Subject	Select the subject from the drop down. You can also search by typing the subject name into the field.
Name/Code	The code used to identify this class. This code needs to be unique within Compass and cannot clash with any existing class codes within the school's timetable or any other Custom Classes within Compass.
Description	Generally left blank by schools. Can be used to leave notes regarding the class.
Lead Teacher	This is the lead teacher for the class which is the staff member who manages/supervises this class/marks the roll where appropriate. Please note that a Lead Teacher must be allocated to each class. If a class is team-taught, this teacher needs to be the lead teacher who is ultimately responsible for the class. This teacher will be used for Reporting and PST conferences within Compass. When setting up the new class, this field will default to the teacher logged in, however this can be changed using the drop down list.
Layer	This layer is almost always the same as the layer for the subject selected and will be populated when the subject is determined. Unless required, please leave this in the default layer.
Attendance Code when marked as Present	Classes will inherit this code from the Subject settings. This is the attendance code that students will be allocated when they are marked 'Present'.
Time Period	The time period set within Compass that the class/activity will run for. Choose the appropriate option from the drop-down menu. The start and finish times will pre-fill when a time period is selected. Can be selected to reflect the length of time that students need to be enrolled - you will need to select 'Custom' in order to set a specific start and finish time. For example, exams may be for a two week period, or TAFE/VET might run for a Semester or Year. You will be unable to create sessions outside of these Start and Finish dates, however it is easier to extend the Time Period than it is to trim it, after it has already been set.
Location/Room	This will pre-fill the location when creating sessions for this class. This field can be left blank.
Roll-Marking Mode	Determines what kind of roll will be marked for these classes. Most often, this will be the 'Normal' option. This is pre-filled by the Subject settings.
Check In enabled	Leave this setting as 'Inherit'.

Please note the following:

Code: Keeping in line with your Timetable format is ideal for this - please note that the '99' suffix is a common indicator that this is a Cross Year subject.    

Layer: Custom Classes

Attendance Code when marked Present: Select the most appropriate option from the list based on the activity type. All students who are marked Present on a roll for any class within this subject will receive the indicated Department Code. For example, for NAPLAN testing, you would select 'Exams: 600' as the most appropriate code for this subject. 

Tip: For the Roll Marking Mode, it is advised that you use 'Normal' in most cases, however for some activities, the 'Intelligent' option may be appropriate, whereby the student is marked as 'Students assumed Present, unless they're elsewhere'.

Click 'Save' and Compass will confirm and present two options: 'Open Class Profile Page' and 'Back to Subjects and Classes'.



Clicking on 'Open Class Profile Page' will enable you to continue with the new custom class to enrol students.   If you choose this option proceed to Step 3: Enrolling Students to finalise the class set-up.
 
Clicking on 'Back to Subjects and Classes' enables you to create another class within the Subject. If you choose this option repeat Step 2: Creating Classes.

Step Three: Enrolling Students

Students are enrolled within a class via the class profile page. If you haven't selected the 'Open Class Profile Page' option after creating the class, this page can also be accessed via the Subjects and Classes page or from the staff profile or by searching for the class in the main search bar in Compass.

For example finding a class from the Teaching and Learning menu (pencil icon) > Subjects and Classes > Subject View tab. Enter the subject title  in the Subject search field and click the magnifier to filter the subject list. Click on the subject within the subject list to highlight to light blue. This will open the Classes box to the right-hand side listing all the classes within the subject.

From the Classes list click on the relevant class name/code.

This will open the Class page. To enrol students select the Enrolments tab.
On the Enrolments tab, click the 'Add Enrolments' button which will open the New Enrolments window.

     

In almost all instances, students within custom classes are not grouped by form or year level and so can be added individually by searching for the student and clicking '+ Add'. Using the 'Advanced' option, students can also be added via a list of ID codes. This option is especially useful if you have an existing CSV of the students, which you can then copy and paste into this field.
 
Enrolled students will then appear in a list within the Enrolments tab. Enrolments are managed via this tab, and students can be edited, withdrawn or deleted using the tools in the right-hand columns of the grid. Students will appear on rolls for the sessions that are scheduled between their enrolment start and finish dates.

Step Four: Scheduling Sessions

Now that the class has students enrolled, you will need to create sessions for the class. This can be done by a timetabler through the Class page or by the teacher of the class through their own Schedule.

Scheduling Sessions via the Class Page

Open the Sessions tab on the class profile page. Select '+ Add Session(s)' which will open the Session Editor window.

     

Enter the date, start and finish times for the session. Times can be selected using the period drop down options, the pre-set times from the drop down menu, or by typing a time into the start or finish fields.
 
Select a Location from the dropdown; the availability status for the room will be displayed by a red or green dot beside the room. The staff member for the particular session can also be selected; this will be pre-populated with the lead teacher for the class.

Repeating Sessions

Compass has the ability to automatically add repeating sessions for a regularly occurring sessions. To use the repeat function, enter information for the first lesson of the repeat into the Start and Finish fields.
 
To add the repeat function, click the 'Repeat' check box.

Repeat pattern:	How often does the session repeat? If the repeat is every week, enter '1' or if the repeat is every every fortnight enter '2' etc. Then select the date of the end of the repeat.
Repeat on days:	Select which days the repeating session occurs. You can repeat a session for multiple days in a week (for example, students may attend TAFE on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week).

After clicking 'Save & Close' button, the sessions created will appear under the Sessions tab, as well as on staff and student profiles. These sessions can be edited, cancelled or deleted using the functions in the right hand column of the Sessions grid.

Warning: It is important that you indicate here whether the sessions are taking place On/Off Campus to ensure that rolls are reflected appropriately and emergency reports are accurate. 

If you would like to discuss using Custom Classes to manage your activities or exam timetable in Compass, please do not hesitate to contact our Support Team at support@compass.edu.au