Setting up a school on a Windows server
This article walks through creating your school on a Windows computer running the Academium SMS Server Edition. Read Before you set up your school first.
Before you start
The server computer needs Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit, with at least 8 GB of memory (16 GB recommended) and 256 GB of storage. Two drives are recommended: one for the system, one for local backups. See Choosing your school server computer.
- Download Windows 11 (recommended)
- Download Windows 10
Windows needs a valid licence (product key). Windows 11 is the better choice: Microsoft no longer gives Windows 10 free security updates.
Need a server computer, a Windows licence, or a school network? Contact Academium Plus or Academium support. Academium Plus sells preconfigured servers and genuine Microsoft licences, and gives a free quote for server computers and school networks.
Install and open the Server Edition
- Download the Server Edition for Windows from the Academium website.
- Install it on the computer that will be your school server, and open it.
- The welcome screen says This server has not been set up yet. How would you like to start?
| Choice | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Log In | Your school already has an Academium Account and you are connecting this server to it. See Connecting a server to an existing school. |
| Set Up a New School | Your school is new to Academium. Continue below. |
| Try a Demo | You want to explore a sample school first. |
Choose Set Up a New School. The window fills the screen while you set up.
Step 1: Your account
Enter:
- Your full name;
- Email address: a verification code is sent here, so use an address you can open now;
- Password: at least 8 characters;
- Confirm password.
This creates your school's Academium Account, the school owner's account.
Step 2: Check your email
A six-digit code is on its way to your email address. Enter it, or open the email on your phone and verify from there. The setup notices by itself and moves on.
Did not get it? Wait for the countdown, then choose Send another code. Check your spam folder too.
Step 3: About the school
Enter the school name, phone number, state, city and address, and add your logo if you have it. These appear on report cards, receipts and the sign-in screen, and can be changed later in School Settings.
The full address is required.
Step 4: Your classes
Choose the structure that matches your school:
| Choice | Classes created |
|---|---|
| Full school — Creche, Nursery, Primary & Secondary | Creche, Play Group, Pre-Nursery, Nursery 1 – 3, Primary 1 – 6, JSS 1 – 3, SSS 1 – 3 |
| Full school — Creche, Nursery, Basic & Secondary | Creche, Play Group, Pre-Nursery, Nursery 1 – 3, Basic 1 – 6, JSS 1 – 3, SSS 1 – 3 |
| Secondary only | JSS 1 – 3, SSS 1 – 3 |
| Primary only — Creche, Nursery & Primary | Creche, Play Group, Pre-Nursery, Nursery 1 – 3, Primary 1 – 6 |
| Primary only — Creche, Nursery & Basic | Creche, Play Group, Pre-Nursery, Nursery 1 – 3, Basic 1 – 6 |
Senior secondary classes are split into Science, Commercial and Art sections.
Next, Academium lists every class it will create, grouped by stage. Click a class to remove it: it turns grey and struck through, and a second click brings it back. Use a group's tick box to remove a whole group at once, for example if you have no Commercial stream. The count shows how many classes will be created.
Nothing here is permanent: classes can be added or renamed later under Academics → Classes.
Step 5: How you assess each term
Choose your pattern. These become the mark columns on your report cards.
| Choice | Mark columns |
|---|---|
| Two C.A.s and an Exam (chosen for you) | First C.A · Second C.A · Exam |
| Two Tests and an Exam | 1st Test · 2nd Test · Exam |
| Three C.A.s and an Exam | First C.A · Second C.A · Third C.A · Exam |
| One Test and an Exam | Test · Exam |
| Exam only | Exam |
You can rename them or add more later under Examinations.
Step 6: Setting up the school
Academium shows Setting up the school… while it creates your school on the server. Leave it running. When it finishes, the server's control panel opens, and the server is running.
Next steps
- Your first sign-in as the school owner
- Running the server day to day: turn on auto-start
- Backing up and restoring school data: turn on automatic backups
- Connecting computers to your school server
Common issues
"Could not reach the portal. Please check your internet connection and try again." Setting up needs the internet. Check the server's connection, then try again.
"The portal is taking too long to respond." The connection is slow. Wait a moment and try again.
"Too many attempts. Please wait and try again." Too many codes were typed or requested. Wait a minute.
I closed the app half-way through. Open it again. Academium resumes where you left off, with the details you already entered, including a school that was already registered online. Choose Finish setup to complete it.
I want to start again. Choose Start over. This removes the account and anything set up so far, and the email address becomes free to use again.