Education Technology Platform
For Schools, Supply Teachers & Support Staff Book Your DemoFind Out MoreMore flexibility, visibility, improved quality, greater choice, and control
We know how difficult it is to find reliable high-quality supply staff and to keep them at your school.
Retaining access to high-quality supply staff is in part achieved through better communications with them and agencies that represent them.
Schools with full visibility of agency staff availability from their preferred agencies have far greater choice to select workers who know the school and children.
Visibility of supply staff activity, with committed spend is an integral aspect of any platform that helps optimise staff allocation for improved outcomes at schools and Trust level.
Find candidates 24/7
Open communication with candidates 24/7
Choose from a larger talent pool
See skills, reviews & proximity
Self-service, easy to set up
Find the best available candidates
How it works
1. Book a school demo
Arrange a call and we’ll show you how updatedge works and how it can help you.
2. Create an account
Add any contacts, and any agency contacts to connect with instantly.
3. Get started
Search for contacts near you.
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Why choose the Schools Supply Staff Visibility platform
Local Talent Pool
Schools often have their own contacts and part-time cover supervisors along with other agency favourites to call on:
- Full safeguarding from your preferred agencies as normal
- Invite existing contacts to start the online talent pool
- Invite other good temporary workers as they attend the school
- Encourage good temporary workers to refer other temporary workers
- Refer temporary workers to preferred agencies to complete all safeguarding checks
- Once cleared invite your new temp workers to share with your school talent pool
Preferred Workers
Used by schools with volunteers, parents, retired teachers, catering staff, cleaners, & any agency staff.
Via any preferred agencies
No Software
No software or changes to the schools existing infrastructure are required. Access is via an internet browser, from any device, desktop, or phone.
Frequently asked questions
What does 4myschools charge for assignments booked via the Ed Tech Platform?
The Ed Tech Platform assignment margin contracted with Crown Commercial Services are detailed in the CCS Lot 4 CCS tool and documentation.
Assignments booked directly by the school with 4myschools via the Ed Tech Platform Lot 4 are charged at a significantly reduced CCS contracted margin.
Assignments in any part booked outside the Ed Tech Platform under Lot 1 are subject to Lot 1 agreed rates. This would be the same for all agencies.
Can I use the Ed Tech Platform to order sometimes & my agencies at other times?
Yes – The CCS Framework for Supply Teachers and the Education Technology Platform provide schools and supply workers greater transparency, flexibility and choice.
Offers can be made and orders confirmed on the Platform or not as determined by schools.
How do I book a worker via the Ed Tech Platform?
It’s designed to be straightforward.
- Create a job/vacancy offer e.g. “Year 6 Cover”
- Select the date/s start & finish times
- Add offer notes, (optional)
- Select contacts to send the offer to
- Choose the preferred applicant(s)
- Confirm to that the applicant(s) & mutual agency
The number & quality of contacts invited to your talent pool is a significant determinant of fulfilment. The larger your network the greater the probability of success.
There are many additional features you’ll see when trying the service.
Can I use the Ed Tech Platform with any CCS Lot 1 agencies?
Yes – The Ed Tech Platform can be used with any contingent workers with any agencies, including all agencies in Lot 1.
Warning, some traditional agencies may be hesitant and prefer you not to use the Ed Tech Platform as you have transparency choice flexibility and control.
Agencies do NOT need to use the Ed Tech Platform or make any changes, or pay any fees if your school uses the Ed Tech Platform.
When you confirm an offer to your preferred applicant, the system will send an assignment confirmation request to your selected agency contact.
Important: To ensure the safeguarding obligation are compliant the school must receive the normal assignment confirmation from your selected agency for each confirmed worker.
We already use a software application it does most of what we want, why is this different?
This a broad question and best to speak with us to establish which gaps can be addressed.
Or simply try the service using the 42-day, 6-week free trial to see for yourself.
I'm too busy, I don't have time to look at this, how much time will it take to set up?
Most Headteachers and Cover Supply Managers struggle to find time with so many obligations we understand that. We designed the application to be self-service, it does the heavy lifting.
The only items you need to do are:
- Check your school details
- Add your profile image, and
- Invite or search for your preferred contacts
or give them a printed invitation to your supply workers when you next see them.
The total set-up time is less than 30 mins and we will help you to get started.
The best thing to do before you start is to gather the email addresses of preferred contacts you want to know the availability of e.g. your part-time employees, volunteers, supply teachers and teaching assistants from agencies. Paste these email addresses from a spreadsheet into the invite tab and you’re set.
We’ll walk you through the process, to help, it’s nice and easy to get started.
When do I need to use the Ed Tech Platform, I normally just email or call?
Most good agencies provide 24/7 support to schools and do everything they can to deliver exceptional service.
Late night, early morning and weekend requirements are typical pinch points where demand is erratic or high, at these times schools can be left short or uncertain as to who will be appointed.
Being able to offer work and fill vacancies from the comfort of home via a mobile phone makes sense, and removes delay and anxiety. It’s at times like this that Headteachers & Cover Managers really benefit from access to their online bank of good workers.
The hybrid model is to continue with emails and calls, whilst transacting via the Ed Tech Platform to suit how you prefer using the platform when it adds value.
What can I do when my agency refuses to accept bookings via the Ed Tech Platform?
Most good agencies are delighted to receive booking orders.
An order via the Ed Tech Platform is the same as asking a supply teacher if they can also cover tomorrow, and letting your agency know the supply teacher agreed.
The only difference is the supply teacher received the offer via the Ed Tech Platform and the school confirmed to the worker, automatically sending the booking order/assignment request to the selected mutual agency. There really is little difference.
There are many agencies willing to receive Ed Tech Platform booking orders directly, including 4myschools.
If your existing agency refuses to support your booking requests via the Ed Tech Platform please refer the workers to 4myschools or other agencies that will.
4myschools will make the referred workers available to you via the Ed Tech Platform once they have been through the safeguarding process.
Can I rate my contacts on the Ed Tech Platform?
Yes – Ratings are very helpful –
5 Star Rating & Public Reviews
You can leave a star rating and review for any of your contacts including your agencies. These can be public reviews that anybody can see.
When you add a new rating your contact will get an alert and will be able to see the star rating and review you left.
As your contacts receive further ratings the platform shows the average rating for the contact and you can access the reviews.
Private Reviews
There is an option to leave private for your eye only reviews that only you see for all your contacts too.
An example of a private note might be: “Contact available via Agency B @£30 per day, Agency C @£38 per day, Agency D @ £45”
Can I use the CCS Ed Tech Platform with my agency?
Yes. The CCS Ed Tech Platform is designed to be fully open and can be used by any school with any agencies.
Can our Academy Trust use the CCS Ed Tech Platform with our schools?
Yes – The Ed Tech Platform can be used by individual Academy Trust Schools or all the trust schools.
What is the monthly charge to use the Ed Tech Platform?
The Ed Tech Platform provides a 6 week free trial with all subscription features enabled.
After the free trial a £48 monthly subscription is charged, which can be cancelled at any time.
The supply staff cost savings & admin time savings achieved by using the Ed Tech Platform will be far greater than the monthly subscription for most schools.
What do I need to do to start using the service?
It’s self-service and easy to use. 4myschools will help you set the service up if that helps.
Three core steps are:
- Confirm your school details (automatically uploaded) are correct
- Add your profile image (optional)
- Invite existing contacts to share their availability
Invitations can be by giving them a printed invitation, adding your contacts’ email, or by asking them to download the Updatedge mobile app and add you as a contact.
Once your invitation is accepted you will see their availability, can send offers and book them via any preferred agency. You can chat with them and send documents via the chat service and see the status of the offers and confirmed bookings on the day, week, and monthly schedule.
What will my existing Lot 1 agency charge me when I order via the Ed Tech Platform?
4myschools contracted with CSS at a very low flat fee for all assignments booked via the Ed Tech Platform.
Bookings confirmed to other preferred agencies via the Ed Tech Platform justify a reduction in the normal traditional margin too.
4myschools are unable to determine the margin traditional agencies charge for events confirmed with them via the Ed Tech Platform – this should be agreed upon between the school and the preferred agency.
It would reasonable for a school to argue the margin should be similar to the 4myschools flat Ed Tech Platform assignment charge.
Referral of workers to 4myschools
There is an option to refer workers to 4myschools should you be unable to agree on a reasonable flat rate margin with an agency. Once the safeguarding checks are complete, the referred workers will be available as a contact via the Ed Tech Platform & can be booked via 4myschools too which will reduce the agency margin to a low flat fee agreed with CCS. Please see the 3rd Party Transfer.
Can I use the Ed Tech Platform and not the CCS Lot 4 Framework?
Yes – The CCS-approved Ed Tech Platform can be used by any school with any agencies and any workers can be outside the CCS or any other framework. It is up to you to decide.
We used a software application in the past and it didn't work very well, how is this different?
It’s difficult to get a software application to work perfectly for all users. We too have had many ups and downs as it was developed with schools.
The best way to answer this is to try the Education Technology Platform and establish if it does what you need, and let us know if not.
There is plenty on the development road map and the service might be just about to release that feature you need, so please let us know what you need.
Will there be a 3rd Party Transfer fee for referrals to 4myschools?
Depends on the contact with your agency.
Most agency contracts include a 3rd Party Transfer fee for workers originally introduced to the school by the agency.
If the school refers workers to 4myschools we will undertake the safeguarding clearing, after 3 months (subject to your agency contract) of referred workers not attending the school the 3rd Party Transfer fee obligation lapses.
Referring workers to 4myschools makes them available via the Ed Tech Platform and reduces the agency margin as per Lot 4.
Can I use the Ed Tech Platform and email or call as normal?
Yes – The Ed Tech Platform can be used as much or as little as the school wants, in alliance with traditional phone calls and emails.
The Ed Tech Platform provides transparency, choice, and control and lowers the cost without removing relationships with existing preferred agency contacts and workers.
Assignments booked directly by the school with 4myschools via the Ed Tech Platform Lot 4 are charged significantly reduced CCS contracted margin.
Assignments in any part booked outside the Ed Tech Platform are subject to the Lot 1 agreed rates. This would be the same for all agencies.
My preferred agency doesn't want to use the Ed Tech Platform with our school what do I do?
Your agencies don’t need to use any aspect of the Ed Tech Platform.
Schools and workers use the Ed Tech Platform and agencies can is they want to.
No agency has to make any change to their processes at all.
Agencies simply recieve emailed booking requests from the school when the school confirms a booking and selects preferred applicants and the mutual agency.
- Agencies do not need to use the platform with the school
- Agencies do not pay any fees at all, for receiving orders, or anything else
- There is no charge to any supply teachers or any temporary staff using the Ed Tech Platform
Your preferred agency has no obligation to use the Ed Tech Platform.
You can continue to trade with them as you normally do, other than they will get direct orders to supply teachers you’ve chosen to confirm vacancies to.
How do I find out more about the Ed Tech Platform?
Contact 4myschools using the form below
Follow the Link to Updatedge the Ed Tech Platform provider.
Can I refer my contacts to 4myschools to add to my Ed Tech Platform talent bank?
Yes – 4myschools will help set up and will clear any referred workers through the safeguarding process to make them available via the Ed Tech Platform.
Please see the 3rd Party Transfer obligations that may exist under your current agreement with existing agencies.
Can we set up a talent bank for local cluster schools?
Yes – Simply encourage each cluster school to invite their preferred supply teachers and non-teaching support staff from the Ed Tech Platform to share their availability. Those workers can search for an add each of the cluster schools who will be able to see those contacts availability and offer them work.
4myschools will help set up the cluster talent bank and will undertake the safeguarding obligations for referred workers if the existing agencies are unable to support the creation of the cluster schools own talent bank.
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