Tes Global expands its school software services portfolio with acquisition of SchoolCloud

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.

For more information please contact:

Katy Gandon, Director of Communications: katy.gandon@tes.com 0780 181 3334

Greg Tinker, External Comms Manager: greg.tinker@tes.com 07977 522453

Notes to Editors

Tes Global was advised by DLA Piper, KPMG, Cairneagle Associates and Crosslake Technologies.

School Cloud was advised by GCA Altium and Addleshaw Goddard.