How to Create School Management Software: 6 Steps for Schools

In educational systems now, schools need smart tools to manage their work better. A school management software can save time, improve communication, and make learning easier for everyone: school owners, teachers, students, and parents. 

Imagine a platform like ExcelMind, a new school management software being built to transform how schools in Africa and beyond operate. It offers tools for everything from fee payments to virtual classrooms, making school life smoother.

If you want to create your own school management software, this guide will show you how in simple steps. We’ll use ExcelMind as an example to inspire you. 

Read Also: Nursery School Management Software: Less Stress, More Smiles

Why Build a School Management Software?

Schools in Nigeria and Africa face many challenges: delayed fee payments, lost attendance records, and slow communication with parents. A school management software fixes these by bringing everything online. For example, ExcelMind helps schools manage fees, track attendance, and even run online classes, all in one place.

By building your own software, you can:

• Save time on admin tasks.
• Keep parents updated in real-time.
• Help teachers focus on teaching, not paperwork.
• Make your school modern and attractive to parents.

We will walk you through creating software as powerful as ExcelMind, tailored for African schools.

Step 1: Understand What Schools Need

Before you start building, you need to know what schools, teachers, students, and parents want. ExcelMind was designed after studying these needs, and you should do the same.

What to Do:

• Talk to Schools: Meet school owners, teachers, and parents. Ask about their biggest problems. For example, many Nigerian schools struggle with manual fee collection or sharing report cards.
• List Key Needs:
  • Admin: Easy ways to track fees, admissions, and staff records.
  • Teachers: Tools for lesson planning, grading, and assignments.
  • Parents: A way to check their child’s progress or get school news.
  • Students: Access to online classes or study materials.
• Think Local: In Africa, internet can be slow, and not everyone has smartphones. Your software should work offline or on basic phones where possible.

ExcelMind Example: ExcelMind has a Parent Portal where parents can see their child’s grades and attendance. It also works on low-data modes, perfect for areas with weak internet.

Tip: Visit schools in your community to learn their challenges. This will make your software truly useful.

Step 2: Plan the Features

Your software needs features that solve real problems. ExcelMind offers a great example of what to include. Here are the must-have features, broken into simple categories:

1. Academic Tools

• Lesson Planning: Let teachers create and share lesson plans online.
• Assignments: Teachers can give homework and track submissions digitally.
• Tests and Grading: Include tools for online tests (like ExcelMind’s CBT) and easy grading.
• Report Cards: Create and share student results with parents.

2. Admin Tools

• Fee Payments: Let parents pay fees online with mobile money or bank cards, like ExcelMind’s Fee Payment System.
• Attendance: Track student attendance with automatic reports.
• Admissions: Manage new student applications from one dashboard.
• Staff Management: Handle teacher payroll and records.

3. Communication Tools

• Parent Updates: Send SMS, emails, or app notifications to parents about school events or fees.
• News Feed: Share school announcements, like ExcelMind’s Feed Upload.
• Voting: Run polls for school decisions, such as choosing a PTA leader.

4. Learning Tools

• Online Classes: Offer video classes for remote learning, like ExcelMind’s Virtual Classroom.
• E-Library: Provide digital books and study materials.
• Event Calendar: Share dates for exams or sports days.

5. Extra Tools

• School Website: Build a simple website for the school.
• Location Feature: Add the school’s location on a map, like ExcelMind’s Geo-Location Feature, to help parents find it.

How to Choose Features:

• Start with the most important ones, like fee payments and attendance, which solve big problems.
• Add others later based on your budget and time.
• Make sure the software is easy to use, even for people who aren’t tech-savvy.

Tip: Focus on mobile-friendly features since most Nigerians use phones, not laptops.

Step 3: Choose the Right Technology

To build your software, you need the right tools (called a “tech stack”). Here’s a simple guide for non-tech people:

1. Frontend (What Users See)

• Use tools like React to create a nice, easy-to-use design for dashboards and portals.
• Make sure it works well on phones and loads fast, even with slow internet.

2. Backend (The Engine)

• Use Node.js or Django to handle data like student records or fee payments.
• These tools make your software fast and secure.

3. Database (Where Data is Stored)

• Choose PostgreSQL to store student info, grades, and payment records safely.
• It’s reliable and works well for schools.

4. Other Tools

• Payment Systems: Add mobile money options like Flutterwave or Paystack, popular in Nigeria.
• SMS Notifications: Use services like Termii to send messages to parents.
• Video Calls: Integrate tools like Zoom for online classes.

5. Cloud Hosting

• Use Google Cloud or AWS to host your software online so it’s always available.
• Choose a plan that’s affordable but can grow as more schools use your software.

6. Security

• Protect student and parent data with strong passwords and encryption.
• Follow laws like Nigeria’s NDPR (data protection rules) to avoid trouble.

ExcelMind Example: ExcelMind uses a secure cloud system and mobile money payments, making it easy for Nigerian parents to pay fees safely.

Tip: If you’re not a developer, hire a local tech team or freelancer to help. Explain your needs clearly using this guide.

Step 4: Design and Build the Software

Now it’s time to create the software. Follow these steps to make it user-friendly and reliable.

1. Design the Look

• Create simple, clear designs for dashboards. For example, parents should see their child’s grades in one click.
• Use Figma to sketch how the software will look before building it.
• Make it colourful and welcoming, like ExcelMind’s dashboards.

2. Build in Stages

• Use the Agile method: Build small parts (like the fee payment tool) first, test them, and then add more. This saves time and money if changes are needed.

3. Test Everything

• Test the software to make sure it works well. For example, check if fees are recorded correctly or if online tests grade properly.
• Ask teachers and parents to try it and give feedback.
• Fix any problems before launching.

ExcelMind’s Parent Portal was tested with real parents to ensure it’s easy to use, even for those new to apps.

Tip: Build for low-data areas. For example, let users save data offline and sync when they have internet.

Step 5: Launch and Train Users

Once your software is ready, it’s time to launch it and help schools use it.

1. Launch the Software

• Start with a soft launch: Let one or two schools try it first to catch any issues.
• Fix problems, then roll it out to more schools.

2. Train Users

• Create simple guides or videos showing how to use the software.
• Hold workshops for teachers and admins to learn features like attendance tracking.
• Offer phone support for parents who need help.

ExcelMind Example: ExcelMind provides easy onboarding for schools, with tutorials for every feature, from fee payments to virtual classes.

3. Plan for Growth

• Make sure your software can handle more users as it grows.
• Add new features, like AI to suggest study tips, as schools give feedback.

Tip: Offer free trials to schools to encourage them to try your software.

Step 6: Market Your Software

To make your software successful, you need to tell people about it. Here’s how:

1. Show Its Value

• Explain how your software saves time and money. For example, say, “Pay fees in seconds, not hours.”
• Use ExcelMind’s example: It promises better learning and easier admin work.

2. Reach Schools

• Visit school owners and PTAs to demo your software.
• Share posts on WhatsApp, Facebook, and X with hashtags like #EdTechNigeria or #SchoolSoftware.
• Attend education events in Lagos, Abuja, or other cities to show your software.

3. Offer Deals

• Give discounts or free trials to the first 10 schools.
• Create a freemium model: Basic features are free, but schools pay for extras like online classes.

4. Share Success Stories

• After a school uses your software, share their story. For example, “This Lagos school reduced admin work by 50% with our software.”
• Post these stories on your website and social media.

Tip: Partner with local teacher unions or school associations to reach more customers.

See Also: The Best School Management Software in Nigeria

Creating school management software is a great way to help African schools run better and improve education. By following these steps, understanding needs, planning features, choosing tech, building carefully, launching, and marketing, you can create a platform as powerful as ExcelMind.

Start small: Talk to one school, list their needs, and build a basic version with features like fee payments or attendance tracking. With time, you can add more tools and grow your software to serve schools across Nigeria and Africa.

Ready to start? Share your ideas in the comments or join our X community for ed-tech tips. Let’s make education better together.

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