What are Students?
Students are at the heart of Signal. Each student record contains their personal information, safeguarding history, and connections to incidents, actions, and alerts. Signal helps you build a comprehensive picture of each student’s wellbeing over time.Key Features
Student Profiles
View complete student information including demographics, contacts, and custom fields
Timeline View
See chronological history of all incidents, actions, and alerts for each student
Student Groups
Organize students into groups for monitoring and reporting purposes
MIS Integration
Automatically sync student data from your school’s MIS system
How Students Work in Signal
Automatic vs Manual Management
Signal offers two ways to manage student information:- MIS Integration (Recommended)
- Manual Entry
Automatic sync from your school information system
- Student data updates automatically (usually nightly)
- No manual data entry required
- Always reflects current enrollment
- Includes photos, demographics, and contacts
- Works with: SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom, iSAMS, and more
Student Information
Each student record can include:- Core Details: Name, date of birth, year group, enrollment date
- Demographics: Gender, ethnicity, special educational needs
- Contact Information: Parents/carers with phone numbers and emails
- Photos: Student photo (synced from MIS or uploaded manually)
- Custom Fields: Additional fields specific to your organization
- Group Memberships: Which student groups they belong to
Common Workflows
View Student Profile
Click on any student name throughout Signal to view their complete profile and timeline
Quick Links
Adding & Editing Students
Learn how to manually add students or edit their information
Student Groups
Organize students into groups for better monitoring
Profile & Timeline
Understand student profiles and timelines
MIS Integration
Set up automatic student data sync
Privacy and Data Protection
Role-Based Access
Different roles have different levels of access to student information:| Role | View Students | Edit Students | View Timeline | Export Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin | All students | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DSL | All students | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staff | Permitted students only | ✗ | Limited | ✗ |
| Viewer | Permitted students only | ✗ | Limited | ✗ |
Permissions can be customized through user groups. See Users & Permissions for details.
Best Practices
Keep data up to date
Keep data up to date
If using manual entry, review student information regularly to ensure accuracy. Out-of-date contact details can delay critical communications.
Use student groups strategically
Use student groups strategically
Create groups for vulnerable students, year groups, or specific cohorts to enable targeted monitoring and reporting.
Review timelines regularly
Review timelines regularly
The student timeline is invaluable for identifying patterns. Review it during supervision meetings or when concerns escalate.
Respect data protection
Respect data protection
Only access student records when necessary for safeguarding purposes. Every view is logged for audit purposes.
Need Help?
FAQs
Common questions about managing students
Troubleshooting
Resolve common issues with student data