Bulk Import Students

Import multiple students at once using CSV or Excel files, including family and grade information.

Time Saver! Bulk import is perfect for:

New school year enrollment
Migrating from another system
Importing class lists from administration
Adding multiple students with similar information

Overview

The bulk import feature allows you to upload a CSV or Excel file containing student information. The system automatically:

Creates families if they don't exist
Assigns students to grades based on grade code or name
Generates student numbers and PINs automatically
Creates barcodes for each student
Links students to families automatically

Step-by-Step Guide

1

Download the Template

Navigate to Students → Bulk Import and click Download CSV Template

The template includes:

All available columns with headers
Sample data rows showing correct format
Required vs optional fields

2

Prepare Your Data

Open the template in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet program.

Important: Keep the header row exactly as is. Do not change column names.

Fill in your student data following the format in the samples.

3

Save as CSV or Excel

Save your file in one of these formats:

.csv - Comma Separated Values (most compatible)
.xlsx - Excel 2007+ format
.xls - Excel 97-2003 format

Maximum file size: 10MB

4

Configure Import Options

Before uploading, choose your options:

Skip duplicates - Don't update students that already exist
Create families - Automatically create missing families
Assign grades - Link students to their grades

5

Upload and Import

Click Choose File, select your prepared file, then click Upload and Import

The system will:

Validate your file format
Check for required columns
Process each row
Show you the results

6

Review Results

After import completes, you'll see:

Number of students successfully imported
Number of families created
Number of grade assignments made
Any errors with specific row numbers

Column Reference

Required Columns

Column Name	Description	Example
`first_name`	Student's first name	John
`last_name`	Student's last name	Smith
`gender`	Male, Female, or Other	Male

Optional Student Columns

Column Name	Description	Example
`student_number`	Unique student number (auto-generated if empty)	RKS00001
`middle_name`	Student's middle name	Michael
`date_of_birth`	Date in YYYY-MM-DD format	2010-05-15
`id_passport`	ID or passport number	1005155123456
`race`	African, Coloured, Indian, White, Asian, Other	African
`is_active`	1, 0, TRUE, or FALSE (defaults to 1)	1

Family Columns

Column Name	Description	Example
`family_name`	Family name (uses last_name if empty)	Smith Family
`family_head`	Name of family head	Mr. Robert Smith
`family_head_phone`	Contact phone number	+27123456789
`family_head_email`	Contact email address	robert@example.com

Grade Columns

Column Name	Description	Example
`grade_code`	Grade code (must exist in system)	G10
`grade_name`	Grade name (alternative to code)	Grade 10
`enrollment_date`	Date in YYYY-MM-DD format (defaults to today)	2024-01-15

How It Works

Family Handling

The system handles families intelligently:

If family_name is provided, it searches for that family
If found, the student is linked to the existing family
If not found, a new family is created
If family_name is empty, the student's last_name is used with " Family" appended

Pro Tip: To group siblings, use the same family_name for all of them in your import file.

Grade Assignment

The system finds grades by:

First trying to match grade_code (e.g., "G10")
If no match, trying to match grade_name (e.g., "Grade 10")
The grade must exist and be active in the system
If no match is found, the student is imported without a grade assignment

Important: Make sure grades exist in your system before importing. Go to Academic → Grades to create them first.

Student Number Generation

If you don't provide a student_number:

The system auto-generates one using your school's format
Format: School Initials + Sequential Number (e.g., RKS00001)
Numbers are guaranteed to be unique

Best Practices

Start Small

Test with 5-10 students first to verify your format is correct

Keep a Backup

Save your original file before importing in case you need to make changes

Check Dates

Ensure all dates use YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g., 2010-05-15)

Validate Data

Check for typos, duplicate IDs, and invalid values before importing

Troubleshooting

Common Errors and Solutions

Error: "Missing required columns"

Solution: Ensure your file has columns named exactly: first_name, last_name, and gender

Error: "Student number already exists"

Solution: Either leave the student_number column empty for auto-generation, or ensure all numbers are unique

Error: "Invalid date format"

Solution: Use YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g., 2010-05-15). Check your spreadsheet's date formatting

Error: "Grade not found"

Solution: Create the grade in Academic → Grades first, or check spelling of grade_code/grade_name