Administration tab
The Administration tab is for school administrators who need to configure
back-office settings. It contains several nested tabs:
Agreements
This section allows you to create electronic agreements that parents must
acknowledge during the application process. Agreements might include
media consent, ICT policies or school policies. Each agreement has a name,
details, and flags for mandatory and archived status. Administrators can
create new agreements or archive old ones. Agreements cannot be deleted
once used in an application; instead, they are archived so they no longer
appear in new templates. The following screenshot illustrates the
agreement list with mandatory flags and editing icons:
Agreements may be defined at network level in Ancestry portals and pushed
down to leaf schools. Leaf schools cannot remove network-mandated
agreements but can add additional agreements relevant only to their site.
UK implementations often include standard agreements such as the
parental responsibility declaration.
Reports & Exports
The Reports & Exports sub-tab provides pre-built reports and data
exports. Available reports include:
Report | Description |
Enrolment statistics | Summarises applications by |
Admission register | A register of all enrolments offers, acceptances and |
Additional question | Exports the answers to |
Admissions gender | Shows applicant gender |
Applicant relationship | Lists relationships (parent, |
Reports respect user permissions; only authorised users can view or export
personally identifiable information. Administrators can export data as CSV
files and perform further analysis.
Communication Templates
Communication templates are reusable email or SMS templates used
throughout the enrolment journey—inviting applicants to apply, interview
reminders, acceptance letters and refusal notifications. Templates support
placeholders for applicant name, year level, intake and portal links.
Templates can be shared across the network in Ancestry portals or
customised by individual schools. UK schools may have additional templates
to comply with local admissions code.
Start Page Text
The Start page text tab allows administrators to set a welcome message
that appears on the public EOI page and within the application portal. This
message can explain the school’s admissions philosophy, key dates and
instructions for parents. In Ancestry networks, head offices can enforce a standard introduction and allow leaf schools to append local information.
Configure tab
The Configure tab contains tools to tailor the Enrolments module. The
uplifted version of Enrolments added these configuration items to a single
page. The screenshot below shows the top-level configuration list:
Configure feeder schools
Feeder schools are primary schools or early-childhood providers that
regularly send students to your secondary school. Adding them improves
reporting and rank criteria. Ancestry networks can manage feeder schools
centrally and share them with leaf schools. To add a feeder school, click
Configure feeder schools, select Add school, enter the name and,
optionally, map it to a school from your People Management database.
Configure year levels
Year levels displayed in the enrolment module are pulled from your Year
Level Management in People Management. You cannot add or delete year
levels here; instead, maintain them in the SIS. In the UK, year levels may
include Reception and Sixth Form. The configuration page allows you to set
the equivalent year for each entry, which is used in the fees module.
Configure student application
This setting controls the layout of the student application form and includes
options to set study load (full-time or part-time). In most cases only
full-time is available, but some independent schools accept part-time
enrolments. Administrators can also choose whether applicants must
provide previous school information or additional demographic data.
Ancestry networks configure the master form; leaf schools can only modify
limited fields such as local questions.
Configure validation rules (V2 Pro)
Validation rules determine which fields appear and which are mandatory.
Schools can enable phased validation to require only a subset of fields at
the EOI stage and additional fields at the final application stage. Staff and
parents see different labels:
Phased validation OFF – All selected fields appear and must be
completed at once.
Phased validation ON – Fields are grouped into phases (EOI,
application, offer). Parents only see fields relevant to the current
phase; mandatory fields for future phases appear later. Staff always
see all fields but still need to meet mandatory requirements
You can set visibility (visible, hidden, read-only) and mandatory status
separately for staff and parents. However, when phased validation is on,
staff have only one view of mandatory/visibility settings. Validation rules
can only be configured at the network/head portal or for stand-alone
schools; leaf portals within an Ancestry network cannot override them.
Configure supporting documents
Here, administrators specify which documents applicants must upload (e.g.,
birth certificate, passport, proof of address, immunisation record). Each
document can be set as required or optional and assigned to one or more
year levels. Supporting document requirements often differ by region; for
example, UK schools may require a baptism certificate for faith-based
admissions while Australian schools may require Medicare documentation
Configure review statuses
Review statuses represent the steps in your assessment workflow (e.g.,
“New”, “Under review”, “Interview scheduled”, “Offer made”, “Offer
accepted”). Administrators can add, rename and reorder statuses. Statuses
can trigger automated communications via the templates described earlier.
Configure additional questions (V2 Pro)
Additional questions allow schools to collect extra information, such as
parish affiliation, sibling information, or extra-curricular interests.
Questions can be configured to appear only for certain year levels (e.g.,
scholarship questions for Year 7 only). In Ancestry networks, head offices
create network-wide questions; leaf schools can add their own
school-specific questions. UK schools may use questions to gather faith
declarations. When creating a question you define:
Question text and type (text, date, dropdown, checkboxes, file
upload, etc.).Visibility and mandatory settings by phase (EOI, application, offer).
Conditional display based on year level or answers to previous
questions.
Configure daily audit log recipients (V2 Pro)
The audit log records every change made to an application. Schools can
configure a custom group of staff to receive a daily email summarising all
changes made in the previous 24 hours. This is particularly important for
compliance in independent schools and for network head offices monitoring
activity across leaf schools. To set this up, create a recipient group, assign
users and enable email notifications.
Configure enrolment attributes
This section controls a number of behavioural settings that govern how the
Enrolments module operates. The settings shown below are available in
V2 Pro and may differ slightly between stand-alone and Ancestry networks.
They are not data attributes; instead they are toggles and policies that
change module behaviour. Options include:
Setting | Description |
Enable parent access to | When on, the enrolments |
Enable staff first flow | When enabled, staff create |
Enable boarding school | Turns on boarding-specific |
Limit applicants to a single | Prevents families from |
Enable dashboard | Sends dashboard notifications |
Allow move from Submitted | Allows staff to bypass the |
Policy URL | A link to your school’s |
Signature visibility on | Determines whether a parent |
Signature visibility on | Determines whether |
You can also define Signature declarations for both submission and
acceptance. These free-text fields explain your school’s policy on who must
sign the form (e.g., both parents on the birth certificate, informal carers
with statutory declarations) and appear above the signature capture area.
After setting these options, click Save signature configuration. These
settings flow through to People Management once a student is enrolled.
The following images show the configuration options for enrolment
attributes. The first illustrates the toggle settings, and the second shows the
policy URL, signature visibility and declaration fields:
Configure rank criteria (V2 Pro)
Rank criteria define how the Rank calculation tool orders applicants. According to Compass’s 2025 update, the new Enrolments Pro module introduces rank calculation based on pre‑defined criteria . The only criteria currently available are:
Student religion – match applicants of a specified faith.
Student religious milestone – e.g., baptism or confirmation date.
Parent religion – for faith‑based admissions.
Student parish – parish or congregation associated with the applicant.
Supporting document – presence of a particular uploaded document.
Sibling organisation – whether the applicant has siblings currently enrolled in a nominated school.
Student current organisation – current school or preschool.
Child of alumni – flag if a parent or grandparent attended the school.
Administrators select the criteria, assign points or priority order and decide whether the criteria are ascending or descending. Rank calculation is only available in the Pro version and may require additional configuration or licensing.
Configure enrolment payment (If Applicable)
If the Fees module is enabled, a terms‑and‑conditions text box appears at the end of the application for parents to acknowledge. This tab allows administrators to edit that text. You cannot change the payment gateway or fee structure here; those are configured under the Fees tab.
Fees tab
The Fees tab manages application fees and acceptance deposits. Compass supports several fee structures, each shown as a sub‑tab at the top of the page. A year‑level table lists the fee amount for each year. The screenshot below shows the Submission: Per Preference tab, where fees are configured per preference for Ancestry schools:
Submission: Per Preference
This structure is used primarily by Ancestry networks. Parents pay a separate submission fee for each school preference. Administrators can choose a billing item template, enable or disable per preference fees and set the amount by year level. The table shows the equivalent year to help align fees between national curricula.
Acceptance: Per Application
This fee applies when an offer is accepted. Schools set a single acceptance fee per application, regardless of the number of preferences. Acceptance fees can be waived for scholarship or bursary recipients. Some UK schools call this an “enrolment deposit.”
Submission: Per Application
In this model, applicants pay a single submission fee for each application rather than for each preference. This is common in stand‑alone and independent schools.
Submission: Per Expression of Interest
Schools that want to screen EOIs may charge a nominal fee before the full application. This is less common and generally used in international schools.
Fees Audit Log
The Fees Audit Log tracks changes to fee configurations, not individual payments. Whenever an administrator edits a fee amount, toggles a per‑preference fee or modifies the billing item template, the change is recorded along with the date, the user who made the change and the previous and new values. This log helps finance and compliance teams understand why an applicant was charged a particular amount and who authorised the change. Only users with fee configuration permissions can view or export the Fees Audit Log.
Manage Intakes
The Manage intakes button appears on the Applications page. Clicking it opens a modal where administrators create and edit intake cohorts. An intake defines the academic year, admission date, seat capacity and associated year levels. Seats available and total seats allow schools to track how many places remain. The following screenshot shows the intake management modal:
Adding and editing intakes
Add intake – opens a form where you specify the intake name, academic year, admission date, seat capacity and associated year levels. For multi‑campus schools, you can also set form groups, house groups and campus. In Ancestry networks, intakes can be shared across leaf schools.
Selected intakes – bulk actions for intakes (e.g., archive or duplicate). Duplicate is useful when creating a new year’s intake with similar settings.
Search intake and Filter – filter the list by status (open/closed), year level or campus.
When intakes are closed, new applications cannot be submitted. Schools should close intakes once all places are filled.
Search filters
The uplifted Enrolments interface offers both basic and advanced search filters, making it easier to locate applicants. This flexibility is highlighted in Compass’s 2025 update, which notes that the new view provides simple search for beginners and advanced options for experienced users.
Basic filters
Basic filters appear at the top of the Applications list and include drop‑down menus for Commencing year, Target year level, Application status and Interview status, plus a search bar for applicant name or code. Users can click Search to filter the list and More options to open additional columns (e.g., Visa subclass, Rank). Administrators can also add new applications from this view, export the filtered list to CSV or run a rank calculation. An example of the basic filter panel is shown below:
Advanced filters
Clicking Switch to advanced filters opens a custom query builder where administrators can combine multiple conditions (e.g., year level, religion, sibling currently enrolled). Users can save these customfilters for later use. The advanced filter screen includes options to Save as (name your filter) and switchback to basic filters. A custom filter is shown below:
Saving filters
Filters can be saved as public or private. Public filters appear under Public filters in the sidebar and are visible to anyone with enrolment permissions at that school. They are useful for standard queries like “Interviewed applicants” or “Year 7 boarding applicants.” Private filters appear under Private filters and are only visible to the user who created them. Saved filters in the sidebar can be reordered or renamed by dragging.
Actions on selected applications
When one or more applications are selected in the list, an Actions menu becomes available. This menu allows administrators to perform bulk operations without opening each application individually. The available actions include:
Action | Purpose |
Change | Opens a sub menu with statuses (e.g., Submitted, Offered, Offer accepted, Enrolled, Unsuccessful). Selecting a status updates all selected applications. Use this after interviews or board decisions. |
Change interview status | Updates the interview status (e.g., Not required, Invite sent, Interview scheduled, Completed). Useful to manage interview workflows |
Invite to interview | Sends a communication template inviting the selected applicants to schedule an interview. You can choose the template and interview details |
Move intake group | Reassigns the selected applications to a different intake (e.g., from 2025 Academic Year to Waiting List 2025). This does not change the academic year or year level. |
Calculate distance | For schools using the distance rank criterion, this action triggers a recalculation of each applicant’s residential distance from the school. Distance is used in rank calculation and may require the distance feature to be enabled |
Change application details | Opens a bulk edit form where administrators can change fields such as Academic year, Commencement date, Year level, Form group, Campus, House group, Review status, Residential distance from school and School rank. Only the fields you set will update; leaving a field blank preserves existing values. This tool is ideal for correcting data entry mistakes or updating multiple applications after a policy change. The modal illustrated below shows the available options: |
Enrol - Immediately moves the selected applications to the Enrolled status (if permitted). This bypasses offer acceptance and should be used only when enrolments have already been confirmed offline. Fees will be triggered according to your acceptance configuration.
Send email - Sends a one‑off email to the selected applicants or their parents using a chosen communication template. You
can customise the subject and body.Generate PDF - Produces a PDF report for each selected
application. Sub‑options may include Application summary or Offer letter.Generate contact details CSV - Exports contact information (names, addresses, phone numbers, emails) for the selected
applications. Handy for mail merges or external communications.Delete applications - Permanently removes the selected applications. This action cannot be undone and should only be used
for duplicates or erroneous entries.Delete student drafts - Deletes draft applications that have not
yet been submitted. Useful when cleaning up old drafts.Export audit log - Exports the audit log
entries related to the selected applications, including status changes, comments and document uploads
These bulk actions streamline common administrative tasks and reduce manual effort when dealing with large cohorts. Always double‑check your selection before performing irreversible actions like Delete applications.
Office Use Only tab
When viewing a specific applicant, staff can open the Office use only tab to record internal notes, adjust conditions and upload documentation. This tab is not visible to parents. It contains several sections
School preference
Displays the applicant’s preferences in order. Each row shows the preference number, school name, whether boarding was selected and the current status. Administrators cannot change preferences here; they must be edited by the applicant. The preferences table appears at the top of the Office use only tab:
Notes
A free‑text box for staff to record comments about the applicant (e.g., scholarship conversations, special circumstances). Notes are visible only internally and can be updated at any time.
Student details
Fee mode – Select the fee category applicable to the applicant (e.g., Normal, Scholarship, Bursary). This choice interacts with the Fees module. Time allocation – Indicates how many places the applicant uses against the intake’s seat count. Part‑time students may count as 0.5. Enrolment conditions – Text field to record any conditions attached to an offer (e.g., conditional on providing exam results).
The student details section also includes a number of checkboxes that administrators may tick:
Checkbox | Meaning |
LBOTE | Language background other than English. When ticked, the system may prompt for additional language support. |
LBOTE calculated | (Read‑only) set by the system when languages supplied in the application differ from English. |
Required ESL / Receives ESL | Identifies applicants who need or currently receive English as a Second Language support. Only relevant in regions where ESL funding exists. |
Disability funded | Flag for students funded under a disability scheme. In the UK this relates to Special Educational Needs funding. |
Integration | Indicates whether the student requires integration support. |
Internal/External media consent | Specifies whether the school can use the student’s image internally or externally (e.g., on social media). |
Special circumstances apply | General flag for unusual cases (e.g., family court orders). |
The checkboxes appear beneath the student details fields and are illustrated below:
Relationships
Lists the relationships associated with the applicant, including first name, last name and relationship
(e.g., Parent, Carer). Administrators can edit or remove relationships and add new ones. There is also a Child of Alumni checkbox that staff can tick when they know the applicant is the child of a former student. This flag is used by the Child of alumni rank criterion and is not automatically calculated. For UK schools the relationship “Parent responsible for payment” may appear. Relationships determine who can sign agreements, receive communications and be granted portal access.
Note: the data collected in Student details, Relationships, Access restrictions, Immunisations and Administrative documentation flows through to People Management once the student is enrolled. Keeping these sections up to date ensures accurate records in the core SIS.
Access restrictions
Staff can record court orders or other access restrictions. Each entry has a description and expiry date. The section shows “No access restrictions” when blank. Clicking Add access restrictions opens a form to enter details.
Immunisations Record
Whether an immunisation record has been sighted and select the Immunisation record status (e.g., Not provided, Provided). This section is optional and may be disabled in jurisdictions without mandatory immunisations.
Administrative documentation
A list of documents that staff may upload after an application is submitted. Checkboxes indicate whether identity documents, residency evidence or parish priest references have been supplied. Clicking Add attachments allows staff to upload files; attachments appear in a table with the file name and an option to delete. This section is shown in the following screenshot:
Regional and portal differences
Some behaviours and functionality differ depending on whether a school uses the Ancestry network/ leaf portal, is stand‑alone/independent or is in the UK:
Ancestry/leaf networks – Many settings are controlled at the network level (validation rules, agreements, additional questions). Leaf schools inherit these settings but can sometimes add local questions or agreements. Fees per preference are typically used. Distance and rank calculations are often enabled at network level and may be shared across schools.
Stand‑alone/independent schools – Have full control over configuration, including validation rules and rank criteria. They commonly use single submission fees rather than per preference fees. Daily audit logs may be directed to a single admissions team.
UK schools – Must comply with the UK School Admissions Code. This impacts communication templates (statutory wording), fees (many UK state schools cannot charge application fees), and additional questions (faith‑based questions must be in line with the code). The immunisation and ESL flags may be replaced with SEN (Special Educational Needs) indicators.
Tips & Tricks
All‑in‑one view – The new Enrolments interface allows users to see filters, status and application details together, improving efficiency .
Rank calculation – Ensure that rank criteria are configured before running calculations; otherwise, all applicants will receive the same rank. Distance calculation may require geolocation data and may incur additional costs .
Public vs private filters – Use public filters for standard workflows (e.g., “Interview scheduled”) and private filters for personal lists (e.g., “My interviewees”).
Permissions – Only staff with Enrolment Management permissions can access the Administration and Configure tabs. Finance permissions are required to see the Fees tab.
Daily audit log – Use the daily log to monitor activity across the team; it can highlight when offers or status changes are made without the admissions manager’s knowledge.
For additional assistance or clarification on specific behaviours, contact the Compass support team or your network’s admissions lead.
New: Chronicle Features with Enrolments
You are now able to have automatic entries for chronicle created upon enrolments that are accepted. To enable this feature, please contact our support team.










