# Your first sign-in as the school owner

> Academium SMS Help › Setting up a new school
> For: School Owner · Individual Edition, Server Edition
> Web page: https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-first-sign-in-as-the-owner
> Last updated: 2026-10-06

Once your school is created, sign in to Academium SMS as the school owner.

## You sign in with your Academium Account

As the school owner, you always sign in with your **Academium Account**: the **email address and password** you used when creating the school. You do not get a separate username and password.

> **Note:** No other sign-ins exist yet. Staff usernames, passwords and sign-in codes only exist once you add your staff, so right after setup **only you can sign in**, and only with your Academium Account.

## Where to sign in

| Your school runs on | How to sign in |
| --- | --- |
| **Individual Edition** (online school) | Setting up the school opens Academium SMS for you, already signed in. On another computer, open the Individual Edition, choose **Log In**, then **Academium Account**, and enter your Academium Account email and password. |
| **A school server** | Open the Client Edition or Individual Edition on another computer and connect to the server, or open the server's address in a web browser. See [Connecting computers to your school server](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-connecting-computers-to-the-server.md). On the sign-in screen, enter your **Academium Account email address** and password. |

If you later change your Academium Account password on the portal, use the new one. If the school server stops accepting it, reset it from the server control panel. See [Subscription and the admin password](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-subscription-and-admin-password.md).

## Common issues

**"Academium Account" is refused for a member of staff.** Only the school owner can sign in with an Academium Account. Staff sign in with the username and password from their staff record, or a sign-in code.

**My username and password are not accepted.** As the owner, you have no separate username. Use your Academium Account email address as the username.

## What happens next

1. **Your PIN and security questions.** Choose a four-digit PIN to lock Academium when you step away, and three security questions. See [Your first sign-in](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-your-first-sign-in.md).
2. **First-time school setup.** Academium checks that your school has a session, assessment types and classes. Because you set these up already, they show as **Done**. Choose your school's colour if you have not yet. See [First-time school setup](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-first-time-setup.md).
3. **The welcome.** A one-minute welcome lets you choose your colour, add your logo, and add the standard Nigerian subjects.
4. **The tour.** A short guided tour shows you around.

Then work through [Setting up your school: a checklist](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-school-setup-checklist.md).

## Adding your staff

Your staff do not create accounts themselves. Add each person as a member of staff, then:

- on a **school server**, they sign in with the username and password from their staff record;
- on an **online school**, issue each person a **sign-in code** from **Devices & Access**.

See [Adding and managing staff](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-adding-staff.md) and [Signing in with a staff sign-in code](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-signing-in-with-a-staff-sign-in-code.md).

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