and a password of at least 8 characters, or continue with Google. Adding an email address lets you reset your password yourself later.

5. 5

   You are in

   You are signed in straight away and land on the home page for your role.

Good to know: Each code can be used once. If yours says it has expired or was already used, ask your administrator to reset your account; they get a fresh code in seconds.

1.3Sign in

Once your account is active, sign in with your email address or username and your password, or with Google if you activated with Google.

1. 1

   Go to the sign-in page

   Open skulbase.com and choose Sign in.

2. 2

   Enter your details

   Type your email address or username, then your password, and press Sign In. Or press “Sign in with Google”.

3. 3

   Forgot your password?

   Choose “Forgot password?”, enter your email address, and type the six-digit code we email you along with a new password. This also works if you have only ever used Google, and afterwards both ways work.

Tip: Save skulbase.com to your phone’s home screen. It opens like an app and remembers you are signed in.

1.4Finding your way around

The menu only shows the pages your role can use. On a computer it runs down the left-hand side; on a phone the main pages sit in a bar along the bottom.

• On a computer, the arrow at the top of the menu makes it narrower (icons only) or wider (icons and names). Skulbase remembers your choice.
• Press the / key, or tap “Search menu”, to jump to any page by typing part of its name.
• Your name at the bottom of the menu opens your account menu: switch between light and dark appearance, or sign out.
• If you hold more than one role (for example an administrator who is also a class teacher), use “View as” in the account menu to switch views.
• On a phone, the bottom bar shows your four most-used pages. Everything else is under More.

2.1Reading the dashboard

The top of the dashboard says where the school is in its own calendar, then lists anything waiting for you, then the key figures and shortcuts to every common task.

• The term line shows the current term, the week you are in, how many days are left, and a progress bar. During holidays it shows when the next term opens.
• “Needs your attention” lists what only the school can move forward: exams ready to release, papers still missing marks, subjects with no grading scale, learners not on today’s register, and overdue fees. Each item has a button that takes you straight there. When there is nothing, it says “All caught up”.
• The coloured figures are learners, teachers, classes, pass rate, present today and fees collected. Tap any figure to open its page.
• Quick actions give every common task the same weight: enter marks, report cards, attendance, add a learner or staff member, post an announcement, set an assignment, record a payment.
• Further down: each class’s latest results, how classes compare, exams coming up in the next three weeks, attendance and fee summaries, and recent activity.
• The search box finds a learner by name or admission number.

2.2Across the school

When your school runs modules such as boarding, health, expenses or transport, live figures from each appear at the very top of the dashboard: learners in the sick bay, learners out on exeat, vouchers to approve, buses on the road, papers awaiting moderation and leave requests. Tap a tile to open its page.

2.3The setup checklist

Until the school is fully set up, a checklist sits at the top of the dashboard. Work through it from top to bottom; each item has a button that opens the right page.

• Add your school logo; set the current term and its dates; create your classes; choose the subjects you offer; add teachers; give every class a class teacher; assign subject teachers; enrol students; add support staff.
• Close the checklist with the × once you no longer need it.

3.1School profile and report card details

Settings → School profile holds everything a report card prints about the school.

1. 1

   Logo

   Upload a square PNG with a clear background. It prints on report cards and receipts.

2. 2

   Name and contacts

   Check the school name, address, phone and email.

3. 3

   Report cards

   Add the school motto (printed under the name), the principal’s name and signature (printed on the signature line), and the pass mark. The pass mark (for example 50%) decides what counts as a pass everywhere in Skulbase: dashboards, analytics and learners’ results.

4. 4

   Positions

   Choose whether CBC report cards show positions, and how Senior School (Grades 10–12) learners are ranked and grouped by subject combination.

3.2Academic calendar

Settings → Academic calendar holds your years and terms. Exactly one term is current: it is what the dashboard, attendance and report cards treat as “now”.

1. 1

   Add the year

   Press “Add year” and enter the year, for example 2027.

2. 2

   Add its terms

   Add each term with its name, start and end dates. Optionally add the mid-term reopening date (printed on mid-term report cards) and the date school reopens after the term (printed as “Next term begins”).

3. 3

   Make a term current

   Press “Make current” on the term you are in. Do this at the start of every term.

Good to know: If no term is current, reports and attendance cannot tell which term it is. The dashboard reminds you.

3.3Grading systems

Settings → Grading systems decides the grade printed for each mark. There are two kinds: subject grading (the grade for each subject’s score) and overall grading (the grade for a learner’s overall mean).

1. 1

   Add a subject grading system

   Choose the curriculum level, give it a name, and list each grade with its score range, points and remark. CBC schools typically use EE, ME, AE and BE; 8-4-4 schools use A to E.

2. 2

   Choose its subjects

   Pick which subjects use this system. A subject with no grading system prints no grade, and the dashboard lists it under “Needs your attention”.

3. 3

   Add an overall grading system (8-4-4)

   This grades each learner’s mean points on report cards and mark sheets.

3.4Classes

The Classes page lists every grade you teach and its classes (streams), for example Grade 7 East and Grade 7 West. Learners, teachers, mark sheets and report cards all belong to a class.

1. 1

   Add a grade

   Press “Add grade” and choose it from your curriculum.

2. 2

   Add its classes

   Add each stream. A grade with a single class still needs one class.

3. 3

   Check class teachers

   Each class shows its class teacher, or “No class teacher”. Class teachers are assigned when you add or edit a teacher on the Users page.

3.5Subjects and subject teachers

The Subjects page has three tabs: the subjects your school offers, Senior School subject combinations, and which teacher teaches which subject in which class.

1. 1

   Choose the subjects you offer

   On the Subjects tab, tick each subject your school teaches for each level.

2. 2

   Senior School combinations (CBC Grades 10–12)

   On the Subject combinations tab, create the combinations learners can take.

3. 3

   Assign subject teachers

   On the Subject teachers tab, give each subject in each class its teacher. A teacher only sees the classes and subjects they are assigned to when entering marks.

3.6Choose what your school runs (modules)

Settings → Modules switches parts of Skulbase on and off for your school. A module that is off disappears from menus and dashboards for everyone; its data is kept, and switching it back on brings everything back.

1. 1

   Start from a preset

   Pick the kind of school you run: day primary or junior school, day secondary, boarding secondary, or private academy with transport. The preset switches on the modules that kind of school usually needs.

2. 2

   Fine-tune

   Switch individual modules on or off: academics (exams, report cards, attendance, analytics, assignments, calendar, exam paper bank, timetable, professional records, CBC assessment), finance (fees, billing, expenses), welfare (boarding, health, discipline), operations (transport, live bus tracking, library, inventory) and people (parent portal, staff leave).

3. 3

   Dependencies

   Some modules need another first (for example report cards need Exams & Marks, and live tracking needs Transport); these are turned on together, and turning one off turns off what depends on it.

Tip: A module marked “Not included in your plan” needs to be enabled by Skulbase first.

3.7Give staff their duties

Settings → Roles & duties gives people the jobs they hold on top of their account type: a teacher can also be the DOS and a house patron; a bursar, nurse or driver signs in as Staff and gets their pages from their duty.

1. 1

   Assign a duty

   Press “Assign duty”, choose the person and the duty: Principal, Deputy Principal, DOS, HOD, Timetabler, Exams Officer, Bursar, Accountant, Matron, Patron, School Nurse, Discipline Master, Transport Manager, Driver, Librarian, Storekeeper or HR / Secretary.

2. 2

   Limit it (optional)

   Some duties can be limited to one class, dorm or route (for example a patron to their own dorm). Leave it empty for the whole school.

3. 3

   Set dates (optional)

   Give a start and end date for a duty that only lasts a term, such as a duty roster.

• “What each duty can do” lists exactly what every duty unlocks.
• The person sees their new pages the next time they open Skulbase. Each duty has its own guide under Help & guide.
• Duties only show pages for modules the school has switched on.

3.8Online fee payments (optional)

Settings → Payments lets learners and parents pay fees from the learner’s Fees page. Payments are matched to the right learner automatically.

• Choose one automated provider: M-Pesa (direct, with your Paybill or Till number and Daraja keys) or Pesapal. Learners then see a single Pay button.
• Add your bank accounts to show bank transfer details on the learner’s Fees page.
• Payments that could not be matched to a learner (for example a wrong account number) appear under “Unmatched payments” for you to assign.

Good to know: Test with the sandbox environment first, then switch to production (live) once a test payment works.

4.1Add learners

People → Students is the school roll. Add learners one at a time or import a whole class from Excel or CSV.

1. 1

   Add one learner

   Press “Add student”. Enter their name, admission number, class, gender and date of birth, and their guardian’s name and phone number (used for SMS).

2. 2

   Import a class list

   Press Import, choose the class everyone in the file joins, and upload your Excel or CSV file. Any rows with problems are listed so you can fix them and import again.

3. 3

   Save the invite codes

   After adding learners, their invite codes are shown once. Copy them or download the CSV before closing, and give each learner their code.

• Filter by class, status (active, transferred, graduated), pathway or subject combination, or search by name, admission number or guardian.
• “Pathways” sets Senior School pathways for several learners at once.

4.2The Add student form

Guardian phone numbers matter: they are where results, absence notices and announcements are texted.

4.3Import learners from a spreadsheet

The fastest way to enrol a class. Every learner in the file joins the class you choose.

Tip: Put one learner per row, with columns for first name, last name, admission number, gender and guardian phone.

4.4Staff and accounts

The Users page lists everyone with an account. “Add user” creates an account for a teacher, learner, administrator or other staff member and gives you their invite code.

1. 1

   Add the person

   On Users press “Add user”. Enter their first and last name and phone number. Use the sequence number only when two people have the same name.

2. 2

   Choose the role

   Teacher, Student, Other Staff (for example a bursar or secretary) or Admin.

3. 3

   For a teacher

   Optionally choose the class they are class teacher of, and add the grades and subjects they teach.

4. 4

   Share their invite

   Skulbase shows their username, invite code and an activation link. It tries to send the code by SMS; you can also press “Send on WhatsApp” or copy it.

• Open anyone on the Users page to see their full profile, edit their account, or reset it (which issues a new invite code, for example when someone forgets their password and has no email address).
• “Print activation codes” prints codes for everyone who has not activated yet, for example to hand out to a class.

4.5Give parents their own login

With the Parent Portal module on, parents can sign in to follow each of their children. You link a parent to a learner on the Parent accounts page, and the parent activates their account with the invite code.

1. 1

   Choose the learner

   Pick the learner. Parents already linked to them are listed with their relationship, phone and whether their account is active.

2. 2

   Link a parent

   Enter the parent’s first and last name, phone number and relationship (mother, father, guardian, sponsor), and press “Link parent”.

3. 3

   Give them the code

   Skulbase shows an invite code. The parent activates their account with it on the activation page, exactly like a teacher or learner.

• A parent with several children at the school is matched by phone number, so they get one login that shows all their children.
• Unlinking a parent stops them seeing that child.

4.6Staff and parents directories

People → Staff lists teachers and other staff with their roles, subjects and classes. People → Parents is built from guardian details on learners’ records: one card per guardian with their children, and buttons to call or email.

5.1Enter or correct marks

Marks go in on Exams & Marks, on the “Enter & Correct Marks” tab. You pick the term, the exam, the class and the subject, and a mark sheet opens with every learner in the class.

1. 1

   Open Exams & Marks

   Choose Exams & Marks in the menu. The “Enter & Correct Marks” tab is open.

2. 2

   Choose the term

   The current term is selected for you and marked NOW. Pick another term to correct older marks.

3. 3

   Choose the exam

   Tap the exam, for example Midterm or Endterm. Only exams your school has set up for that term are shown.

4. 4

   Choose the class and subject

   Pick the class, then the subject. Teachers only see the classes and subjects they teach.

5. 5

   Open the mark sheet

   Press “Open mark sheet”. Saved marks are already filled in.

5.2Using the mark sheet

The mark sheet lists every learner with a box for their score. The grade fills itself in from your school’s grading system.

1. 1

   Type the scores

   Click the first score box, type the mark and press Enter to jump to the next learner. The grade appears as you type. Remarks are optional.

2. 2

   Save

   Press “Save changes” at the bottom. The bar tells you how many learners still have no mark.

3. 3

   Correct a mistake

   Find the learner with the search box, type the right score over the old one, and save. Undo puts a mark back as it was; the bin removes a mark for a learner who did not sit the exam.

4. 4

   Filter the list

   Use the tabs (All, Not entered, Entered, Unsaved) and the stream filter to find who is left.

• “Online” at the top right shows the sheet is connected. If the network drops, your typing is kept on this device and saved when you are back online.
• Scores are out of the exam’s maximum (shown at the top, for example “Out of 100”).
• A subject with several papers can be split with “Split into papers”; each paper then gets its own column and the final mark is worked out for you.

5.3Upload marks from a spreadsheet or a photo

Instead of typing, you can upload an Excel or CSV file, or take a photo of a handwritten mark sheet.

1. 1

   Upload a file

   On the mark sheet choose “Upload file”, pick your Excel or CSV file, and check the columns Skulbase detected (learner, admission number, score). Press “Validate & Preview”, check the rows, then save.

2. 2

   Scan a paper sheet

   Choose “Scan sheet” and take or upload a clear photo. Skulbase reads the names and scores; check every row, fix anything misread, and confirm. Nothing is saved until you confirm.

Tip: Admission numbers are the most reliable way to match rows to learners. Keep them in your spreadsheet.

5.4Release results to learners

Marks stay private to staff until they are released. Releasing a subject lets learners see its marks in their portal and on the report card’s QR check.

1. 1

   Open the Release Results tab

   On Exams & Marks choose “Release Results”.

2. 2

   Choose the class, term and exam

   The list shows every subject for that exam and how many learners have marks.

3. 3

   Check the ranking preview

   Scroll down to see the class ranking the release would produce, and any learners with missing papers (a missing paper counts as 0).

4. 4

   Release

   Release a single subject, or all of them at once. Released subjects show “Learners can see”.

• You can still correct marks after releasing; learners see the corrected mark.
• “Withdraw” hides a subject from learners again at any time.

5.5See a class’s results

The “Results & Reports” tab on Exams & Marks shows how a class did: every subject side by side, one exam at a time, the analysis, and individual report cards.

• Choose a class, then an exam, to see the broadsheet and rankings.
• Click a learner to download their PDF report card, or generate the whole class at once.

6.1Add exams to the term

On Exams & Marks, the “More” button next to the exams opens the exam menu.

• School exams: Opener, CAT, Midterm, Endterm and others. Pick one to create it for every subject in every class for the term.
• External and mock exams: zone, sub-county, county and national exams and mocks.
• Tools: fill in the term’s exams for subjects added since they were set up, or create a single exam for one subject and class.

7.1Generate report cards

Choose the class, term and exam once; then pick what to produce.

1. 1

   Choose the scope

   Pick the class and the term. Optionally type a title for the card (for example “Mid Term 1 Report”) and choose a card design.

2. 2

   Choose the exam

   Each exam shows how many subjects have marks. “Most recent” is suggested. Report cards, the mark sheet and SMS all use this exam.

3. 3

   Whole class

   Press “Generate & download” for every learner’s card in one PDF, ready to print.

4. 4

   One learner

   Press “Choose learner” to download a single card.

5. 5

   Mark sheet

   Downloads the ranked subject scores for the whole class.

• Class teacher and principal comments are added under “Comments on the cards” and print on each learner’s card.
• Each report card carries a QR code. Scanning it opens a page that shows the approved results, so parents and others can check a card is genuine.
• Senior School classes can split the class download by subject combination.

7.2Text results to parents

“SMS to parents” sends each guardian their child’s results for the chosen exam.

1. 1

   Open it

   With the class, term and exam chosen, press “Send SMS”.

2. 2

   Choose learners

   Everyone is selected; untick anyone to leave out. Learners without a guardian phone number are skipped.

3. 3

   Check and send

   Read the example message, then confirm. SMS costs apply per message.

7.3Compare terms

“Compare terms” shows how a class’s average and pass rate moved between two terms, overall and subject by subject.

8.1Take the daily register

Attendance holds one register per class per day. Mark each learner Present, Absent, Late or Excused, add a reason if you like, and let guardians of absent learners know by SMS.

1. 1

   Open Attendance

   Choose Attendance in the menu. A class teacher’s own class opens straight away; otherwise pick the class.

2. 2

   Check the day

   Today is selected. Use the arrows or the date box to fill in an earlier day.

3. 3

   Mark each learner

   Tap Present, Absent, Late or Excused on each row. To save time, press “Mark N unmarked present” and then change only the exceptions.

4. 4

   Add a reason (optional)

   The note icon at the end of a row adds a reason, such as “Unwell”. It shows under the learner’s name.

5. 5

   Save

   Press Save at the bottom. Unsaved changes are kept if you switch class or day by mistake: you are asked first.

6. 6

   Tell guardians

   Press “Notify guardians” to text the guardian of every learner marked absent. You see who will be texted before anything is sent.

Tip: PDF downloads the day’s register for printing or filing.

9.1Fee records

The Fee records tab shows the term’s totals (expected, collected, outstanding, overdue), a collection progress bar, and one row per learner.

• Choose the term at the top. Search by learner or admission number, or filter by status and class.
• “Add record” bills one learner. “Export” downloads the list as a spreadsheet.
• Each row has Pay (record a payment), payment history (with receipts), edit and delete.

9.2Bill a whole class at once

The Batch entry tab bills every learner in a class for the term in one go.

1. 1

   Choose the class and term

   Every active learner in the class is listed.

2. 2

   Set the fee

   Type the fee once and press Apply to fill it for everyone, and set one due date. Change any learner’s fee individually if needed.

3. 3

   Record payments now (optional)

   Enter any payment already received in “Payment now”; “Balance after” updates as you type.

4. 4

   Save all

   Press “Save all”. Learners already billed for the term keep their record and are updated rather than billed twice.

9.3Record a payment

For cash, cheques, bank deposits and M-Pesa messages you receive yourself. Online payments made through the learner’s portal are recorded automatically.

1. 1

   Press Pay

   On the learner’s row, press Pay.

2. 2

   Enter the payment

   Type the amount, the date paid (change it when recording an older slip), the method and, optionally, who paid and a note.

3. 3

   Save

   The balance updates straight away, and a receipt is available from the payment history.

9.4The payments log

The Payments tab lists every payment received, filtered by date, method (automatic or manual) and status. Unmatched online payments appear here too, with a button to assign them to the right learner.

10.1Post announcements

Announcements are notices for the whole school. They show on the Announcements page and on learners’ dashboards.

1. 1

   Start one

   On Announcements press “New announcement”.

2. 2

   Write it

   Give it a short title (for example “Half-term break dates”) and the message.

3. 3

   Mark it important (optional)

   Important announcements are highlighted in red on the list and on dashboards.

4. 4

   Text guardians too (optional)

   Tick “Also text every guardian” to send it as one SMS to each guardian phone on file for active learners. SMS costs apply, and you are shown how many messages will go out.

5. 5

   Post

   Press Post. You can edit or delete your own announcements later from the list.

• Search, or filter to Important or to the ones you posted.

10.2Writing an announcement

Keep the title short; it is what people see first on their dashboards and in the SMS.

10.3Set homework and mark it

Assignments is where homework is set for a class. Learners see it on their dashboard, hand it in there (typed or as a file), and you grade it here.

1. 1

   Set an assignment

   Press “New assignment”. Choose the class and subject, give it a title and a due date, add instructions, and attach a file (up to 10 MB) if you like.

2. 2

   Follow progress

   The tiles at the top filter to Upcoming, Past due, Set by me and All. Each card shows how many learners have handed in.

3. 3

   Mark the work

   Open the hand-ins, read each learner’s answer or open their file, and give a grade from 0 to 100 with optional feedback. Learners see the grade and feedback on their dashboard.

• Work is due at the end of the due date, not at midnight before it.
• Teachers can edit and grade only the assignments they set; administrators can manage all of them.
• Once you have graded a hand-in, the learner can no longer replace it.

11.1Reading Analytics

Choose a class (or all classes), an academic year and a term. The page shows averages and pass rates against your pass mark, which classes and subjects are strongest and weakest, and which classes still have exams to mark.

Tip: The filters are kept in the page address, so you can bookmark or share a view (for example Grade 8, Term 2).

12.1Where each module is explained

Share the right guide with each person when you assign their duty.

• Calendar, timetable, exam paper bank, professional records and CBC assessment: the Academic leadership guide (and the teacher guides for the teacher side).
• Billing (vote heads, fee structures, invoicing, bursaries) and expenses: the Bursar and finance guide.
• Boarding (roll calls, exeats, dorms, inspections) and discipline: the Boarding and discipline guide.
• Health and the sick bay: the School nurse guide.
• Transport and live bus tracking: the Transport guide.
• Library, inventory and staff leave: the Library, stores and HR guide.
• The parent portal: the Parent guide.

13.1Using Skulbase on a phone

Every page works on a phone. Tables turn into cards, and the menu moves to the bottom of the screen.

• Use a current version of Chrome, Safari or Samsung Internet.
• Mark entry keeps your work on the phone if the network drops, and saves it when you are back online.
• Downloads such as report cards open in your phone’s PDF viewer, ready to share on WhatsApp or print.

14.1Where to get help

This guide is always available from Help in the menu, and as a PDF you can download and print.

• Your school administrator can add or reset accounts, fix classes and subjects, and change school settings.
• For problems with Skulbase itself, use the contact page at skulbase.com/contact, or call 0740 129 444.
• When you report a problem, say which page you were on, what you pressed and what you expected. A screenshot helps.