The Class Grouping function allows administrators to automatically or manually assign learners to classes for the following academic year. This year-end workflow distributes learners across classes based on configurable criteria including tuition language, academic streaming, ethnicity, and gender balance.

My School > System: Curriculum > Year-End Preparartion: Class Grouping (available in Term 4 only)

Purpose of this feature

• Distribute learners by grade: View cohorts of re-registered, newly admitted, and non-promoted learners for each grade level.

• Apply grouping criteria: Select tuition language, academic streaming method, and diversity balance rules (gender and ethnic group).

• Assign learners to classes: Distribute learners across class groups manually or automatically based on selected criteria.

Prerequisites and availability

• Year-end workflow: Admissions, re-registration, and learner promotion procedures must be completed before class grouping becomes available.

• Term 4 only: The Class Grouping module is only active in the fourth term of the academic year.

• Learner data: All learner records (re-registered, new admissions, non-promoted) must be current and accurate in the system.

How do I group learners into classes?

Step 1: Select a grade for grouping

1. Navigate to My School > Class Grouping.

2. Click the blue eye icon next to the grade you want to group for the next year.

3. The system displays three learner cohorts: Re-Registered, Not-Promoted, and New Admissions.

Step 2: Set grouping parameters

1. Select the Class Grouping for Tuition Language (e.g., English, Afrikaans, bilingual classes).

2. Choose the Grouping Method — academic streaming or random distribution.

3. Answer whether to take ethnic group and gender into account (Yes/No).

4. Enter the number of classes for this grade.

5. Select the display order for learners: Alphabetically or Academic.

Step 3: Apply grouping and assign learners

1. Click the green Continue button to save parameters and proceed to the assignment screen.

2. Assign learners to classes by clicking on the class circles — each circle represents a learner.

3. Click the green Continue button again to save the grouping.

Step 4: Review and publish grouping

1. Review the temporary class grouping list to verify correct assignments.

2. If changes are needed, click Edit to adjust individual learner assignments.

3. When satisfied, click Publish to finalise class grouping for the next year.

System behaviour and restrictions

• Temporary grouping: Grouping remains editable until published. After publication, changes require re-grouping from the start.

• Balanced distribution: When gender is selected, the system aims to distribute male and female learners evenly across all classes.

• Academic streaming: When a streaming method is selected, the system uses learner performance data from the previous year.

• Ethnic diversity: When an ethnic group is selected, the system aims to distribute learners across different ethnic categories evenly.

• Do not use Re-do Class Grouping: Avoid setting the Re-do Class Grouping toggle to Yes unless you want to restart the process completely.

• Completion time: Publication typically takes 5–10 minutes. Timetable generation may take several hours after that.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change class assignments after grouping is published?

No. Once grouping is published, individual assignments cannot be changed. If you need to reassign learners, you must restart the entire grouping process by selecting Re-do Class Grouping: Yes and repeating Steps 2–4.

What if some learners do not have subject choice data?

Learners without subject choice data can still be grouped, but academic streaming methods that depend on subject choices may distribute these learners randomly. Ensure all learners complete subject choices before grouping if streaming by subject is required.

Does the system automatically apply stream-aware grouping?

Only if you select an academic streaming method in Step 2. If you select random distribution or grouping by tuition language only, streaming information is not applied.

How long does timetable generation take after publishing?

Timetable generation typically begins within minutes after class grouping is published, but may take several hours to complete, depending on the size of the school and complexity of the master timetable.