Logging in FAQ for Schools

This article addresses common questions about logging into Arbor for schools, including login URLs, username usage, password recovery, account suspension, and email management for staff and guardians. It provides guidance on how to manage user accounts and permissions effectively. Check the Logging in section of our Help Centre here.

Which site should users log into?

There are two different pages that users of your site (staff, guardians, or students) can use to log in:

• https://login.arbor.sc/ - This URL is the same for all schools and MATs and will route you to your school or MAT site. It is only possible to log in using your email address here
• http://[exampleschoolname].uk.arbor.sc - Sending someone the URL of your Arbor homepage will take them to the login page for your site. You can log in with your non-email username from here

Please note that MAT users wanting to log into school sites cannot use the school site-specific login page. They will need to follow this process.

Can I log into Arbor using a username?

Although we recommend that users use their email addresses to log in, your school may have given you a non-email username.

By default, the username is set as the first character of the user's first name, plus their surname. If there is already a user with that username, we will amend the user ID. If you change someone's non-email username, you will need to inform them of what you have changed it to as they will not be able to log in using their old one.

Please note that you can only use your non-email username when logging in using the school-specific login page e.g. http://[schoolname].ukarbor.sc or the school's Parent Portal.

I can't remember my password

If you aren't able to remember your password, you can click the Forgotten your Password? link on the login page. Alternatively, you can ask an administrator at your school to change your password for you or send you a reset password link.

Can I change a username?

Yes, you can change the username for a user. If you have the School: User Accounts: Administer permission, go to the user's profile and click on User Details. From here, click Change Username.

Can I see who has two-factor authentication enabled?

No, it is not possible to see which users have used two-factor authentication in Arbor. However, you can see when staff are logging in and what method they are using. To find out more about this, see our article on the topic here.

Can we have Single Sign-on or Two-factor Authentication for only certain staff?

No, it is not possible to require only certain staff to log in using Single Sign-on or to use Two-factor Authorisation, such as for a trial.

If you enable these features, they will be visible and usable for all staff at your school.

• Staff can still log in with their username and password when Single Sign-on is enabled, but we cannot remove the Single Sign-on button for only some staff.
• You can set up IP whitelisting so staff do not need to use two-factor authentication when logging in while onsite.
• You can tick the box on the setup page to Bypass two-factor authentication for SSO accounts. This will mean that two-factor authentication is only required when using the Arbor Username and Password, but not when logging in with Singl Sign-on (SSO).

How do I manually reset a users' password or send a password reset email?

To do this, you would need the School: User Accounts: Administer permission on your profile. Go to a users' profile and click on the User Details section. In here, you can click Reset Password to send the user an email which will provide them with a link that allows them to create a new password for the profile. Alternatively, you can click on Change Password to manually create a password for the user. 

Can I suspend access for specific users?

Yes, you can suspend any account in Arbor. To do this, you would first need the School: User Accounts: Administer permission. With this permission, you can go to the User Details section of their profile and click the red Disable Account button. When this is done, the user will receive an error message stating that they do not have the necessary permissions to log into Arbor and to contact the school office. To allow a disabled account to log into Arbor again, go back to User Details and click the green Enable Account button.

For staff, they also cannot log into Arbor if they do not have an active business role on their profile. You can check this in Roles & Permissions > Business Roles on the left side of a staff member's profile. If you need to assign business roles to a staff profile, see our article here.

Can I log in as another user?

It is not possible to log into another member of staff's profile. The only way that this could be done is by using their credentials, which for security purposes would not be recommended.

You can log into a guardian or student profile if you have the Guardians: Log in as guardian permission on your profile. Just go to the profile of the student or guardian, click on User Details, and then click Log Into Student Portal as Student / Log Into Parent Portal as Guardian button. 

Why is a staff member being logged into the Parent Portal?

If a staff member is also a guardian at the school, you must ensure that they do not use the same email address for logging into both profiles. An email address can only be used to log into a single profile, so it is highly recommended to use a work email for logging into Arbor as a staff member, and a personal email to log into the Parent Portal.

To resolve this, go to the user's guardian profile and click on their email address in the Contact Details section of their profile. From there, click Edit and then either amend the email address or delete it and then add a new one by clicking the +Add button in Contact Details.

It is always recommended to have a work email in the staff profile and a personal email in the guardian profile to avoid this issue.

Can we stop staff from logging in outside of the school?

No, it is not possible to restrict staff access depending on location. Arbor is designed to be accessible to anyone (with the right business role and permissions) at any time and from anywhere to allow more flexibility for users e.g. working from home.

You can control whether your site uses IP whitelisting for Two-factor authentication which would mean that when staff are on site they don't have to enter an authentication code, but this would not prevent people from logging in. 

How long does the Welcome to Arbor email link last once it has been sent out to a new user?

The link inviting users to log into Arbor lasts for 96 hours. After this time, the user will no longer be able to use the link and it will need to be resent.

How do I send or resend a Welcome to Arbor email to a single user?

If the user has not logged in before, you can delete and re-add the email address from their profile and tick the box to send the welcome email. To do this, copy the email address in the Contact Details section of their profile, and then click Edit. From there, delete the email address and click the +Add button in the Contact Details section of the profile and add their email address again. When you do this, you will see a  box which you can tick so that Arbor automatically sends the email when their email address is added.

If the user has logged in before, just go to the User Details section of their profile and click on their username or email address. In the pop-up window, you will see a Reset Password button which will automatically send them a link with which they can change their password and log in.