UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / February 25, 2021 / SchoolCloud’s virtual parents’ evening capability has been a lifeline for schools during COVID-19 pandemic
Tes Global, an international provider of software services to make life easier for schools and teachers, today announced the purchase of Glasgow based SchoolCloud, the company behind the most popular online parents’ evening software in the UK. This further widens the solutions Tes Global offers to schools, including timetabling, pupil management, wellbeing survey tools, recruitment, and online safeguarding and compliance training.
The deal enables Tes Global to deepen its strategic focus on the provision of online and software-enabled products and services to schools and teachers. Building on its recent acquisitions of Edval and EduCare, and the sale of its Supply Agencies businesses to LDC, the addition of SchoolCloud accelerates Tes Global’s transition to a leading provider of comprehensive software solutions for the education sector.
SchoolCloud is used by over 6,000 schools to help them with their school events, room booking and parents' evenings. The software has facilitated a completely new way of managing what was previously a very administrative heavy task by enabling parents to book appointments using an algorithm that automatically determines the most efficient schedule.
In 2020 SchoolCloud added video capability to the application, enabling remote parents’ evenings to take place during the pandemic. Both primary and secondary schools are now seeing this as a way forward to more effectively managing parents’ evenings, with a clear long-term change in approach now being evident across SchoolCloud’s customers. Even without the challenges of COVID-19, SchoolCloud allows for parents juggling multiple children’s schedules, childcare, work commitments and even separated parents, to be able to remotely participate in parents’ evenings.
SchoolCloud was founded in 2006 by two students who had been given a challenge by their IT teacher. Robbie Beattie and Marcus Fields were asked to solve a school-wide issue of room double bookings. The business quickly evolved to support a range of school events, most significantly parents’ evenings.
Rod Williams, Chief Executive of Tes Global, said: “As a leading provider of software solutions to schools, we have seen a growing adoption of technology by schools to help with all manner of tasks, from managing pupil behaviour, to planning class timetables, and monitoring staff wellbeing. However, this year, schools have understandably looked to adopt new technology with a greater sense of urgency. This is likely to leave a longstanding valuable legacy, given the clear benefits SchoolCloud has brought to schools. We’re excited about this becoming part of Tes Global’s school software services portfolio and being able to take it to a much wider global market.”
Robbie Beattie, Co-founder of SchoolCloud, said: “We’ve seen huge success as more schools adopt new technology. However, by being part of Tes Global, we are now part of a trusted partner for tens of thousands of schools worldwide. We know both schools and parents love how SchoolCloud can evolve parents’ evenings and we’re excited at the prospect of now being able to bring this technology to so many more over the world.”
Marcus Fields, Co-founder of SchoolCloud, said: “From a classroom project to a solution that can help teachers and parents across the globe, this has certainly been an incredible 16 years. The team around us care deeply about supporting schools and it is fantastic to become part of such an established brand that shares those values.”
SchoolCloud are twice recipients of 'Company of the Year' at the revered EdTech Bett Awards in 2014 & 2017, and is shortlisted for 'Innovator of the Year' and 'Company of the Year' in the upcoming Bett Awards 2021.
Tes Global was advised by DLA Piper, KPMG, Cairneagle Associates and Crosslake Technologies.
School Cloud was advised by GCA Altium and Addleshaw Goddard.
About Us
About Providence Equity Partners
Providence is a premier global private equity firm with approximately $44 billion in aggregate capital commitments. Providence pioneered a sector-focused approach to private equity investing with the vision that a dedicated team of industry experts could build exceptional companies of enduring value. Since the firm's inception in 1989, Providence has invested in more than 170 companies and is a leading equity investment firm focused on the media, communications, education, software and services industries. Providence has a long history of successfully investing in the automotive technology sector. Providence is headquartered in Providence, RI, and also has offices in New York and London. For more information, please visit www.provequity.com.
About SchoolCloud
SchoolCloud is trusted by over 6,000 schools worldwide to consistently enhance school operations. Founded in 2006 by two high-school friends, Robbie Beattie and Marcus Fields, SchoolCloud provides market-leading solutions for managing parents' evenings, room & resource booking, and clubs & events. In March 2020, SchoolCloud launched the UK's first virtual parents' evening platform which has had over 200 million minutes of video calls. SchoolCloud are twice recipients of 'Company of the Year' at the Bett Awards in 2014 & 2017, and is shortlisted for 'Innovator of the Year' and 'Company of the Year' in the upcoming Bett Awards 2021.
Visit: www.schoolcloud.co.uk
Contacts