In June 2025, we were pleased to introduce an exciting feature in Compass: Seating Plans – a classroom management tool designed to help teachers organise, visualise, and adapt student seating arrangements quickly and effectively.
From traditional classrooms to flexible learning spaces, Seating Plans provides a clear, intuitive way to structure room layouts and ensure the right students are in the right places to support learning.
This much-loved feature continues to evolve. In January this year, we introduced Drag and Drop and Zoom In/Out functionality, along with a new Seating Plans Management Tool, making it even easier to set up and manage plans.
A year on, and this feature has been enhanced further. From June 2026, teachers can now mark their register directly from their class Seating Plan, bringing attendance marking and classroom management together in a single view to improve accuracy and efficiency during busy registration periods.
Want to see how teachers can now mark their registers from a Seating Plan? Watch the walkthrough below.
Built with real classroom needs in mind
Where students sit can have a direct impact on engagement, behaviour and learning outcomes. For teachers, there’s also a practical need: seating plans are often needed quickly, adjusted regularly, and referenced by multiple staff members.
This tool gives staff a clear view of who’s where, alongside relevant information like roll flags and behaviour indicators. With attendance marking now integrated into Seating Plans, teachers can manage more of their day-to-day classroom tasks from a single view. Plans can be saved, adapted, and shared, supporting consistency across the team.
What you can do with Seating Plans
The feature includes a number of helpful functions straight out of the box:
- Admin staff can create a set of pre-made room templates for classroom teachers to use
- Copy layouts between rooms and set a default layout
- Build your own layouts to reflect different learning environments
- Automatically seat students based on specific criteria
- Drag-and-drop seating and zoom in/out functionality
- Use a multi-select tool to move groups of students at once and bulk add behaviour entries
- Display key student details on the plan
- Share and print seating plans
- Mark the register directly from the Seating Plan
- Record behaviour incidents directly from the plan
- Use the Seating Plans Management Tool to view plan snapshots and edit, delete or duplicate plans
- Send messages to parents
Designed for real school workflows
Seating Plans fits seamlessly into the broader Compass MIS. It uses data already available within your system, eliminating the need for extra spreadsheets or paperwork. Staff can access the feature from their Compass portal, using familiar workflows that help bridge gaps and ensure continuity, even when classes change hands.
This feature is underpinned by a visual and intuitive interface that aligns with the way teachers work. It saves time, reduces admin, and helps teachers make informed, practical decisions that contribute to a supportive learning environment.
Getting started
Seating Plans, and its latest enhancements, is now live in Compass MIS. If you’d like guidance on how to start using it in your school, visit the Help Centre or contact our Support team.
Alternatively, check out this walkthrough by our Senior Client Consultant, Chelsea Cannon.
We’re excited to continue building and improving tools that help schools work smarter and support better outcomes for every student.
