Most centres start on spreadsheets, and for a while they work. The trouble starts when one student lives in three sheets: the roll, the fee list and the class list.
A change in one sheet never reaches the others. This guide covers what to move, how to clean it first, and when to switch.
Decide what moves first
Not everything in your sheets needs to come with you. Start with the records you use every week:
- Students, with a first and last name.
- Families, with one email and phone you actually use.
- Which student belongs to which family.
- Classes, with their tutor, room and usual time.
- Who is enrolled in which class this term.
Old rolls and past invoices are history. Keep a read-only copy of the old files, and move only what you need to run the next term.
Clean the list first
A move is the cheapest time to fix messy data. Before you export anything:
- Merge duplicate students. The same child often appears twice, once under a preferred name.
- Put first and last names in their own columns.
- Check each family has an email someone reads.
- Remove students who left long ago, or mark them clearly.
- Write year levels the same way on every row.
Save the cleaned list as one sheet, one student per row, with headings in the first row. Most systems import that shape.
Pick a switch date
The easiest switch point is a term break. Rolls, invoices and tutor pay all reset there, so nothing half-finished crosses over.
A mid-term switch can work, but you then keep two records of the same term. If you must switch mid-term, give each job one home, and keep it there until the break.
Tell your team
Show each person the few screens they use daily before the first busy afternoon. Tutors need the roll. The front desk needs enquiries and families. Whoever runs fees needs invoices.
Name one person to answer “where is this now?” questions for the first fortnight.
Common mistakes
- Moving everything at once. Students and families come first. Classes and enrolments follow once the list is right.
- Keeping the old sheet live. If staff can still edit it, they will, and the two drift apart. Make it read-only on switch day.
- Skipping the check. Compare a handful of moved students with the old sheet before anything goes to families.
- Importing the mess. Duplicates and blank emails move with you if you do not fix them first.
Moving into Atrium
Atrium gives you two ways in.
- On your own: import your student list from a CSV or XLSX file. Each row needs a first name, last name and email.
- With our migration service: tell us what you use now, and we move your records across.
Before an import, a check reads every row and changes nothing. Good rows come in, and a row that fails is listed with the field to fix.
While you settle in, emails to families start switched off, and invoices stay drafts until you send them.