How to Setup for New Term/Year

This guide walks you through setting up BrainFit Scheduling for a new term, from preparing classes in ACP to creating class groups and managing student enrollments.

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Overview

Setting up for a new term involves three main steps:

Step	Description	Location
1. Setup ACP Classes	Prepare classes in BrainFit HQ (ACP) for the new term	BrainFit HQ System
2. Create Class Groups	Create class groups in BrainFit Scheduling	BrainFit Scheduling
3. Manage Student Changes	Handle students joining late or changing groups	BrainFit Scheduling

⏱️ Timeline Recommendation: Complete Steps 1-2 before the term starts. Step 3 is ongoing throughout the term.

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Step 1: Setup ACP Classes for New Term

Before using BrainFit Scheduling, you must prepare your classes in the BrainFit HQ (ACP) system.

Important: Clone, Don't Reuse

📖 Learn how to clone classes

⚠️ CRITICAL: Always clone classes for a new term rather than reusing existing classes.

Why Clone?

• Preserves historical data from previous terms: later on when we report, we can query students list for 2025 - and their report in 2025 by class.
• Prevents confusion between current and past enrollments
• Allows proper term-based reporting (future features)
• Maintains data integrity for attendance records

Requirements Before Setting Up Scheduling

At the time of creating class groups in BrainFit Scheduling:

✅ All classes should be ready with students enrolled

While it's understood that:

• Some students may join later in the term
• Some students may change class groups mid-term

The majority of students should be enrolled at the time you set up the class groups. This ensures:

• Accurate capacity planning
• Easier bulk enrollment of students to sessions
• Better scheduling efficiency

Step-by-Step: Prepare ACP Classes

1. Log in to BrainFit HQ (ACP)

2. Navigate to Classes

3. Clone previous term's classes (do NOT reuse):

   • Select the class from the previous term
   • Use the "Clone Class" function
   • Update the term dates for the new term
   • Rename if needed (e.g., "SmartFit T1 2025" → "SmartFit T2 2025")

4. Enroll Students:

   • Add all confirmed students for the new term
   • Include re-enrolling students from the previous term
   • Add new students joining the program

5. Assign Trainers:

   • Assign all trainers who will teach this class
   • Verify trainer availability and schedules

6. Verify Class Details:

   • Check class name, and center assignment
   • Confirm student count matches expectations
   • Verify all trainers are assigned

📋 Checklist: Before moving to Step 2, ensure:

• New year term classes are cloned (not reused)
• Majority of students are enrolled
• All trainers are assigned
• Term dates are correct
• Class details are accurate

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Step 2: Create Class Groups in BrainFit Scheduling

Once your ACP classes are ready, follow this guide to create class groups:

👉 See Full Guide: Manage Class Groups

Quick Summary

The Manage Class Groups guide covers:

1. Creating Class Groups

   • Navigate to Classes > Select Class > Create Class Group
   • Fill in basic information (name, type, description, color)
   • Set term period (start and end dates)
   • Configure capacity settings
   • Assign teachers and students

2. Creating Session Templates

   • Define recurring weekly session patterns
   • Set day of week, start time, and end time
   • Configure location and capacity

3. Generating Sessions

   • Generate actual session instances from templates
   • Set date range (term start to term end)
   • Enable "Auto-assign students to sessions" option
   • Skip dates that already have sessions

4. Publishing

   • Review generated sessions
   • Publish the class group when ready for parents to view

Key Settings to Consider

Setting	Recommendation
Term Dates	Match ACP class term dates exactly
Maximum Participants	Based on class capacity (typical: 6-8)
Expanded Capacity	Allow 2-3 more for session changes
Max Change Requests	Typical: 3-5 per student per term
Auto-assign Students	✅ Enable when generating sessions

Best Practices for New Term Setup

1. Set up class groups while unpublished

   • Create the group
   • Add templates and generate sessions
   • Review everything carefully
   • Only publish when ready

2. Use "Auto-assign students to sessions"

   • When generating sessions, enable this option
   • Saves time bulk-enrolling students
   • Ensures all students are in all sessions

3. Generate all term sessions at once

   • Set start date = term start
   • Set end date = term end
   • Select all templates
   • Generate once for the entire term

4. Review before publishing

   • Check calendar view
   • Verify all students are enrolled
   • Confirm session times are correct
   • Test attendance features

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Step 3: Managing Student Changes During the Term

Throughout the term, you'll need to handle students joining late or changing groups.

👉 See Full Guide: Manage Students

Common Scenarios

Scenario A: Student Joins Mid-Term

When: A new student enrolls after the term has started

Steps:

1. In BrainFit HQ (ACP): Enroll the student in the class
2. In BrainFit Scheduling:
   • Go to Class Group Detail page
   • Click Assign Students button
   • Select the new student
   • Click Assign Selected Students
3. Sync to Sessions:
   • Click Sync Student Enrollments in Quick Actions
   • This adds the student to all future sessions
4. Result: Student is enrolled in all remaining sessions

Scenario B: Student Unenrolls Mid-Term

When: A student leaves the program before term ends

Steps:

1. In BrainFit HQ (ACP): Unenroll the student from the class
2. In BrainFit Scheduling:
   • Go to Class Group Detail page
   • Find the student in Students section
   • Click the X button next to their name
   • Confirm removal
3. Important: Student remains in past session attendance records (for historical data)
4. Optional: Manually remove from future sessions if needed

Scenario C: Student Changes Class Group

When: A student needs to move to a different group within the same term

Steps:

1. From Old Group:
   • Go to old Class Group Detail
   • Remove student from group (X button)
2. To New Group:
   • Go to new Class Group Detail
   • Click Assign Students
   • Select the student
   • Assign Selected Students
3. Sync to Sessions:
   • In new group, click Sync Student Enrollments
4. Result: Student is moved to new group and enrolled in future sessions

Scenario D: Student Needs Different Session Schedule

When: Student can't attend all sessions, needs specific days only

Steps:

1. Add to Group:
   • Assign student to the class group (as usual)
2. DON'T Sync - Instead:
   • Go to each specific session the student CAN attend
   • Click the Add/Remove Students icon (➕)
   • Add the student to that session only
3. Result: Student is only enrolled in selected sessions

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New Term Setup Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure you don't miss any steps:

Before Term Starts

• ACP Classes Ready

  • Classes cloned for new term (not reused)
  • Majority of students enrolled
  • All trainers assigned
  • Term dates correct

• Class Groups Created

  • Class groups created for all classes
  • Capacity settings configured
  • Teachers and students assigned
  • Session templates created
  • Sessions generated for full term
  • Auto-assign students enabled during generation
  • Groups kept unpublished during setup

• Review and Verification

  • Calendar view checked for all groups
  • Student counts verified in sessions
  • Session times confirmed with trainers
  • Attendance features tested

On Term Start Day

• Publish Class Groups
  • Final review of all sessions
  • Publish all class groups
  • Confirm parents can see sessions in PBC

Throughout the Term

• Handle Late Enrollments (follow Step 3)
• Process Unenrollments (follow Step 3)
• Manage Group Changes (follow Step 3)
• Monitor Reenrollment Report for next term planning

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Common Questions

Q: Can I set up scheduling before all students are enrolled in ACP?

A: Not recommended. While you can add students later, it's more efficient to have the majority enrolled before creating class groups. You'll spend less time on manual syncing and adjustments.

Q: What if I forgot to enable "Auto-assign students" when generating sessions?

A: No problem! Just use the Sync Student Enrollments button in Quick Actions to add all group students to all future sessions.

Q: Should I delete class groups from the previous term?

A: No. Keep them for historical reporting. Simply create new class groups for the new term. If you want to hide old groups, unpublish them or filter by term dates.

Q: Can I reuse the same class group for a new term?

A: Not recommended. It's better to create a fresh class group for each term to maintain clear term boundaries and reporting accuracy.

Q: What happens if a student is in ACP but not in the scheduling class group?

A: They won't appear in any sessions in BrainFit Scheduling. They'll only show up in ACP reports. Make sure to assign them to the class group if they need scheduled sessions.

Q: How do I handle students who switch between groups frequently?

A: Consider using Session Change Requests instead of manually moving them between groups. This preserves history and allows parents to make requests themselves through the Parent Booking Center (PBC).

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Timeline Example

Here's a typical timeline for setting up a new term:

Time Before Term	Task
3-4 weeks	Clone classes in ACP, begin student enrollments
2-3 weeks	Finalize student enrollments in ACP
1-2 weeks	Create class groups in Scheduling
1 week	Create session templates and generate sessions
3-5 days	Review calendar, verify enrollments, keep unpublished
1-2 days	Final checks, test attendance features
Term Start	Publish class groups, notify parents

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
Students not showing when creating group	Not enrolled in ACP class	Enroll in ACP first, then refresh Scheduling
Can't generate sessions	No templates created	Create session templates first
Students not in sessions after generation	Auto-assign not enabled	Use Sync Student Enrollments
Too many students for capacity	Enrollment exceeds capacity	Increase capacity settings or create additional groups
Parent can't see sessions	Group not published	Publish the class group

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Related Guides

• Manage Class Groups - Detailed guide on creating and managing class groups
• Manage Students - How to add/remove students and sync enrollments
• Take Attendance - How to mark attendance for sessions

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Last Updated: December 2025