Quick start

This is the whole journey on one page. Tick each step off as you go; each one links to the chapter with the details. Most schools get through it in an afternoon.

1. Buy and get ready

1. Buy the kit and keep the receipt email: it has your licence key. See Buying and your licence.
2. Check your hosting and make a backup before you start. See Before you install.
3. Gather what you'll need: your logo, the instruments you teach, each tutor's name, email, photo and teaching hours, your lesson lengths and prices, and your opening days and holidays.

2. Install

1. Install Gradespace Core, then the Gradespace Music plugin, then the Gradespace Music theme, in that order. See Installing.
2. Add your licence key in Settings → Gradespace licence and click Activate. This switches on updates, and Pro features if your licence includes them.

3. Run the setup wizard

The wizard opens by itself after installing. It asks about your school, instruments, tutors, lessons and prices, opening days and online booking, and adds starter pages and a menu. See The setup wizard (in general) and The Music setup wizard.

4. Choose your look

1. Go to Site Settings → Design & colours, pick one of the seven designs and a colour palette, and click Preview on the site before you Save. See Designs, pages and menus.
2. Add your logo in Music school → Settings → Business. See Your look.

5. Check your school's details

1. Instruments and lesson types: check names, lengths and prices, and which lessons are trials. See Instruments, lesson types and prices.
2. Tutors: add a photo and a few words to each profile, tick their instruments and lessons, set their weekly teaching hours, and give the office email that gets news of their lessons. See Tutors.
3. Opening days and holidays: Music school → Settings → Opening days. See Settings.
4. Booking rules: notice needed, how far ahead people can book, and whether prices show. Music school → Settings → Lessons. See Settings.
5. Who gets the emails: Music school → Settings → Email. Click Send a test email to check they arrive. See Settings and Privacy and emails.

6. Give your staff their own sign-in

Add the office as Office and each teacher as Tutor, then link each tutor's sign-in to their profile. See Staff and sign-in and Tutors.

7. Make a test booking

1. Open your website in a private browser window and go to Book a lesson.
2. Book a lesson for yourself, using your own email. See Online booking.
3. Check you got the "Lesson request received" email, and that the school got "New lesson request".
4. In Music school → Lessons, open the request and click Confirm lesson. Check the confirmation email and calendar invite arrive. See Lessons and the calendar.
5. Cancel the test lesson with Cancel lesson, and delete the test student under Music school → Students if you like.

8. Go live

1. Fill in your pages (Home, About, Lessons, Tutors, Contact). See Pages and content.
2. Add an event or two, an album and a practice handout. See Events, gallery, resources, testimonials and FAQs.
3. Check the cookie banner and your privacy page. See Privacy and emails.
4. Tell your students and parents where to book.

From then on, start each day on Music school → Today. See Running the school day to day.