Understanding Access Levels in Arc Pathway
Managing user access effectively is crucial for ensuring that the right people have the appropriate permissions within your nursery or school setting. Arc Pathway offers different access levels, allowing you to control who can view and manage various aspects of the platform.
How your organisation is structured
Access levels follow the shape of your organisation, so it helps to know how the pieces fit together:
- Your organisation contains one or more locations.
- Each location contains classes.
- Every child is assigned to a class. A child can only belong to one class at a time.
- Teachers are assigned to classes as well, and a teacher can be assigned to more than one class within their location.
- Parents and carers are linked to a child, not to a class or a location.
Overview of Access Levels
Arc Pathway has two types of staff user: Managers and Teachers. When you add a member of staff you choose between them using the Add Manager and Add Teacher buttons.
Every manager is then given an access level, which determines how much of your organisation they can see and change.
- Full Access Manager – Access to all settings, users and data across every location in your organisation.
- Location Manager – The same abilities as a Full Access Manager, but limited to a single location.
- Teacher – Access to the children and reports in the classes they are assigned to.
- Parent/Carer – Can view their own child’s updates and progress, but cannot change any data. Parents are not added using Add Manager or Add Teacher — they are added from the child’s profile.
Each level ensures that users can perform their necessary functions while maintaining appropriate security and privacy.
Who can add which users
What a manager can create depends on their own access level:
- A Full Access Manager can add teachers, and can add managers at either access level.
- A Location Manager can add users only within their own location, and can only create other Location Managers.
This means a Location Manager cannot grant anyone more access than they hold themselves.
Key Permissions by Access Level
Feature | Full Access Manager | Location Manager | Teacher | Parent/Carer |
Manage users and roles | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
Access multiple locations | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Edit class information | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
View child progress | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (if access granted by Early Years setting) |
Manage cohort reports | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
How to Assign Access Levels to Staff
To grant the appropriate access level to a new user:
- Go to the Teachers/Managers tab on the manager dashboard.
- Click Add Manager or Add Teacher and enter their details.
- If you are adding a manager, choose their access level — full access, or access to a single location.
- Assign the user to a Location or Class (if applicable).
- Click Save to finalise their access.
Managers can update a user’s access level at any time using the Edit User button.
FAQs
How do I change a user’s access level?
On the manager dashboard, go to the Teachers/Managers tab, find the user, and edit their access level.
Can a teacher be assigned to multiple classes?
Yes, a teacher can be given access to multiple classes within a location.
Can a child be in more than one class?
No. Each child belongs to a single class. To move a child into a different class, edit the child’s record and change their class — see New Academic Year - moving children/classes.
What if a parent needs access to multiple children?
Parents/carers can be linked to multiple children under their profile.
By structuring access levels this way, Arc Pathway ensures that each user has the right level of control and responsibility within your organisation. If you need further assistance, please contact us at support@arcpathway.com.
Next Steps
To find out more about creating teachers and managers click here.
To find out more about adding parents so they can view a child’s profile, click here.