This article explains how to update your classes and students in Sparx Science by using MIS integration, including common scenarios like moving students between classes and handling student detail changes.
Viewing your current classes and students
Viewing your current classes and students
Go to 'Management' → 'Class Manager' to view and manage your classes
Go to 'Management' → 'Student Manager' to view and manage students
You need to choose a class or 'your classes' from the class selector at the top of the screen, before your classes or students are listed.
Adding new students to existing classes
Adding new students to existing classes
New students need to be added in your MIS. You can't add them manually in Sparx Science
Provided that the student is linked to a class that you've imported into Sparx Science already, the student will be added to Sparx during the next overnight sync
If the change has already been made in your MIS and you want it to show in Sparx Science sooner, you can perform a manual sync
If the student isn't linked in your MIS to a class that you've already imported into Sparx Science, you'll need to import that class in order for the student to be imported and show in Sparx. See Adding classes and students for more information
New students will need to complete the account setup process when they first log in. See Getting students started for more information.
Moving students between classes
Moving students between classes
To move a student between classes in Sparx Science, first you will need to edit the students' class membership in your MIS
Provided that the student has been moved to a class that you've already imported into Sparx Science, the student will be added to Sparx during the next overnight sync.
If the change has already been made in your MIS and you want it to show in Sparx Science sooner, you can perform a manual sync
If the student has been moved to a class that you haven't already imported into Sparx Science, you'll need to import that class in order for the student to show in Sparx Science
Changing student details
Changing student details
Most student details (e.g. names, date of birth and class membership) need to be edited in your MIS
The only exception is usernames, which can be changed manually in Student Manager if needed. Please note: if a student's name changes, their username won't automatically change - you'll need to change this manually if required
Changes to names, date of births and class membership made in your MIS will reflect in Sparx Science after the next overnight sync.
If changes have already been made in your MIS and you want them to show in Sparx Science sooner, you can perform a manual sync
Keeping class and student data in sync with your MIS
Keeping class and student data in sync with your MIS
Once classes and students have been imported into Sparx Science, we'll automatically sync every night to bring the following changes across from your MIS:
Students added to classes
Students moving classes
Student, parent/carer and class name changes
Parent/carer contact updates
When you make a change in your school's MIS, the changes won't show in Sparx Science immediately:
Changes in your MIS are synced to Sparx Science via a third party service called Wonde
Wonde pulls data from your MIS roughly every 4 hours
Sparx Science pulls data from Wonde automatically overnight
As such, changes typically reflect in Sparx Science within 24 hours
For urgent changes, you can perform a manual sync:
Go to 'Class Manager' → 'Import & Manage Classes'
Click 'Preview changes'
Click 'Sync changes' if happy with the preview
Frequently asked questions
What happens to homework when set changes are made?
What happens to homework when set changes are made?
When set changes are made while a homework is live:
The current homework stays with the student, even if they move classes
The Hand-in page view remains as it was when the homework went live. This view updates automatically when the next homework is generated.
From the students’ perspective, there is no disruption, and they continue working on the same homework as normal.
This behaviour is designed to keep each homework cycle consistent for students. As soon as the next homework is issued, students receive work aligned to their new classes.
To check a student's current class membership, you can use Student Search or Class Manager.
Will students lose their data when moving classes?
Will students lose their data when moving classes?
No, students retain all their data including XP, homework history, and their current homework level when moving between classes.
Can I add students or edit student details directly in Sparx Science?
Can I add students or edit student details directly in Sparx Science?
New students need to be added in your MIS. You can't add them manually in Sparx Science
Most student details (e.g. names, date of birth and class membership) need to be edited in your MIS
The only exception is usernames, which can be changed manually in Student Manager if needed.
Why can't I see my classes to import?
Why can't I see my classes to import?
Your MIS may not be fully set up yet (especially at the start of a new school year). Check with your school's MIS administrator.
Classes may have only just been added to your MIS (allow up to 24 hours for the changes to show in Sparx Science)
Classes may not have subjects linked to them in your MIS (we only show Science classes by default and can't do this if your classes don't have subjects linked to them). Try ticking the 'Show all subjects' box on the 'Manage & import classes' screen to search from all classes available in your MIS
There might be duplicate class names in your MIS. Check with your school's MIS administrator.
Why have some students disappeared?
Why have some students disappeared?
They may have been moved to a new class that hasn't been imported into Sparx Science (and so they've been removed from Sparx Science)
In this case, importing the student's new class into Sparx Science will reinstate the student's account and any homework progress/XP
They may have been removed from your MIS. Check will your school's MIS administrator
Why aren't student names showing correctly?
Why aren't student names showing correctly?
Contact your school's MIS administrator to check that the student's information is correct in your MIS
We import 'preferred' names by default - contact us using the 'Help & Support' button in your Sparx Science site and ask to speak to a person, if you need us to change this to 'legal' names for the whole school. Please note, we cannot do this for individual students
Why aren't new students appearing in Sparx Science?
Why aren't new students appearing in Sparx Science?
Check they've been added to your MIS correctly and are part of a live, timetabled Science class.
The student may only just have been added to your MIS (allow up to 24 hours for the changes to show in Sparx Science)
If students are added to Sparx Science after a homework has been set for their class, they will not appear on the Hand-In page for that week, but they will appear on the class list in Student Manager