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Sign In/Out 

Overview of the Sign In/Out tool. This guide is intended for Admin. (Read time: 5 minutes)

Article updated: 02/09/2026

 

VSware Sign In/Out is a new tool that lets schools record late arrivals and early departures quickly and accurately using a dedicated app. It replaces manual sign‑in sheets and office queues with a simple digital process that updates attendance instantly and sends real‑time notifications to parents.

By linking parent requests, student sign‑ins, and attendance records, it reduces admin workload, improves safeguarding, and ensures every arrival or departure is captured consistently.

Sign In/Out works hand‑in‑hand with absence requests. If a parent has already submitted an absence request and the school has approved it, any late sign‑in or early sign‑out is automatically marked authorised because the permission already exists. If a student signs in late without an approved request, the system records it as unauthorised. They can still log their arrival, but it must be reviewed later.

Accessing Sign In/Out Settings

To begin using Sign In/Out, click the Sign In/Out icon at the top right of your screen or navigate to: Overview > Attendance > Sign In/Out > Settings

Create the Sign‑In Admin Account

You must first set up a username and password for the dedicated Sign In/Out admin account. Only one account is allowed per school.

Note on security:

If you change the password for your Sign In/Out app, the system will log out every device that is currently signed in with that account. This is a security measure.

It can take up to 30 minutes for all devices to fully log out. Keep this delay in mind if you are changing the password because of a security concern.

If your school uses more than one device for Sign In/Out, changing the password will log out all of them. If a device is lost or compromised, changing the password is the correct action, but the logout will not happen instantly on every device.

Configure Grace Periods

In the same settings screen, you can configure the length of grace periods. Grace periods allow students to sign in or out slightly before/after their approved time.

Examples:

  • A student approved to sign in at 10:00am with a 10‑minute grace period may sign in up to 10:10am without being marked unauthorised.
  • A student approved to sign out at 10:00am may sign out from 9:50am onwards.
  • If they attempt to sign out earlier than the grace period (e.g., 9:45am), the system blocks it.

Configure Attendance Codes

In Settings > Attendance Code, choose the codes used for:

  • Late Unauthorised
  • Late Authorised
  • Explained Absence

These codes determine what is applied when students sign in late (authorised or unauthorised) or sign out.

 

Downloading & Setting Up the App

Next you must download the VSware Sign In/Out app from the App Store or Google Play Store on any iOS or Android device. This will be the device that will sit in your office and be used by students during the Sign In/Out process. 

First‑Time Login

When you sign in for the first time:

  • You will be asked to create a PIN
  • This PIN prevents students from accessing app settings (dark mode, log history, etc.)

Device Ready for Use

Once logged in, students can:

  • Search for their name
  • Sign in late
  • Sign out early (authorised only)

 

Student Sign‑In & Sign‑Out Flows

Unauthorised Late Sign‑In

  • The system cannot find a matching approved absent request.
  • The student is marked Late Unauthorised.

Authorised Late Sign‑In

  • The system finds an approved absent request matching the sign‑in time.
  • The student is marked Late Authorised.


Authorised Sign‑Out

  • Students can only sign out if they have authorised permission.
  • Unauthorised sign‑outs are not allowed.

Parent Notifications

Parents receive a push notification every time their child signs in or out.

 

Dashboard Overview (Admin Monitoring)

The Sign In/Out dashboard displays:

  • All late sign‑ins
  • All sign‑outs
  • Options to overwrite unauthorised lates to authorised (if a note/explanation is provided)

Permissions Page

The Permissions page shows all approved late arrivals and early sign‑outs.

When a student signs in:

  • If a matching approved absent request exists → Authorised Late
  • If not → Unauthorised Late

Attendance codes applied depend on your configured settings.

 

Web‑Based Sign In/Out (Fallback Option)

If the app is unavailable, administrators can sign students in/out via the web:

You can:

  • Sign students in (authorised or unauthorised)
  • Sign students out (authorised only)

These actions behave exactly like the app.

 

How Sign In/Out Updates Student Attendance

1. Late Sign‑In — Unauthorised

  • Bell time is updated to Late Unauthorised.
  • Teaching groups are not updated.
    • Students were absent for earlier classes, so those remain absent.
    • The system cannot guarantee the student went to class after signing in.

Teacher responsibility: Teachers must update the teaching group attendance for the current period (e.g., mark late unauthorised).

2. Late Sign‑In — Authorised

  • Attendance for the approved time is already filled via the absent request (usually explained absence).
  • Bell time is updated to Authorised Late.
  • Teaching groups are not updated.

3. Overwriting Unauthorised — Authorised

If a student signs in unauthorised (e.g., 11:00am) and later provides a note or the parent calls:

The system:

  • Updates bell time to Authorised Late
  • Back‑fills teaching groups:
    • All periods marked unexplained absent become explained absence

4. Early Sign‑Out (Authorised Only)

  • Attendance for the rest of the day is already filled via the absent request (usually explained absence).
  • Signing out on the device does not update teaching groups or bell times.
  • The sign‑out simply records the timestamp of when the student left.