Open your school: switching on “School” step by step
“School” turns your workspace from one teacher selling alone into a school where many teachers sell under one name. Each teacher has their own courses, students, contract and monthly statement; the director decides what gets published and sold. Switching it on is a five-step setup, and nothing is saved before the last click. In this lesson Mourad Belkacem switches on “Al Ofok Academy” before inviting his three teachers: Samia Ben Amor (physics), Karim Haddad (maths) and Nadia Meziani (Arabic). The same steps serve a photography trainer bringing other trainers in, or a training centre organised in departments.
- About 10 minutes
- 9 steps
Who can do it: Switching the school on and off is for the owner only. Changing its shape later in “School settings” needs “Workspace settings”. The welcome page opens for every new team member, except the owner.
In 9 steps
- 1From “Settings” → “School & team”, the school row leads to “Switch on the school”: five steps.
- 2“Shape”: I teach with assistants, a school where teachers sell under your name, or an academy with departments.
- 3“Earnings”: the model every new teacher’s contract starts from, with a live example on 100 000 DZD.
- 4“Rules”: publishing, the price range, the discount allowed without your approval and who bears it.
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- 5“Students”: phones hidden, exports for the director, students stay, and notifications.
- 6“Review”: the sentences every teacher will accept, then “Switch on the school”.
- 7Afterwards “School” appears in the column with its pages, and the home starts with “Let’s set up your school”.
- 8Every new member lands on the “Welcome” page first and can’t leave it before accepting the rules.
- 9Change the shape or switch the school off in “School settings”; switching off is refused while statements are unpaid.
Before you start
- Be the workspace owner: the deputy director and others read “Only the owner can switch on the school”.
- Know how you want to earn from your teachers: a share of each sale, a monthly subscription, or a salary you pay them.
- Know whether a teacher’s new course is published directly or after your review, and which price range you accept.
- Step 1 of 9
Where to start: “Switch on the school”
Open “Settings” and, in the “School & team” group, click the “School & team” row (“Teachers, staff, roles, rules and the log, in «School».”). While the school is off, this door — like the dashed “School” with a “+” in the column, shown to the owner only — leads to “Switch on the school”: a full page over the dashboard, with the close cross at the top (“Close the setup”) and five numbered steps: “Shape”, “Earnings”, “Rules”, “Students”, “Review”. Each step puts the question on one side and what it will produce on the other. Move on with “Next: …”, go back with “Back”. Nothing is written before the last button, “Switch on the school”: your answers stay in the page until then.
On screenSettingsSchool & teamSwitch on the schoolClose the setupShapeEarningsRulesStudentsReviewBackTipBefore you switch it on, the school’s pages exist for no one but you: a team member opening their link finds nothing, and anyone opening the setup reads “Only the owner can switch on the school”.
Heads-upClosing the setup before “Switch on the school” loses your answers: no draft is kept. Do it in one sitting; it takes a few minutes.
- Step 2 of 9
“Shape”: how does your school work?
Three cards, the most common one picked to start: “I teach, with assistants” (“An assistant grades and answers students, a supervisor follows up. Every sale is in your name.”, 6 pages, no contracts or commissions), “A school: teachers sell under my name” (“Each teacher has their own courses, students and earnings; you take your commission or a subscription.”, 12 pages) and “An academy with departments” (“Departments (sciences, languages…) each with a supervisor who reviews and follows its teachers.”, 13 pages). Beside them, “Your school’s menu will look like this”: a live preview that strikes out the pages the chosen shape doesn’t need, with a line saying why. Mourad picks “School”: his three teachers sell their courses under “Al Ofok Academy”, and he has no departments yet.
On screenHow does your school work?I teach, with assistantsA school: teachers sell under my nameAn academy with departmentsYour school's menu will look like thisNext: how you earnTipEvery shape is free and on every plan; plans differ only in storage and number of students. And the shape can be changed later in “School settings” without touching any contract or permission.
- Step 3 of 9
“Earnings”: what does the school take from its teachers?
Students always pay the school; each month the money is split in a statement for every teacher. Here you pick the model every new teacher’s contract starts from: “A commission on every sale” with the “School's share” (30% to start), “A fixed monthly subscription” the teacher pays while keeping all their sales (6 000 DZD to start), “Subscription + a smaller commission” (for example 3 000 DZD a month and 15%), or “A salary from the school”, with every sale going to the school (“You set each teacher's pay in their contract when you invite them.”). Under “Optional extras”: “A lower commission when the teacher brings the student” — every teacher gets a personal link on which the school takes less (10% to start, never above your usual share); and the “All-access subscription for students”, switched on “Later” in “Contracts and commissions”. Beside it, a live example: “a teacher sells 100 000 DZD this month”. At 30%: 70 000 for the teacher, 30 000 for the school; and if half the students came through their link: 20 000 for the school and 80 000 for them.
On screenWhat does the school take from its teachers?A commission on every saleA fixed monthly subscriptionSubscription + a smaller commissionA salary from the schoolSchool's shareMonthly subscriptionOptional extrasA lower commission when the teacher brings the studentSchool's share on link salesAll-access subscription for studentsLaterNext: rulesTipThis is the starting model, not each person’s contract. Mourad keeps 30% (Samia gets 70% of each sale), then gives Karim a salary and Nadia a subscription plus commission, each in their own contract from “Contracts and commissions”.
Heads-upWith “I teach, with assistants” there are no contracts or commissions yet: the model is only kept for when you add teachers.
- Step 4 of 9
“Rules”: what needs your approval?
The important rules first; the rest start at sensible defaults you’ll find in “School rules”. “Publishing a new course”: “Directly” (the teacher publishes alone), “After my review” (or the supervisor’s, picked to start) or “Only I publish” (the teacher prepares). “Prices”: “Free”, “Within a range” between the “Lowest price” and the “Highest price” (1 000 – 6 000 DZD to start), or “I decide” and the teacher suggests. “Discounts and coupons”: “Up to 25% without my approval”, “anything above reaches you as a request”, then “Who bears the discount”: “Teacher”, “School” or “Shared”. Beside it, “What a teacher will read”: the sentences write themselves as you answer. Mourad raises the highest price to 8 000 DZD, because the full physics course sells for more than 6 000.
On screenWhat needs your approval?Publishing a new courseDirectlyAfter my reviewOnly I publishPricesFreeWithin a rangeI decideLowest priceHighest priceDiscounts and couponsLargest discount without approvalWho bears the discountWhat a teacher will readNext: studentsTipWith “After my review” every new course goes past you before students see it; edits to existing lessons go live directly.
Heads-upIf the highest price isn’t above the lowest, “The highest price must be above the lowest.” appears and the setup won’t move on.
- Step 5 of 9
“Students”: your students belong to the school
Four rules keep a teacher from taking the school’s students elsewhere, all on to start. “Hide students' phones and emails from teachers”: teachers see names, progress and results, and reach students through the platform only. “Only the director exports student lists”: no spreadsheets leave with a departing teacher. “Students stay when a teacher leaves” is locked on “Always”: their courses move to another teacher or stay available to those who bought them. “Teachers notify their own students only”: turned off, “every notification from a teacher waits for your approval”.
On screenYour students belong to the schoolHide students' phones and emails from teachersOnly the director exports student listsStudents stay when a teacher leavesAlwaysTeachers notify their own students onlyNext: reviewTipKeep hiding on unless your teachers are employees who phone parents; you can later grant one teacher “See students' phone and e-mail” in their permissions.
- Step 6 of 9
“Review”: the sentences every teacher accepts, then “Switch on the school”
The title “This is how “Al Ofok Academy” will work”, and under it “Every teacher reads and accepts these sentences before joining.”. Each answer became a sentence: “Every teacher sells their courses under “Al Ofok Academy” and keeps 70% of each sale, and 90% when they bring the student through their link.”, publishing, prices, privacy, notifications, and the money calendar: “Each teacher's account closes once the month is over and is paid by day 10.”. Under them: “This is the first version of “School rules” (version 1)”. Beside them, “Right after you switch it on”: ““School” appears in the rail”, “Your current team stays as it is”, “Your courses stay yours”. Click “Switch on the school”: “Switching on…”, then “School” opens on its home.
On screenThis is how “…” will workRight after you switch it onSwitch on the schoolSwitching on…TipThe closing reminder day and the pay day aren’t asked in the setup: they start at 1 and 10, and you change them in “School rules”. The statement itself closes as soon as the month ends.
Heads-upAny later change to the rules becomes a new version sent to teachers to accept, and every version is kept. Read the sentences carefully before switching on.
- Step 7 of 9
What changes once it’s on
In the dark column at the edge of the screen, “School” appears under “Community”, for the whole team. The director opens it on “Home”; anyone without “View the team” finds it in the column as “My school”, opening on their own page. The director’s panel, beside the column, has four groups: “Today” (“Home”, “Reviews and requests”), “Team” (“Teachers”, “Staff and departments”, “Joining and invites”, “Roles and permissions”), “Money” (“Earnings”, “Contracts and commissions”, “Statements and payouts”, “School Studio”), “Administration” (“School rules”, “Quality and reports”, “Student reviews”, “Activity log”, “School settings”); each page shows only to whoever holds its permission. And the home starts with “Let’s set up your school” until the first member joins: five items, three already done (“You switched on the school and chose its shape”, “You chose the default earning model”, and “Open the “Teach with us” page”, which is open by default); left are “Write your school rules” and “Invite your first teacher”.
On screenSchoolCommunityHomeMy schoolTodayTeamMoneyAdministrationLet's set up your schoolWrite your school rulesInvite your first teacherOpenInviteTipOn a phone, the bottom bar keeps its five places in “School”: “Home”, the school’s main page (“Teachers” for the director), “+”, “Inbox” and “Menu”, which keeps the other pages.
Heads-up“Write your school rules” is only ticked once you publish version 2 of the rules: version 1 is the setup’s answers alone.
- Step 8 of 9
“Welcome”: what every new member sees first
When Samia accepts Mourad’s invitation, the page “Welcome to Al Ofok Academy, Samia” opens: “Your role here: Teacher. Four short steps; only the rules come before entering.”. First “What you agreed”: her role and department (or “No department”), and her contract in one plain sentence (“30% commission”: the school keeps 30% of each sale, she gets 70%). Then “Your first steps”: “School rules” with “Full text”, then “I have read the rules and accept them” and “Accept version …”. For anyone who sells (the teacher, or anyone with courses), three steps wait: “Your public page” (“Write it”), “Where to send your earnings” (the payout account, further down) and “Your first course” (“Create a course”). The “Go to my school” button stays greyed with “Accept the rules first” until she accepts.
On screenWelcome to …, …What you agreedYour first stepsSchool rulesFull textI have read the rules and accept themAccept version …Your public pageWhere to send your earningsYour first courseCreate a courseAccept the rules firstGo to my schoolTipThe public page, payout account and first course can wait, and each step says what waiting means: without a page, students don’t see her in “Our teachers”; without an account, no payment is recorded for her.
Heads-upNo acceptance, no entry: while rules are published and the member hasn’t accepted any version, the dashboard brings them back here from anywhere. A later version is only a reminder in “My school”.
- Step 9 of 9
Changing the shape, and switching the school off
In “School settings” (the “Administration” group): “Shape and pages” switches between the three shapes and saves itself, changing no contract or permission. At the bottom, “Switch off” → “Switch off the school”: one line says how many members will no longer see “School” or “My school” (“Their roles and permissions in the academy don't change, and their courses and students stay as they are.”), another “Rules, activity and statements are kept, and everything returns if you switch it on again.”. To confirm, type the school’s exact name in “Type the school's name to confirm: …”, then “Switch off the school”. Requests waiting for a decision are withdrawn, with a reason saying the school was switched off.
On screenSchool settingsShape and pagesSwitch offSwitch off the schoolType the school's name to confirm: …Switching off…TipWant a smaller school rather than none? Switch to “I teach, with assistants” instead: nothing is deleted, and you go back to “School” whenever you like.
Heads-upSwitching off is refused while the school has closed statements that aren’t paid, or open disputes: “The school can't be turned off while statements are unpaid or disputes are open. Settle them in «Payouts» first.”. And it’s for the owner only; others read “Only the owner can switch off the school.”.
Once it’s on
- Read your homeWhat waits for your decision, the month’s numbers, your teachers: the lesson “Home: your school at a glance”.
- Write your rulesPublishing, prices, privacy and the money calendar in full: the lesson “School rules”.
- Invite a first teacherA WhatsApp link with their contract and role: the lesson “Invite a teacher”.
- A contract per teacherCommission for Samia, salary for Karim, subscription plus commission for Nadia: the lesson “Contracts and commissions”.
Questions
Can the deputy director switch on the school?
No. Switching on and off is for the owner only; others read “Only the owner can switch on the school”. Once it’s on, the deputy manages whatever their permissions open.
I closed the setup halfway: were my answers saved?
No. Nothing is written before “Switch on the school”. Open “School” again and redo the steps; it takes a few minutes.
Does switching on the school cost anything?
Every shape is free and on every plan. Plans differ only in storage and number of students.
What happens to my courses and my current team?
Your courses stay yours: recorded in your name as teacher, with a 100% share. Your team keeps the same roles, no new invitations.
Why can’t I switch the school off?
Because it has closed statements that aren’t paid, or open disputes. Record the payments or close the disputes in “Statements and payouts”, then try again.
If I switch it on again after switching off, do I start from scratch?
No. Rules, activity and statements were kept. The setup comes back and the shape you pick applies, but your earlier rules stay in force: the setup’s answers don’t replace them. Change them in “School rules”.