> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zionapp.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Parent getting started

> How to accept your invitation, sign in, and find your way around the parent portal.

The parent portal gives parents and guardians a read-mostly view of each linked child's Goal Check status, attendance, homework, behaviour, grades, report cards, and more. This guide covers the first steps: accepting your invitation, signing in, seeing your children on the dashboard, and updating your notification preferences and profile.

## Accept the email invitation

Your child's school links you to their record by inviting your email address. A school administrator adds your child with your email, which creates an invitation for you. Until you accept that invitation, you will not see the child on your dashboard.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the invitation email">
    Look for the invitation sent to the email address the school has on file for you.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Accept the invitation">
    Follow the link in the email to accept it. This links your account to your child's record for that school.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign in">
    Sign in with the account you used to accept the invitation.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If a child is missing from your dashboard, the most common cause is a pending or not-yet-accepted invitation. Contact the school to confirm the invitation email address and resend it if needed.
</Note>

## Navigate the portal

After signing in you land on your dashboard. A sidebar gives you access to the rest of the portal:

| Page             | What you see                                                                  |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Dashboard        | A card per linked child, with attendance and homework widgets below the cards |
| My Progress      | 30-day goal trend and termly goal trajectory per child                        |
| Homework         | Homework across all linked children, filterable by status                     |
| Behaviour        | Net merit/demerit balance and a timeline of public notes                      |
| Grades           | Per-PACE scores and moderation status                                         |
| Report Cards     | Published report cards, available for download                                |
| Compass          | A map of the curriculum journey across subjects                               |
| Library          | Borrowed books, due dates, and status                                         |
| Calendar         | School events readable by parents, with an ICS subscription link              |
| Extracurriculars | The school's activity catalog                                                 |
| Meetings         | Booking and responding to meetings with staff                                 |
| Notifications    | Your full notification history                                                |
| Profile          | Your identity fields and notification preferences                             |

## How multiple children appear

If you have more than one child linked to your account, each one gets its own card on the dashboard. Each card shows the child's name, grade level, latest Goal Check status, and a current-term attendance badge (green at 90% or above, amber from 75 to 89%, red below 75%, or a note that there is no attendance yet). A card also shows a banner if that child has a meeting booked within the next 7 days.

Pages such as My Progress, Homework, Behaviour, and Grades combine data across all your linked children, with a child switcher or per-child grouping so you can tell which record belongs to which child.

## Where to update notification preferences and profile

Your Profile page shows your name and email as they exist in your account. These identity fields are read-only in the portal. If either needs to change, contact the school directly.

The same page includes a notification preferences matrix, filtered to the channels and notification types relevant to parents. Use it to opt out of specific notification channels. Your notification bell and full notification history remain available on the Notifications page regardless of your preference settings.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Parent Portal Overview" icon="house" href="/features/parent-portal/overview">
    See the full range of what the parent portal covers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Your child's progress" icon="chart-line" href="/guides/parent/your-childs-progress">
    Read Goal Check, attendance, homework, behaviour, and grades in one place.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Meetings and communication" icon="calendar-check" href="/guides/parent/meetings-and-communication">
    Book meetings with staff and track requests.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Notifications" icon="bell" href="/features/notifications/overview">
    Learn how notifications are delivered and tracked.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>