Your week by week onboarding guide when opening a brand new site

This article is designed for schools who do not require a migration due to being a brand new school. This guide outlines the tasks and training that should be completed over the course of your onboarding for schools who are either taking the standard or extended onboarding journey. 

How to use this guide

Every week the project lead at the school will receive instructions over email detailing what tasks or training they need to complete to ensure that they are set up for day one operations. This guide details all the tasks that are included in the emails and is designed to give you a complete overview of the process for you to refer back to. If you are on the 'standard' journey and are only going live with the statutory, day to day operations, please read up to week eight on this guide. If you are on the 'extended' journey and are going live with additional functionality such as behaviour, parent portal, My Classroom, interventions, student portal, assessments, payments or clubs & trips, please read up to week twelve on this guide. 

Week 1: Kick-Off and Initial Setup

Your onboarding officially begins this week. You will receive an email from your Digital Onboarding Specialist which will detail the key tasks and actions for this week, including:

• A link to your Kick-Off onboarding video: This session will cover essential aspects like your project team, the onboarding process, and available support and training. We will also send your implementation workbook which is
• Your Implementation Workbook: This is the tool that you will use to track your onboarding and will list all key tasks that you will need to tick off before you go live on Arbor.
• Access to your training hub: Your training hub is where you will complete training on setting up your new Arbor site and day one operations.
• Log in details to your new Arbor site: Your Arbor site is ready from day one. We will provide access so you can set up your site as soon as you're ready. 

Your Actions for week 1:

• Watch your onboarding video
• Access your Implementation Workbook and review your week one tasks on the 'site setup training & overview' tab
• Look out for your Arbor Training Hub login email. Once received, ensure all key staff can log in and watch the 'School Details and Pastoral Structure' video
• Ensure you can access your blank Arbor site

Week 2: Continued Setup of your Arbor site

This week, your primary focus is on completing your student enrolment and student/guardian profiles on Arbor. You can find this training video on your training hub or in your implementation workbook. You should also be focusing on training on the core functionality of Arbor and contacting any third party systems that you're planning to use alongside Arbor to let them know when you're going live. 

Your Actions for week 2:

• Watch the video on 'Student Enrolment' and ensure your student enrolment is completed before the end of the week.
• Watch the video on 'Student Profiles and Guardian Profiles' and ensure your student and guardian profiles are added to your Arbor site before the end of the week.
• Update your Implementation Workbook to track your progress
• Ensure all key staff have registered for the Arbor Training Hub and have started to book all their foundation webinar sessions before your Go Live date.
• Contact any Third-Party Applications to inform them of your go live date. 

Note: The sooner your entire school team knows about the move to Arbor, the better! Refer to our Change Management guide for tips on getting staff on board. An open forum for questions can foster understanding and encourage participation.

Week 3: Adding staff details to your Arbor site

By week three, your basic Arbor structure and your students and guardian profiles should be on Arbor. This week, you should focus on adding your staff data onto Arbor alongside completing any pre go live training required for day one. 

Your Actions for week 3:

• Watch the video on 'Staff Profiles and Absences' and ensure your staff profiles and absences are completed before the end of the week.
• Update your Implementation Workbook to track your progress
• Ensure staff are maximising their training sessions. Share recordings with anyone who might benefit.

Week 4: Finalise your standard MIS setup

If you're on the standard setup journey, you're one week from your Go Live! You should have already completed adding your academic structure plus staff, student and guardian data. Your focus this week should be ensuring any Staff HR and Admin is added to your Arbor site. As you're only one week away from going live on Arbor, you must review our 'readiness for go live' article to confirm your readiness for Go Live.

If you are on the 'extended' journey, you will receive an email from Arbor with a link to a 'Go Live Priority Operations' survey. This survey will ensure you have the right help and support to set up your further modules so it is important you send this back as soon as possible. 

Your Actions for week 4:

• Watch the video on 'Staff Profiles and Absences' and ensure your staff profiles and absences are completed before the end of the week.
• Read and review the 'Readiness for Go Live' article to confirm your readiness for Go Live
• Update your Implementation Workbook to track your progress
• Complete your 'Go Live Priority Operations' survey if you are on the 'extended' journey

Note: Ensure anyone who is planning to access Arbor bookmarks your school's URL page in your browser so they can easily access from go live. 

Week 5: Go Live for standard MIS setup

If you are on the standard setup journey, the start of Week 5 is your official Go Live day! This is when you'll begin using Arbor for all your MIS needs, starting with attendance. If you are on the extended setup journey, the next four weeks are available for you to set up any further modules you need before you go live. 

Your Actions for Week 5: 

• Take attendance on your shiny new Arbor MIS!
• Ensure all third-party integrations are functioning as expected.
• Book and attend any additional training to help with setting you your modules
• Update your Implementation Workbook to track your progress

Note: Consider printing a simple "how to take a register in Arbor" guide for teachers to ease their first day.

Week 6: Post Go Live training or additional module setup

Continue configuring Arbor to your specific requirements, setting up additional modules where required and joining your 'post go live' training. 

Your Actions for Week 6: 

• Book and attend any additional training to help with setting you your modules or post go live training
• Update your Implementation Workbook to track your progress

Week 7: Post Go Live training or additional module setup

If you are on the standard journey, next week your onboarding will be complete and you will transition to Arbor's Customer Success team or direct support from your chosen MIS partner. If you are on the extended journey, you should be planning to have any additional modules setup before your Go Live in two weeks!

Your Actions for Week 7: 

• If you are on the standard journey, Finish any outstanding training using the Arbor Training Hub.
• If you are on the extended journey, continue setting up any additional modules you need for day one operations.
• Familiarise yourself with Arbor's support routes
• Sign up to the Arbor Community (Arbor HQ)
• Update your Implementation Workbook to track your progress

Week 8: Standard journey complete / Go Live preparation

If you are on the standard journey, this week your onboarding is complete and you will transition to Arbor's Customer Success team or direct support from your chosen MIS partner. They will be in touch to discuss your next steps. If you are on the extended journey, you should be preparing to Go Live next week!

Your Actions for Week 8: 

• Onboarding completes for standard journey customers and your Onboarding Specialist will hand over to Customer Success Managers
• Read and review the 'Readiness for Go Live' article to confirm your readiness for Go Live
• Ensure any additional modules you need for day one operations. 

Note: If you are on the standard onboarding journey you can finish here as the rest of the guide is not relevant to you. 

Week 9: Go Live for extended MIS setup

If you are on the extended journey the start of Week 9 is your official Go Live day! This is when you'll begin using Arbor for all your MIS needs, starting with attendance

Your Actions for Week 9: 

• Take attendance on your shiny new Arbor MIS!
• Ensure all third-party integrations are functioning as expected.
• Book and attend any additional training to help with setting you your modules

Week 10-12: Configuration, Training & Handover

Continue configuring Arbor to your specific requirements and complete any remaining training. Week twelve also marks your handover from your Customer Onboarding Manager to your Customer Success Manager.

Your Actions for Week 10-12: 

• Finish any outstanding training using the Arbor Training Hub.
• Onboarding completes for extended journey customers and your Onboarding Specialist will hand over to Customer Success Managers