Academic Year Setup
An academic year is the foundation of your school on Premeena. Sections, timetables, attendance records, assessments, and fee cycles are all tied to an academic year. You must have at least one active academic year before you can record any school data.
Before you begin
Section titled “Before you begin”- You need the School Owner or Admin role.
- Only one academic year can be active at a time.
- Academic years must be between 9 and 14 months long (270–420 days).
- Date ranges must not overlap with any existing academic year.
Creating your first academic year
Section titled “Creating your first academic year”-
Go to Academic Years
Section titled “Go to Academic Years”In the left sidebar, navigate to Academic Years under your school.
If no academic year exists yet, you will see an empty-state message: “Start here — create your first academic year.”
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Open the Add Year dialog
Section titled “Open the Add Year dialog”Click the Add Year button in the top-right corner.
The form pre-fills a suggested name and date range based on your school’s country and any existing years. You can change all three fields.
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Fill in the details
Section titled “Fill in the details”Name A label for the year, typically the school year span. Example: 2025-2026
Start date The first day of the academic year.
End date The last day of the academic year. The end date field is locked until you pick a start date; the calendar then constrains your selection to the valid 9–14 month window.
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Confirm creation
Section titled “Confirm creation”Once all three fields are filled, a confirmation field appears asking you to type the year name exactly before the Create button becomes active. This prevents accidental submissions.
Click Create. The new year appears in the list with a Draft status.
Activating an academic year
Section titled “Activating an academic year”A year must be set to Active before staff can enter attendance, grades, or timetable data against it.
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Find the draft year in the list and click Set active in its row.
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A confirmation dialog appears with a warning:
“Changing the active academic year will switch all users to the new year. If the current active year has already ended, it will be permanently closed and all its data locked. If it hasn’t ended yet, it will be moved back to draft status.”
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Type the year name to confirm, then click Confirm.
Adding terms to an academic year
Section titled “Adding terms to an academic year”Terms subdivide the year into grading or reporting periods (e.g. Term 1, Term 2, Semester 1).
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In the Academic Years list, click the Add terms action on any year.
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In the dialog that opens, fill in:
Name — Example: Term 1, Fall, Semester 1
Start date — Must fall within the academic year’s dates.
End date — Must also fall within the academic year’s dates.
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Click Create. Repeat for each term in the year.
Terms for the active academic year are shown in a table below the years list. The table shows each term’s name, date range, and status badge:
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | The current term; data is being recorded against it. |
| Ending soon | Active term ends within the next 14 days. |
| Upcoming | Start date is in the future. |
| Expired | End date has passed; the term is no longer active. |
Activating a term
Section titled “Activating a term”Click Set active on any non-expired, non-active term. You must type the term name to confirm.
Renaming a term
Section titled “Renaming a term”Hover over a term name and click the pencil icon to rename it inline. Press Enter to save or Escape to cancel. Renaming is only allowed while the year is open and the term has not expired.
Editing an academic year’s dates
Section titled “Editing an academic year’s dates”You can correct the name and dates of a year only while it is in Draft status and has no terms.
- Click the edit (pencil) action on a draft year with no terms.
- Update the name, start date, or end date.
- Click Save Changes.
Once terms exist or the year is activated, dates are locked to protect data integrity.
Closing an academic year
Section titled “Closing an academic year”Closing permanently locks all data for the year. Use this at the end of the school year after all grades and attendance have been finalised.
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Click Close year on the year you want to close.
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Review the warning list in the confirmation dialog.
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Type the year name to confirm, then click Close Permanently.
The year’s status changes to Closed and a lock badge appears. All data remains visible in read-only mode for reporting and auditing.
Deleting an academic year
Section titled “Deleting an academic year”You can delete a year only if it has no associated data (no terms, no sections, no attendance records).
- Click the Delete action on the year.
- Type the year name to confirm.
- Click Delete Permanently.
Alerts and reminders
Section titled “Alerts and reminders”Premeena surfaces automatic warnings to help you stay on top of transitions:
| Situation | What you see |
|---|---|
| Active term has expired | Red banner with the term name and end date; prompts you to activate the next term. |
| Active term ending within 14 days | Amber banner reminding you to prepare for the upcoming term. |
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Can I have multiple active academic years at the same time?
Section titled “Can I have multiple active academic years at the same time?”No. Only one academic year can be active at a time. Activating a new year deactivates (or closes) the previous one.
What happens to data if I activate a new year while the old one is still running?
Section titled “What happens to data if I activate a new year while the old one is still running?”The old year moves back to Draft status. No data is locked. You can re-activate it later if needed.
Can I overlap academic year dates?
Section titled “Can I overlap academic year dates?”No. The system prevents overlap. If your dates conflict with an existing year, a red warning shows the conflicting year name so you can adjust your dates.
Can I add more terms after the year is active?
Section titled “Can I add more terms after the year is active?”Yes, as long as the year is not closed. Use Add terms on the active year row and the new term dates must fall within the year’s start and end dates.