Welcome to Reach Student Life Management
The Reach platform is a student management system that is designed specifically for boarding schools. It helps your school to manage an extensive range of residential activities including leave, rollcalls, student records, pastoral care, and reporting.
Access 24/7 from Web Browser or Mobile App
Reach is cloud-based and can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, using either a web browser or via the mobile app, which is available for Apple and Android devices through their online stores.
Using The Reach Web Portal
How to Access Reach
Once you have registered at your new school, the staff will create a personal profile for you in the Reach portal, then connect (associate) you to your child and the student profiles to which you will become an authorised host. Then, with your new username and password, open a web browser and enter your school's specific Reach portal web address and sign in with your assigned credentials.
Alternatively, your school may have emailed you an invitation to login to their Reach portal, if so, follow the prompts in the email and login.
NOTES:
By default, your username will be your email address. If you do not have your email address registered, then your username will be FirstnameLastname (note the capital letters). These details should be provided to you by the school after they create your personal profile.
If your identity cannot be authenticated, then you will be presented with an error message. Please retry your credentials and click Sign-In.
If you continue to get an error message then your credentials are most likely different from what you have been advised.
Please contact your school and they can reset your credentials for you.
The Reach portal login is case sensitive to upper and lower case text, so be aware during login.
Once you have logged in, you can manage your details/settings via the My Account section.
Click on the area of your name/Reach logo/profile photo in the top right corner, then click Account, update/change details as required, then click Save.
Reach Web Software Basics
How to navigate in Reach
The navigation sections of the Reach Portal screen are; Main Menu, Header Bar, and My Account. The available functions and features will differ with active access settings and extension modules specific to your school.
Main Menu
The icons on the left-hand side of the screen, are the Main Menu, this list provides you with quick access to the software functions. Click an icon to reveal the mini menu within each function.
Your Reach Header Bar
The icons across the top of the screen are indicators of functions or quick links to your available features.
Three Lines Menu
Click this to expand or collapse the Main Menu, to show icons only, or icons plus titles
Cloud
Glowing green indicates you are currently online
Bell
Click this to open the Notifications Mailbox, the Bell will change colour to notify of incoming messages
Calendar
Click this to open the Calendar tab
Lightning Bolt
This is Pulse, and it indicates the Reach portal is actively connected to the main server for fast updates
Question Mark
Click this to open the Reach support website in a new browser window - https://support.reach.cloud
Chat Bubbles
Click this to open the Reach-Now Communications module
My Account
In the right-hand corner of your Reach screen, you will see your name and your profile image. The Reach Logo will appear if no image has been loaded. Click this area to open the drop-down menu, the menu options are; My Account, Messages, Help, and Lock Screen.
My Account
Once clicked, this will open in a new tab, here you can update/change the details of the following sections; Personal, Address, Security, and Theme. Once you have made the required updates and changes, click Save.
Messages
Once clicked, this will open the My Mailbox tab, this is the same as clicking the bell icon from the top menu bar.
Help
Once clicked, this will open in a new tab, this is docs.reach.cloud, a Reach software information portal.
Lock Screen
Once clicked, will lock the Reach portal browser window, to unlock, your personal Reach PIN is required.
How to use the Home Dashboard
Once you have logged in, the sections that you are presented with are for easy viewing and quick access to the main functions. The page tabs (currently showing Calendar & Home) allow you to work on many things at once. Each item that you are working on will open as a new tab across the top of your dashboard screen. When using Reach you can easily switch between these tabs at any time, without losing any data on other pages, a tab will glow orange to alert you to unsaved changes on that page.
The Home Tab standard features are; Events, Current Leave, and Historic Leave.
Depending on your school's active permissions per user and extension modules, more options may appear, for example; Lists & Surveys.
Events
If your school is using the Recreation Events Manager module and it is enabled you will see the Events table.
This section of the dashboard is split into two parts, the events your child has 'Already Signed-Up' for and the Events that are ' Available for Sign-Up'. Events are created and managed by your school, the events listed in your login are specific to you.
Click this link to view a quick video tutorial: Events Overview
Student Selector will only appear when you are a parent to more than one student.
Already Signed-Up displays a list of events that your child has already been registered for. If you click the 'View' button, a pop-up will provide details of that event and its current status as, WaitListed or Attending. The action buttons provided are 'Unregister' and 'Cancel'.
Available for Sign-Up displays a list of events that are available for your student to register for. If you click the 'View' button, a pop-up will provide details of that event and the action buttons provided are 'Register, 'Decline', and 'Cancel'.
Current Leave Request
This section shows any upcoming leave events that may require action by you or staff.
For extended details about 'How to Create Leave Requests', please scroll down to that section of this document.
Historic Leave Request
This section provides a history of leave items. Click any historic event to view the details of that event.
Leave Via the Web Portal
How to Create a New Leave Request
To create a leave request, click the green Create Leave Request button on the Home tab of your dashboard, or click the suitcase icon in the left-side main menu and select Create Leave Request, each option will open the Leave Details screen.
If you only have one student registered to you, by default, their name will appear in the 'Student' section. If you have multiple students registered, the multi-selector icon will appear to select the required students.
Then, continue to follow the prompts to enter your required details, the majority of the fields are drop-down menus and they will guide you towards your appropriate selections, when ready, complete and save the form.
NOTE: When a student logs into Reach with their login, they only have access to create leave requests for themself, to then be approved.
The example form below has been highlighted to better explain the functions.
The fields marked in green are all drop-down selector menus. Simply select the relevant field for your request.
The fields marked in yellow are for free text fields input, add details or notes as required.
Leave Types and Method of Transport lists are created and managed by your school.
Host drop-down menu will only show the pre-approved parents, guardians, and hosts.
The hosts that your child can go on leave with are authorised by you as parents and connected (associated) to the profile of that student by the staff at your school.
If the host that you want to select for a leave event is not displayed in the list it is likely that either;
(1) the host has not been installed (created) in the Reach system or
(2) they have not been connected (associated) via the personal profile of that student as an approved host.
Destination field is compulsory and in some instances (when set by the school) the Notes section may also be compulsory.
Recursion field, highlighted blue, allows you to create recurring patterns for the leave request. This is ideal for regular, recurring leave requirements such as external tutoring, music, or sporting activities. This field is set to 'Once Off' by default. Click this field to choose Select Pattern.
Once you have chosen this item, the Recursion Pattern field will open.
Select the type of pattern - every week or every 2nd, 3rd, 4th week
Select the days of the week for the recurring event
Select the For drop-down menu, to select between - Until Date or X Times
Until Date - provides a calendar, once clicked you can select a completion date
X Times - provides a field to enter the number of times you would like the event to occur
Recurring events only require approval once by parents and staff, then each event will be available as the time/date occurs
Once you have entered the required details, click the save button. The leave details screen will then close.
Newly created leave requests will appear in the current leave section of your dashboard, shown as pending.
NOTE: Not all requests generated will remain pending. Some may auto-approve.
Depending on the settings set by your school, you may also receive an automatic email regarding this new leave request.
On the dashboard, you are now presented with approve & reject buttons for your action.
Depending on the type of leave created and the number of approvals required, (eg; parent/staff approval), this may stay pending, until all approval levels have been successfully completed. Reach automatically contacts all parties that are required to approve the leave request, including staff/faculty.
When all approvals are complete, Reach will automatically send a confirmation notification to all parties involved including; students, parents, and hosts.
Here is an example of a leave request in a pending state, with approve & reject buttons. Another showing as approved.
How to Edit a Leave Request
If you need to edit a leave item, if it is still pending or approved, you can select the specific item from the current leave screen, and adjust the details as required. You can change any aspect of this leave item, and remember to click the Save button when complete.
Changes to the facts/details of any leave request will generate new leave request approval notifications to all relevant parties involved in the procedure. This is a security measure that ensures that adjustments can not be made without notification to all relevant parties. This procedure also ensures that the school has the correct facts/details of a leave event approved by the parent.
How to Decline or Reject a Leave Request
To decline or reject a leave request that may be created by your child or staff, these notification methods are controlled by your school. This may be an SMS notification or via email, please contact your school to confirm their required procedures.
Further details are available via this support article link: Approve / Decline Leave Requests as a Parent / Host
How to Add Hosts for your Child
There are two ways to add approved hosts to your child’s profile:
One - My Account Host Creation
Open the My Account section of your Reach portal and select the Hosts tab. Here you can add new hosts that can be associated with one or more students.
Two - Quick Host Creation
This option is available in the leave details screen of a new leave request, by using the host selector. Select create new host to open the details panel. A new host created in this way will be used for the current leave request and associated with the student for selection in the future.
VIA The Reach Mobile App
The Reach app is designed for use as a transaction platform, it is free and available for use by all parents that have an account on your school's Reach portal. The app provides access to the major transaction elements for parental users. It is not a complete replication of all functionality available via the Reach web portal.
To view detailed explanations of each section of the app, please view the: Parent Mobile App User Guide
How to Access Reach
Once you have a profile created via the Reach web portal by your school, your login will be set, at this point, you also have access to the mobile app.
Download the app, it is free and available to download for Android and Apple devices.
Search for 'Reach Student Life Management' in either the Google Play Store or iTunes store.
To view more detailed explanations please read the Article: How to Access & Use the Reach on a Mobile Device
Reach App Software Basics
How to Navigate in the Reach App
The main menu areas of the app are as follows;
Firstly, the home screen is sectioned into ‘cards’ for fast access to the main areas of Reach available to you.
Secondly, the red menu bar across the bottom of the app, these buttons are quick links to features.
Thirdly, the central PLUS button at the bottom of the screen, once tapped, will pop up a list of quick access features.
Home Screen / Metrics View
The Home Screen is your base Metrics View and launch point for the main functions of the app.
In the top right corner is the Reach Now messaging icon for fast access to the Communications feature.
NOTE: This icon may not appear, as Reach Now is an extension module to Reach and must be enabled by your school.
Each section of the home screen is explained in detail via this support guide; Parent Mobile App User Guide
Leave VIA the Mobile App
Parents are able to submit and edit leave requests within the app.
Activity Metrics
This panel visualises the total number of Pending and Approved Leave items.
Pending Leave – how many leave requests are awaiting approval from all parties involved, tap to open
Approved Leave – number of fully approved leave items in the system, tap to open
Create Leave button – will take you through a simple page-by-page process to create new leave, tap to open
How to View Existing Leave Items
Tap the 'Leave' button from the bottom menu bar to open the manage leave screen, providing an array of filter and sorting options to view current and past leave items.
Quick filtering for Approved, Pending, On Leave, and Rejected leave items can be accomplished by selecting one of the 4 corresponding colour rectangles at the top of the page. Along the top right of the screen, you have the ability to search, filter, and sort by additional details.
Clicking on a leave item will display a variety of options to view, including the main details of the leave request, if any special meal accommodations were scheduled due to the leave timing, notes entered regarding the leave, and the complete audit trail of the approval process.
The example images below, from left to right show; the leave items to view, the central image shows the details of a leave item opened, the image on the right shows the details of the audit screen. A red line appears under the currently active tab.
How to Create a New Leave Request
To create new leave, tap the PLUS button at the bottom center of the screen and choose New Leave Request. Follow the series of prompted screens to input the required details. Parents have the ability to select multiple legs of transportation for departure and return. For recurring leave, select the frequency and duration. Prior to submitting the leave request, review the details and make any changes if needed.
How to Edit a Leave Request
Access the edit feature via manage leave, simply select either the pending leave button on the activity metrics card or by tapping the leave button from the bottom menu bar.
Select the required pending leave item, this will display its details page, then select the note and pen icon in the top right corner of the page. You can then progress through the pages to make any necessary updates. Use the prev/next buttons at the bottom to quickly move between the screens. When complete, tap the red finished button on the final summary page to Save.
How to Add Hosts for your Child
The quickest way to add hosts for your child is by;
Opening a new leave request form
Enter details on each page and click next
When you arrive at the select host page, select the create new host menu option
This will extend the page down to reveal the new host form
Complete this form and click next
Continue through each page and complete the request
When this is saved, the new host will then be added to your child's profile, then in the future, you and your child can select that host when creating new leave.
Getting Support
User Guide
Web - Click the Help icon in the main menu and select User Guide, this will open the Parents Portal
App - Quick Link: Parent Mobile App User Guide
Additional support: Reach Help Center
Knowledge Base & Help Desk
At the top of your Reach web portal, you will find a question mark icon. Clicking this icon will take you to the Reach Help Center, the Knowledge Base support website for Reach users, where you can search for answers, and if you need to, create a support ticket for our help desk or participate in the community discussions.
Quick Link: Reach Help Center
Video Tutorials:
Reach Help Center - Parent User Support Videos
Parents Portal - Parent Support Videos
Email Contact
(1) You can contact Reach support directly by sending an email to support@reach.cloud
(2) Contact the Reach administrator within your school
