School Management (Frame)

Executive Summary

Frame is the school management module in Operations. It is built for Zimbabwean primary and secondary schools that need one system for learners, teachers, marks, attendance, report cards, and digital learning — without juggling spreadsheets, separate accounting tools, and disconnected communication apps.

Frame supports the way Zimbabwe schools are actually organised: ECD and Grades 1–7 in primary; Forms 1–6 in secondary (including O-Level and A-Level streams); classrooms under each form or grade; terms and assessment periods; weighted continuous assessment; and official-style report cards with subject scores, class position, class-teacher remarks, and headmaster comments. Schools running ZIMSEC, Cambridge, HEXCO, or internal grading schemes can configure grading scales and map them to streams (Sciences, Arts, Commercials, and others).

From a single workspace, administrators manage enrolment and class placement; teachers create assessments, capture marks, and maintain attendance registers; the academic office generates and publishes report cards in bulk; students sign in to view results, complete online assessments, and access e-learning materials; and leadership monitors performance on a live dashboard filtered by period, stage, class, and subject.

Frame is not an island. It sits inside the wider Operations platform, where your organisation can activate additional modules on the same login, shared data, and one sidebar — no duplicate student lists, no exporting marks to a separate fees system, and no WhatsApp-only parent communication.

Most schools start with Frame for academics, then add modules as needs grow: HR & Payroll for teachers and payroll, Accounting for fees and tuck-shop sales, CRM for parent follow-ups and admissions, Logistics for buses and trips, Documents and Forms for policies and applications, Inventory for uniforms and stationery, Clinic for sick bay, and more. See Expand Your Platform for recommended bundles and How Frame Connects to Other Modules for integration detail.

Who This Is For

Zimbabwe School Context

Primary schools

Typical structure Frame supports:

Primary schools often need simpler grading (letter grades or competency bands). Use Grading System to define percentage ranges and labels appropriate for your phase (for example Excellent, Very Good, Good, Needs Improvement).

Secondary schools

Typical structure:

Secondary schools usually run more assessments per term (tests, assignments, practicals) with weighted contributions to the final report card mark. Frame’s report generator lets you select multiple assessments per subject and assign weights (for example Test 1 = 30%, Examination = 70%).

Terms and periods

Most Zimbabwe schools operate on three terms per year. In Operations, academic time is controlled through Organisation → Periods (and related calendar settings). Frame assessments and report cards are filtered by period so Term 1 marks never mix with Term 2.

Best practice: Create periods named clearly (for example 2026 – Term 1, 2026 – Term 2) with correct start and end dates before teachers enter marks or the office generates reports.

Streams and classes

Key Capabilities

• School dashboard — enrolment, assessment completion, attendance trends, performance charts; filter by period, stage, class, and subject
• Student register — create, update, import-style workflows; assign form and classroom; student login (stf username prefix)
• Staff — links to HR user list for teachers and administrators
• Stages and classrooms — hierarchical tree (add stage, add classroom, dynamic groups)
• Subjects — maintain subject catalogue for assessments and reports
• Assessments — create papers, attach questions, filter by stage and period, enter marks, student online writing
• Student mark sheets — grid view of marks/grades per period with Excel export and assessment weight configuration
• Grading system — percentage buckets (A, B, C…), assign scales to streams
• Report cards — generate in bulk, sync marks from assessments, refresh grades, auto-remarks, PDF per student or merged class PDF
• Attendance registers — daily registers, import templates, mark-all-present, attendance reports
• E-learning — reading materials and take-assessment flow for students
• Student profile — profile, assessments, e-learning, settings, performance (role-based)
• Organisation branding — report card template and official stamps on PDFs

Important Concepts

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started
2. School Dashboard
3. Students
4. Staff
5. Stages, Classrooms, and Subjects
6. Assessments and Marking
7. Grading System
8. Report Cards
9. Attendance
10. E-Learning
11. Student and Parent Access
12. Expand Your Platform
13. How Frame Connects to Other Modules
14. Implementation Guide for Zimbabwe Schools
15. Daily Routines and Best Practices
16. Troubleshooting Common Situations

Getting Started

Opening Frame

1. Sign in to Operations.
2. Open Frame in the sidebar (available when the school module is activated for your organisation).
3. You land on the Dashboard — academic overview for leadership and teachers with admin access.

![Screenshot: Frame sidebar and dashboard entry — placeholder]

First-time setup checklist

Before going live with a full term, complete this with your administrator:

School Dashboard

Open Frame → Dashboard for the operational picture of the school.

What you see

The dashboard typically includes:

• Summary counts — students, assessments, completion rates
• Performance trend — average scores over time (line chart)
• Score distribution — how learners are spread across grade bands
• Subject breakdown — comparative performance by subject
• Gender / demographic breakdowns — where data is captured on student profiles
• Attendance trend — presence patterns over the selected period
• Quick links — jump to students, assessments, reports, attendance

Filters

Use the banner filters to narrow the view:

• Period — Term 1, Term 2, etc.
• Stage — Form 3, Grade 5, etc.
• Classroom — 3 Sciences, 5A, etc.
• Subject — Mathematics, English, etc.

Leadership can compare a single class against the whole school for a given term before parent meetings or staff briefings.

Student dashboard (learners)

Students with the Student role see Frame → Student Dashboard instead of the admin dashboard. It focuses on:

• Their current form/class
• Completed vs pending assessments
• Recent scores and subject trends
• Upcoming assessments

![Screenshot: Student dashboard — placeholder]

Students

Student register

Go to Frame → Students to manage the learner roll.

List view

• Search by name, email, or related fields
• Open a student to edit or view summary
• Create new students from Add Student

Creating a student

1. Click Add Student (or open an existing record).
2. Enter First name, Last name, and Username (must use the stf prefix — the system can auto-add it).
3. Optionally add Email, Phone, Form/Stage, and Classroom.
4. Complete any custom fields your school configured (birth certificate number, parent contact, medical notes, etc.).
5. Save.

Assigning Form/Stage and Classroom correctly is essential — assessments, attendance registers, and report cards all depend on class membership.

![Screenshot: Students list — placeholder]

![Screenshot: Create student form with stage and classroom — placeholder]

Student summary

Frame → Students → Summary (or open a student’s summary) gives a consolidated view of a learner’s academic record — useful for disciplinary meetings, transfers, or parent conferences.

![Screenshot: Student summary — placeholder]

Staff

Teachers and school administrators are managed under Frame → Staff, which opens the shared HR → Users list filtered for school use.

Frame does not duplicate HR — it reuses the organisation’s user directory so payroll, permissions, and performance modules stay aligned.

![Screenshot: Staff list via HR — placeholder]

Stages, Classrooms, and Subjects

Stages tree

Frame → Grading → Stages defines your school structure.

Example — Primary

Primary
├── ECD A
│   ├── ECD A Green
│   └── ECD A Blue
├── Grade 1
│   ├── 1A
│   └── 1B
...
└── Grade 7
    ├── 7A
    └── 7B

Example — Secondary

Secondary
├── Form 1
│   ├── 1 Sciences
│   ├── 1 Arts
│   └── 1 Commercials
├── Form 2
...
└── Upper 6
    └── 6 Sciences

Actions

• Add Stage — new form or grade level
• Add Classroom — class under a stage
• Dynamic flag — for groups that change membership automatically (advanced)
• Save per row — names update immediately in dropdowns across the system

![Screenshot: Stages and classrooms tree — placeholder]

Subjects

Frame → Subjects (also under Grading → Subjects) lists subjects taught in the school: Mathematics, English Language, Shona, Ndebele, Combined Science, Geography, Accounts, etc.

Every assessment and report card line links to a subject. Keep naming consistent with your report card template (ZIMSEC subject names vs internal short names).

![Screenshot: Subjects list — placeholder]

Assessments and Marking

Assessment list

Frame → Assessments is where teachers and heads of department manage tests and assignments.

Filters

• Stage / Grade — only assessments for that cohort
• Period — assessments whose dates fall in the term window
• Search — find by name or subject

Actions menu typically includes bulk operations and navigation to mark sheets (organisation configuration may vary).

![Screenshot: Assessments list with stage and period filters — placeholder]

Creating an assessment

1. Click Add Assessment.
2. Set Name (e.g. “Form 3 Mathematics – Term 1 Test”).
3. Choose Subject, Stage, and date range aligned to the period.
4. Define maximum marks and assessment type as required.
5. Save, then open Questions to build the paper or upload content.

Questions and online writing

Frame → Assessments → [Assessment] → Questions

• Add structured questions for online delivery
• Students with access open Write Assessment from their assessment list
• Submissions flow back for marking

This supports schools moving past paper-only exams toward controlled online tests (computer lab or BYOD policies).

![Screenshot: Assessment question editor — placeholder]

![Screenshot: Student online assessment writing screen — placeholder]

Entering marks

Marks can be entered:

• Within the assessment detail screens
• Via Student Mark Sheets (Frame → Reports → User Scores or linked from Assessments)

Student mark sheets

Student Mark Sheets provide a spreadsheet-style grid:

• Select Period
• Toggle Marks vs Grades view
• Configure assessments — choose which tests count and set weights
• Download Excel for offline editing or archival

Use this for:

• Departmental mark schedule meetings
• Comparing class performance before report cards
• External submission to examination boards (export)

![Screenshot: Student mark sheet grid — placeholder]

Grading System

Frame → Grading → Grading System defines how numeric marks become grades on reports.

Grading groups

Each group (scale) includes:

• Name — e.g. “ZIMSEC O-Level”, “Internal Primary”
• Score range — min/max percentage for the scale
• Buckets — ranges mapped to labels (A, B, C, D, U or 1–9, etc.)

Example buckets (illustrative)

Assign to streams

Each grading group can be assigned to streams (Form 3 Sciences, Form 4 Arts, etc.) so report cards use the correct boundaries for that cohort.

When examination boards change grade thresholds, update buckets once and run Refresh Grades on report cards.

![Screenshot: Grading system cards with buckets and stream assignment — placeholder]

Report Cards

Frame → Reports (Report Cards) is the academic office hub for end-of-term publishing.

Report card list

Reports are grouped by Period → Stage → Class for easy bulk operations.

Columns typically include:

• Student name
• Level (form/grade)
• Class
• Period
• Overall score
• Class position
• Created date

Filters: search, period, stage, class.

![Screenshot: Report cards grouped list — placeholder]

Generating report cards

1. Click Generate Reports.
2. Select Stream/Grade (required).
3. Select Period.
4. Choose Assessments — tick each test/assignment to include; set weight % per assessment (must reflect school policy).
5. Optional: enable Test Mode — generate for one student first to verify layout and marks.
6. Click Generate.

The generator combines weighted assessment marks into subject scores and overall performance.

After generation — office workflow

Editing comments

Open a report in the detail drawer to edit:

• Position of responsibility (Head Boy, Prefect, etc.)
• Co-curricular activities (sport, choir, debate)
• Class teacher comment
• Headmaster comment

Save comments before printing final PDFs for parents.

Official stamps and report card templates come from Organisation school settings (template ID, uploaded stamp images).

![Screenshot: Generate report cards modal with weights — placeholder]

![Screenshot: Report card PDF preview — placeholder]

Attendance

Daily registers

Frame → Attendance Registers

1. Select a register (linked to a class or group).
2. Mark each learner Present, Absent, Late, or as configured.
3. Save the register for the day.

Actions

• Import Registers — bulk create register definitions from CSV/Excel template
• Import Attendance Sheet — upload filled attendance for a date range
• Mark All Present — shortcut for days when full attendance is confirmed
• Reports — attendance analysis export

Zimbabwe schools often maintain statutory attendance records — digital registers reduce lost books and support audits.

![Screenshot: Attendance register — placeholder]

Attendance report

Frame → Attendance Report summarises presence over time for leadership and truancy follow-up.

![Screenshot: Attendance report — placeholder]

E-Learning

Frame includes a lightweight learning layer for schools investing in digital content.

Students also reach materials from My Profile → E-Learning.

Use cases in Zimbabwe

• Share revision notes before ZIMSEC examinations
• Host homework reading during load-shedding (download when connected)
• Flip classroom content for Sciences and Mathematics

![Screenshot: E-learning dashboard — placeholder]

Student and Parent Access

Student profile (logged-in learner)

Frame → Student Profile (or My Profile) sections:

Authentication

Students receive usernames with the stf prefix and organisation-managed passwords. Role Student restricts menus to learner-safe screens only.

Parents and guardians

There is no separate “parent” product menu in core Frame today. Common patterns:

• Printed report cards and SMS via external process
• CRM module for structured parent communication and follow-ups
• Forms module for feedback surveys and admission enquiries
• Future parent portal (organisation-specific projects)

Expand Your Platform

Frame covers academics — marks, attendance, report cards, and e-learning. Most Zimbabwe schools also run fees, payroll, transport, a tuck shop, parent communication, and sometimes a sick bay or boarding operation. Operations lets you activate those capabilities as additional modules on the same platform: one sign-in for staff, shared student and staff records, and a single operational picture for leadership.

You do not need every module on day one. Schools typically activate Frame first, then add modules when a pain point appears — for example fee arrears (Accounting + CRM), bus safety (Logistics), or uniform sales (Inventory + Accounting POS).

Modules schools commonly add

Organisation is the foundation for all of the above — academic periods, report branding, module activation, and roles. It is configured for every school deployment even when only Frame is live.

→ See Organisation and All Modules

Module previews

Screenshots below are taken from each module’s own product documentation — a preview of what your school can activate alongside Frame. Modules without a screenshot here do not yet have a published image in their guide.

HR & Payroll — teacher accounts, payroll, and performance management:

Accounting & Sales — term fee invoices and tuck-shop POS:

Logistics — school bus routes, trip planning, and live Command Center map:

Inventory & Stock — uniforms, stationery, and tuck-shop stock control:

Pharmacy — dispensary Command Center (for schools with a licensed on-site pharmacy; Clinic sick-bay screenshots are not yet published):

Executive Dashboard — leadership KPIs across all active modules:

CRM, Documents, Forms, Assets, Chat, Analyst, Insurance, Projects, Mobile Scanner, and Agriculture screenshots are not yet published in their module guides.

Suggested bundles (activate in phases)

Phase 4 of the implementation guide maps to turning on these modules after academics are stable.

Contact your Operations implementer or account team to activate modules — sidebar menus and permissions update once a module is enabled for your organisation.

How Frame Connects to Other Modules

Frame is designed to sit inside the wider Operations platform. The sections below explain how each module connects in practice — useful after you decide which capabilities to add from Expand Your Platform.

Organisation

• Academic periods (terms) drive assessments and report cards
• School settings — report card template, official stamp images on PDFs
• Branding — logo and header on printed reports
• Custom fields on students — national ID, parent phone, sponsorship, etc.

→ See Organisation

HR & Payroll

• Staff records — all teachers are HR users
• Roles and permissions — who can create assessments, approve reports, edit marks
• Timetables and shifts — class scheduling (where configured)
• Performance management — link teacher KPIs to school strategic goals

→ See HR & Payroll

Accounting & Sales

• School fees — invoice families per term (where the school uses Operations finance)
• Receipts — track payments against fee invoices
• Multi-currency — USD, ZWL, ZAR fee collection with exchange rates
• POS — bookshop or uniform sales at school tuck shop

→ See Accounting & Sales

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

• Parents as contacts — phone, email, communication history
• Follow-ups — fee reminders, meeting schedules
• Pipeline — admission enquiries from prospect to enrolled student

→ See CRM

Documents

• Store prospectuses, policies, staff handbooks, scheme of work
• Versioned files accessible to leadership without email attachments

→ See Documents

Forms & Surveys

• Admission application forms
• Parent satisfaction surveys after term
• Staff feedback forms

→ See Forms & Surveys

Logistics

• School bus routes and trip monitoring
• Driver assignments for field trips and sports fixtures
• Emergency and GPS features where the school uses fleet modules

→ See Logistics

Projects

Assessments are backed by the platform Projects engine internally — advanced schools already using Projects for non-academic work can align project management culture with IT administration.

→ See Projects

Inventory & Stock

• Stationery and textbook stock at school shop
• Uniform inventory if sold on campus
• Stock-take and reorder like any retail operation

→ See Inventory & Stock

Healthcare (Clinic)

• School clinic patient records for sick bay
• Allergies and conditions visible if the learner is also a clinic patient
• Useful for boarding schools and large day schools

→ See Healthcare (Clinic)

Pharmacy

Generally for dispensary operations — relevant only if the school runs a medical centre with licensed dispensing.

→ See Pharmacy

Insurance

• Student accident cover or group policies where the school brokers insurance

→ See Insurance

Asset Management

• Track laptops, projectors, lab equipment assigned to departments
• Maintenance schedules for school assets

→ See Asset Management

Chat

• Staff coordination — department channels, exam period announcements
• Reduces WhatsApp fragmentation for official school communication

→ See Chat

Mobile Scanner

• Barcode/QR scanning for library books, assets, or inventory in the school store

→ See Mobile Scanner

Analyst

• Deeper reporting and exports across modules for ministry returns or board papers

→ See Analyst

Core Platform, Authentication, Dashboard

• Single sign-on, permissions, audit trails
• Executive Dashboard may include school KPIs when modules are combined

→ See Core Platform, Authentication & Security, Dashboard

Agriculture, Insurance, and specialised modules

Rural boarding schools or agricultural colleges may additionally use Agriculture & Feed for farm units — contact your implementer for cross-module setup.

→ See All Modules

Implementation Guide for Zimbabwe Schools

Suggested rollout phases

Phase 1 — Foundation (Week 1–2)

• Organisation periods for current year
• Stages and classrooms mirror your physical classes
• Subjects match your timetable
• Import or enter students
• Create teacher accounts in HR

Phase 2 — Daily operations (Week 3–4)

• Attendance registers live in every class
• Pilot assessments in two subjects per form
• Train class teachers on mark entry

Phase 3 — Reporting (Week 5–6)

• Configure grading scales per stream (ZIMSEC/Cambridge/internal)
• Test report generation in Test Mode for one learner
• Full cohort report cards; PDF distribution to parents

Phase 4 — Integration (Ongoing)

• Review Expand Your Platform and activate the next modules (fees, parents, transport, shop, clinic, etc.)
• Fees in Accounting (if applicable)
• CRM for parents
• Logistics for transport
• E-learning content upload

Naming conventions (recommended)

ZIMSEC vs Cambridge on one campus

Many Zimbabwe schools run both curricula on one campus:

1. Create separate grading groups — “ZIMSEC O-Level” and “Cambridge IGCSE”.
2. Assign each group to the correct streams.
3. Generate report cards per stream so grades on PDFs match the examination system parents expect.

Daily Routines and Best Practices

Start of term (registrar / academic office)

1. Confirm period dates in Organisation.
2. Verify stages and classrooms match physical class lists.
3. Enrol new students; archive leavers in HR.
4. Create attendance registers for each class.
5. Communicate assessment naming standards to HODs.

Weekly (teachers)

1. Complete attendance for every teaching day.
2. Enter marks within 48 hours of each test (school policy).
3. Upload e-learning material for the week’s topics.

End of term (academic office)

1. Confirm all assessments are closed and marks entered.
2. Run Sync Marks on draft report cards.
3. Refresh Grades after any grading scale change.
4. Class teachers enter remarks; headmaster approves.
5. Download Class PDFs for printing or parent digital distribution.
6. Archive Excel mark sheets for examination board records.

Data protection

• Limit Student role permissions — learners see only their own data.
• Use HR role assignments — avoid sharing admin passwords.
• Export reports only on secure devices — report cards contain personal information protected under Zimbabwe data practice expectations.

Troubleshooting Common Situations

Related Documentation

• All Modules — full platform map and every module you can add
• Organisation — periods, branding, school settings, module activation
• HR & Payroll — staff, roles, timetables, payroll
• Accounting & Sales — fees, receipts, tuck-shop POS
• CRM — parent and admission communication
• Logistics — school transport and trip monitoring
• Inventory & Stock — uniforms, stationery, tuck-shop stock
• Healthcare (Clinic) — sick bay and learner health records
• Forms & Surveys — applications and feedback
• Documents — policies and circulars
• Asset Management — laptops, lab equipment, maintenance
• Chat — staff coordination channels
• Analyst — cross-module reporting for leadership
• Core Platform — permissions and configuration