Crafting Custom Report Cards

The first step is to set up a template in the Custom Report Writer from School > Custom Report Writer. You can see more information on how to set up a report here: Creating a report

Ensure the Report Focus you choose is 'Students'.

Please note: do not include a collation within the report, as this will prevent linking it to the report card.

• Go to Students > Report Cards 
• Click +Add
• Select New Custom Report Card.

• On the slide-over, give the report card a name (Report card title)
• Select the date of the report card. This date doesn't change the report card; it's for your school's reference to help plan when to send these out. This date is displayed on the main report cards list.
• Select the custom report you made in Step 1 using the Linked Custom Report dropdown.
• Select the Orientation (Portrait or Landscape)
• Tick the Remove blank rows box to automatically remove any rows within tables on your Report Card that are blank for a student. 
  
  This means you can have one template for all students, and Arbor will automatically remove blank rows of data (such as for assessments they don't take).
• Click Save Changes to confirm

You'll then be taken to your report card overview. Click the Edit report card layout button to build your report card (see Step 3)

You can edit the details you just added (like the title and linked report) or delete your report card from the General tab by clicking the report card title on that page.

To start building your layout, click Edit report card layout on the Report Card tab of your report card's overview page.

Here you can create your report card template. Start typing in the text field or select one of the options at the top.

Please note that we do not support images in the custom report card. You may find that you can copy an image into the report card; however, we cannot guarantee that it will be output in the final report, nor will you be able to resize the image.

Use the menu at the top of the text editor to (from left to right):

• Redo or undo changes with the arrows
• Bold, italicise or underline text
• Add bullet or numbered points
• Choose your text alignment, font, size and colour
• Add hyperlinks
• Add tables

• Your merge fields will be used to pull in data from your custom report. Each merge field corresponds to a column in your report. 

  Top tip: If you do not see the field you need, add it as a column to the custom report.

• Add page breaks

Once complete, click Save report card.

If you add tables to your report card, you can customise the properties of the table by right-clicking and selecting Table Properties. If you highlight specific rows, cells, or columns, you can customise these by right-clicking, selecting Cell/Row/Column, and then Cell/Row/Column Properties.

Use the Insert, Delete, Copy, Paste, Cut to quickly manage your table content. For cells, you can also Merge two cells together.

Using Table Properties, you can customise things like:

• The width and height of tables
• Cell spacing and padding
• Text alignment
• Border properties
• Border and background colours (use the Advanced tab for this)

You can also do this for rows, using Row Properties, and cells, using Cell Properties. This is really handy for if you want a taller top row for the column names, and then something smaller for the latter rows.

Please note: You can define table and cell widths in pixels (px) or as a percentage (%). If you opt to use pixels, ensure the values you use are large enough to accommodate the text in the desired formatting. For example, an average letter using the Arial font at size 14px takes up 19 pixels. If you set your table properties to include fewer pixels than this, you might encounter formatting issues or incorrect settings saving.

You need to select the students for whom you want to create report cards. 

• Go to the Share Reports tab
• Click +Add in the Student Groups section

• Select how to add students. You can add individual students (Add Student(s)), whole cohorts or a specific demographic/custom group (Add Student Group(s)).

  Top tip: Need to add most but not all of the students in a group? Save time by enrolling the students you need in a Custom Group and adding the Custom Group instead of adding students one by one. Alternatively, if the students are all in the same form, select the "Individual Students" option, type the name of the form to narrow down the list, and then select all with your keyboard (Ctrl + A).

• For student groups, set the date. The date field for student groups ensures that your report card only includes students from that group who are enrolled as of that date.

You'll then see a list of report cards. Top Tip: You can click the button at the top of the page to regenerate them if you've made changes.

Once your table displays the status as 'Generated' (you may need to refresh your page), you're ready to share them. Report cards do not automatically regenerate/update if you make changes to layouts or the underlying data. Always regenerate report cards to push through changes.

Click on a student to open a slide-over and click Download to export a copy of the report card you've generated for them.

You can completely remove the linked report by clicking the X next to the Custom Report Writer report, then clicking Save Changes.

Please note that this will cause the merge fields in your report template to cease functioning.

In the drop-down, change the linked custom report, then click Save Changes.

You will then need to edit your report card layout to replace the merge fields, as these no longer work.

Click the X next to the Custom Report Writer report to remove it, then click Save Changes.

Your merge fields in your report template will temporarily not work.

Once you've finished editing your Custom Report Writer report, add it back in from the General tab. The merge fields will be working again.

If you don't unlink it first, you won't be able to edit your Custom Report Writer report.

Go to School > Communications > Templates.

Click on the Report Card Template to see or edit what is contained in the email template.

After making any changes to the text or merge fields, select Save Email Template Changes or Reset Email Template to revert this template to its original version.

Click either 'Email to primary guardians' or 'Email to students'.

Use the From drop-down box to select who to send the report card as (providing you are a Permitted Sender).

Choose how to combine the emails (if sending to guardians) then click Send email at the bottom of the slide over. 

The signature at the bottom of the email is determined by the sender's name and job title. To learn how to correct this if it's incorrect, please take a look at this article.

Tick the boxes next to the students to select, then click the Bulk action button to select the email option.

Use the From drop-down box to select who to send the report card as (providing you are a Permitted Sender).

Choose how to combine the emails, then click Send email at the bottom of the slide over.

The signature at the bottom of the email is determined by the sender's name and job title. To learn how to correct this if it's incorrect, please take a look at this article.