Google Classroom

Teachers: Apply for your school to use Google Classroom with Focus on Sound. Until we have received the form and told you the system has been set up for your school, the GC login won't work.

IT: What IT needs to do

All users: How to log onto Focus on Sound using the Google Classroom version

Teachers and IT: Set up classes for Focus on Sound for Google Classroom after you have been told that Focus on Sound has added your school details to our system.

Teachers: What to do for the new school year. For teachers who already use our Google Classroom system. You can also use this system at any time you want to reset your user numbers to zero and start with new classes.

Teachers: How to set GC lessons/assignments in Focus on Sound

Teachers: Application form to transfer custom material from your old MusicFirst/FoS account. This will transfer any custom tests, lessons or content you have created from the old account to the new GC one.

FAQs for teachers

Some students are unable to log in

• Check they are using their school Google Classroom login, not their home Google account
• Check that their class has been added to the Focus on Sound system - go to the Classes menu at the top of the screen
• Check that they have ticked all the permission boxes, not just a few. It's much better to ensure that IT have given all the permissions to start with. Go here.

I have set up my classes but I can't see them in the results page of Focus on Sound
You need to log out and in again, or press the Refresh classes button at the bottom left.

Most of the students are there in the results but a small number are missing
This can for instance happen with students who are new to the school. Make sure they are properly members of their Google Classroom music class. They might not have added themselves - or the school's IT might not have added them. When you're sure they're members of the Google Classroom class, you may need to log out and in again to see their results.

Why do students have to accept such a long list of Google agreements?
We have no control over this unfortunately. Students have to agree to the same acceptances as teachers. This is because until the user has logged in, the system doesn't know if the user is a teacher or a student. If users don't use the log out button, they will generally not see the acceptance message again. To avoid any of this, get IT to look at this page.

Some students are being treated as teachers and can't save test results
Go here

Some teachers are being treated as students. For instance they see My Class not My School
Go here

Why are test marks not sent automatically to the Classroom?
Google doesn't allow students to mark their own work (unsurprisingly!). Nor do they allow marks to be sent automatically. In our system they have to be physically sent by teachers using our 'Save to GC' button. You save results for a whole class at a time. You can find the button by going into the custom lesson in Focus on Sound. If you want marks to be sent to the Classroom you must use the Custom Lesson feature in My School. Marks can't be sent when using the Share button system.

Teachers can log on but students can't
Almost certainly the students have a different email 'domain' (everything after the @ in their GC login). Let us know what it is by emailing info@focusonsound.com and we'll add it to the system.

I'd like to add a student teacher or a supply teacher to the system
Go here

New students or classes are not appearing in Focus on Sound My School or Results
Click the refresh button at the bottom left of the Results screen or the refresh button at the top right of the Custom lessons page.

I get a message saying I am not allowed to have access
This could well be because your school IT has blocked all access to 'third party applications' such as ours. You'll need to discuss this with IT to make sure it is unblocked. See our unblocking page.

I'm a teacher trying to add classes to the system but can't see all of my classes
You need to be an 'owner' of each class you need to add. You usually will be, but in some schools only the head of department is an owner. Either ask the head of department to activate your class in Focus on Sound - or ask IT to make you an owner.

I don't understand how the 'pages seen' figure is calculated in lesson results
Go here.