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Data Management

The Data Management area lets you import data into Tawaasal from spreadsheets and export your school's data for reporting, analysis, or compliance purposes. This is especially useful when setting up a new school, onboarding a large number of students, or generating reports for external stakeholders.

Accessing Data Management​

  1. Log in as a school administrator.
  2. Navigate to Data from the sidebar.

Tabs Overview​

The Data Management page has two top-level tabs:

TabPurpose
Import & ExportUpload data from spreadsheets or download school data as files, via its own Export and Import sub-tabs
RetentionConfigure retention policies, review deleted and archived records, and manage subject access requests
  1. The Retention tab sits next to Import & Export — it holds the data retention tools described below.
  2. Within Import & Export, switch to the Import sub-tab to upload data instead.
  3. Choose the Module to export — the available filters change depending on the module.
  4. Click Export to generate and download the file.

Exporting Data​

The Export sub-tab (under Import & Export) lets you download your school's data in structured formats.

How to Export​

  1. Go to the Import & Export tab, then the Export sub-tab.
  2. Select the Module you want to export (e.g., Students, Staff, Classes, Attendance, Grades, Finance, and others).
  3. Configure any filters shown for the selected module — the fields offered depend on the module. For example, exporting the Academic Calendar offers an Event Type filter alongside a Date From / Date To range.
  4. Select the Format (CSV, Excel (XLSX), or JSON).
  5. Click Export.
  6. The file will be generated and downloaded to your computer. Recent exports are listed in the Export History table below the form.

Common Export Use Cases​

  • Student lists — Generate class lists or enrolment registers.
  • Attendance records — Export attendance data for reporting to authorities.
  • Grade reports — Download grades for report card preparation.
  • Financial data — Export invoice and payment records for accounting.
Large Exports

For large datasets, the export may take a few moments to generate. The system will process it in the background and the download will start automatically when ready.

Importing Data​

The Import sub-tab (under Import & Export) lets you upload data from spreadsheets to create or update records in bulk.

How to Import​

  1. Go to the Import & Export tab, then the Import sub-tab.
  2. Select the Entity Type you want to import (Students, Staff, Classes, Subjects, Guardian Links, or Timetable).
  3. Download Template — Click this button to get a spreadsheet with the correct column headers.
  4. Fill in the template with your data.
  5. Click Start New Import, then upload your file — drag and drop, or browse for a CSV, XLSX, or JSON file (up to 10 MB).
  6. Map columns — Match each column in your file to the matching system field. Any required column left unmapped must be resolved before continuing.
  7. Choose an Import Mode — Create Only adds new records, Create & Update also updates existing ones.
  8. Review validation — The system shows how many rows are valid, have warnings, or have errors.
  9. Confirm Import — If the results look correct, confirm to process the data.
Subscription Required

Bulk import requires a Basic subscription tier or higher.

Import Templates​

Each entity type has a specific template with required and optional columns. Always download the latest template before preparing your data to ensure compatibility.

Handling Validation Errors​

During the validation step, the system checks for:

  • Missing required fields — Fields that must have a value.
  • Invalid formats — Dates, email addresses, or phone numbers in the wrong format.
  • Duplicate records — Records that already exist in the system.
  • Reference errors — Values that reference records which do not exist (e.g., a class name that has not been created).

Errors are highlighted row by row. You can fix the errors in your spreadsheet and re-upload, or proceed with only the valid rows.

Review Before Confirming

Always review the validation results carefully before confirming. Once confirmed, records are created in the system. While individual records can be edited or removed afterward, reversing a large import requires manual effort.

Data Retention​

For compliance with data protection regulations, Tawaasal supports configurable data retention policies.

  1. The Retention tab lives next to Import & Export on the Data Management page.
  2. It has its own sub-tabs — Policies, Deleted Records, Archive, Subject Access Requests and Reports.
  3. The Policies table lists the retention period and enforcement status for each data category.
  4. Run Enforcement Now starts an enforcement pass immediately; its history is logged below.

Configuring Retention​

  1. Navigate to Data Management > Retention > Policies.
  2. Review the retention periods for different data categories.
  3. Adjust retention periods as needed to comply with your local regulations.

Retention Categories​

The Policies table configures a retention period for each of these data categories separately:

  • Student Records
  • Staff Records
  • Attendance
  • Grades
  • Financial Records
  • Wellbeing
  • Homework & Assessments
  • Communications
  • File Uploads
  • Audit Logs

Each category's row shows its configured retention period alongside the DfE-recommended minimum, and whether it is enforced by flagging records for review or by auto-purging them once the period elapses.

Regulatory Compliance

Data retention requirements vary by jurisdiction. Consult your school's data protection officer or legal advisor to determine the appropriate retention periods for your school.

Tips​

  • Use templates — Always start with the provided import templates. Modifying column headers or adding extra columns may cause import errors.
  • Start with a small test — When importing for the first time, try with a small batch of records (5--10) to verify everything works correctly before importing the full dataset.
  • Back up before large imports — Contact your super administrator to ensure a recent backup exists before performing large data imports.
  • Export regularly — Schedule regular data exports for backup and compliance purposes.
  • Clean data before importing — Remove duplicates, fix formatting issues, and verify data accuracy in your spreadsheet before uploading.

Applies to Tawaasal 2.5.0