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WHY SCHOOLTRAY? COMPARE SCHOOLTRAY TO THE OTHERS

Why SchoolTray? The main advantages.
  • All-in-one
    It combines many functionalities such as website, iPhone & Android apps, parent-school communication, administration, educational resource management and payment into one. To get the same functionality, normally, you have to purchase many products from many diffrent providers by paying premium prices. With SchoolTray only one app to maintain and only one company to deal with. Why have many tools if you can do with one?
  • Modular
    Pay only for what you need. Start with a simple website and then pick and choose from our apps and features to build your ideal website.
  • Ofsted requirements
    We regularly update our software to meet Ofted's website and communication requirements. We compile Ofsted's comments on our and other school websites and apply necessary changes immediately.
  • 100% under your control
    Almost all the providers offering parent-school communication, administration, educational resource management and payment facilities offer these services from their own websites or apps. Individual schools cannot control and have no say on the look, layout, content and workings of these systems. You sign up to their services 'as is' and use them as prescribed by the providers. Whereas SchoolTray runs from your own website. For that reason you can organise and shape it in a way best suites your school and add, remove, modify features anytime. If you have the skills you can even program and plug-in bespoke functions.
  • Multiuser
    Almost all the websites from other providers offer only single admin user type. For that reason schools appoint an already very busy office staff or a teacher to update the website for everyone. As a result these websites never get updated. Whereas a SchoolTray website is designed to be multi-user with differing viewing/editing authority. This means teachers, students, parents, governors and office staff can view and update their own designated pages without compromising the integrity of the whole. More users mean less work for a given individual and a lively, interesting and always up-to-date website. Ten new articles per day is a norm for some of our schools.
  • Easy to use and easy to update
    We developed SchoolTray with the help of teachers, administrators, parents and students to ensure that it is usable out of the box intuitively. With a few clicks of a button busy teachers and young students can create stunning pages with text, images, audio and video. Parents can respond to the messages, fill out forms, approve school trips and pay without training.
  • Free training and on-going support
    We train your staff on how to use the website, communication and administration functions effectively. We also provide easy to follow user guides awailable on the website. We provide email and phone support as well as special support during and straight after the launch of your website.
  • Latest cutting edge technology
    We want your web and mobile apps to be extendable so it can serve your growing needs. This is not possible with outdated technology. We regularly upgrade our software with the latest technology. Most of our competitors are not software developers, they are graphic designers and in most cases the software they use is either packaged software or they use outdated 90's technology
 
Compare SchoolTray to the others

1 - Compare as a website

Others SchoolTray
Static, brochure style websites with no or very poor functionality. Dynamic multifunctional, modular and content rich websites that can expand with your growing needs. Add, remove, modify pages and apps any time. Edit pages with easy to use, wysiwyg webpage editor.
No special area or only a single page for individual classes, year groups or students' educational activities. A mini-website for each class to showcase class work, record evidence of learning, keep a class diary, assign and collect homework, display curriculum, award students and engage parents. Special pages for students to practice their ICT skills by creating web pages of their own, by blogging and creating mini-programs, animations, games, apps and by plugging them in.
They have only one-type of admin-user which is mostly schools assign to a busy office staff or a teacher. As a result those websites are never up-to-date A SchoolTray website is designed to be multi-user with differing viewing/editing authority. This means teachers, students, parents, governors and office staff can view and update their own designated pages without compromising the integrity of the whole. More users mean less work for a given individual and a lively, interesting and always up-to-date website. Ten articles per day is a norm for some of our schools.
No or very simplistic parent-student-school messaging system Comprehensive messaging system with email, SMS text and smart-phone instant messaging (IM). Using our messaging system you can send messages such as emergency messages, e-letters, school-trip approval and payment forms, parent-evening booking forms and more.
They either don't have iPhone and Android apps for smartphones or they have only an exact copy of their website as an iPhone or Android app which is totally redundant as websites work better in browsers SchoolTray's iPhone and Android apps are specifically designed not as an another place to display the whole website but to provide effortless access and instant parent-school-student connectivity. The parents see only what is assigned to them and what they have subscribed to. Also if they have two students in two different schools with SchoolTray they can connect both schools with one app. Moreover, our app is not only for parents. Teachers and students can use it for various educational tasks. Contact us for more information.


2 - Compare as a communication and payment facility

Others SchoolTray
They do not eliminate the need for a school website. They offer good communication and payment facility but you have to sign up to thier own website and mobile phone apps. Schools are still required to have a publicly available website. SchoolTray provides a comprehensive website as well as communication and payment facilities and many more educational functions. All in one place.
Individual schools cannot control and have no say on the look, layout, content and workings of these systems. You sign up to their services 'as is' and use them as prescribed by the providers from their own websites and apps. SchoolTray provides all the same functionality and more from your own website which you have 100% control over.
They offer very little educational and administration functionality or if they do offer, they are very generic and cannot be customised for your school. SchoolTray already offers many educational functions such as educational resource management and students' pages for blogging and practicing ICT skills, but more than that, SchoolTray is designed to be extended and customised from the start. So if your school needs a particular app we can accomodate that. It is also possible, if you have the skills, that you can develop your app and plug it in.
Overall they cost much more to buy and maintain both in terms of money and time. This is not only because they are expensive but also you still need to pay for your website any many more online educational software providers. SchoolTray combines many functionalities into one and eliminates the need to sign up with multiple systems and providers. Saving you money and time.
 
10 reasons why parents love SchoolTray
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  • They stay informed.
    Parents get electronic newsletters, notices of school events, urgent updates and reminders instantly - no more notes lost in the bottom of school bags.
  • Stay in contact by text, email or instant app messages
    Parents can choose how they want the school to contact them - by email, SMS text, instant app messages or all of these at the same time.
  • They can be sure they're on time!
    Parents can view school calendars and tasks that have been privately assigned to them (trip approvals, forms, etc.) and receive auto-reminders for important deadlines.
  • They see what their kids are achieving.
    Parents can follow class activities, homework, assignments and the curriculum online as SchoolTray provides a mini-website for each class which are populated directly by the class teacher and can allow - praise and encouragement - comments from parents.
  • Report absences online,
    If a child is ill or off school for any reason, parents can report absence or request a leave-of-absence online with no need to phone the school.
  • Book parent's evenings online.
    Parents can book a parents' evening slot online and change the booking if necessary. If they can't attend for any reason, the meeting can be held online as a last resort.
  • No more permission slips.
    Parents can approve school-trips, use of computers, use of photos or anything else that needs permission all with a few clicks of a mouse.
  • Pay online - no more searching for change.
    SchoolTray enables payment for school dinners or items such as uniforms from the school shop online.
  • They're part of the school community.
    SchoolTray offers a mini-website for Parents Associations to promote their activities. Parents can also volunteer help through the website or app.
  • Sell their products or services to other parents.
    If parents have a product or service they want to offer to the school community, they can advertise it and sell it through the Parents' Marketplace.
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10 reasons why teachers love SchoolTray
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  • They can showcase class work they're proud of.
    With SchoolTray, each class has its own mini-website that teachers and students can update quickly and easily with text, images, video and audio.
  • Preparation is so much easier.
    Teachers can save time with the SchoolTray educational resource management system. Store, share and access resources such as lesson plans and flipcharts from anywhere.
  • Keep parents informed.
    It's crucial for a school to show evidence of learning, and teachers can do this on secure pages shared with parents to keep them informed of a child's progress.
  • Contact with parents is easy and instant.
    Contact parents individually, as a class or a customised group using the SchoolTray messaging system. No more lost letters or permission slips.
  • Ditch the paperwork.
    SchoolTray minimises paper administration because documents can be stored and dealt with online. Teachers can invite and notify parents with a click of a button.
  • No more fiddly cash-handling.
    SchoolTray allows managing cash directly. Parents can pay online for school dinners, trips, uniform, special events or donations.
  • Makes parents' evening a doddle.
    Minimise parents' evening administration by allowing online slot booking whilst retaining full control over the timetable.
  • Reward great work.
    Use SchoolTray to reward and track your students' best work and publicise it to parents using the Student Awarding app.
  • Keep homework under control.
    Manage homework online, assigning it to pupils and alerting parents so they can support their children and keep track of their work.
  • Get parents directly involved.
    Create educational activity pages that parents can leave comments to praise and encourage their children.
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10 reasons why school office staff love SchoolTray
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  • Update from anywhere.
    You can access your school website from anywhere with internet access to update, add events or send messages.
  • Website upkeep is everyone's responsibility.
    Our multi-user system means user groups or individuals can be given authority to update their own pages. With lots of updates your websites will be more lively, interesting and actively used.
  • It's secure.
    Security is embedded throughout SchoolTray and you can manage exactly who has access to view or edit pages.
  • Improves communication.
    Urgent messages can be sent to parents or teachers by e-mail, SMS text or instant app messaging and you can create page-over-message-boxes on the website so nobody will miss your message.
  • Saves the school money.
    SchoolTray means less paperwork - all admin, permissions and financial transactions with parents can be made paperless, saving the school cash.
  • Saves the school time.
    You won't have to waste your working day taking calls about child absence or dealing with parental paperwork - SchoolTray does it all online.
  • Fulfils Ofsted requirements.
    Our user-friendly SchoolTray websites are constantly updated in all our schools, fulfilling Ofsted's requirements and recommendations.
  • Saves on admin.
    No more worrying about the right change in the cash box - parents and carers can pay online for dinners, school trips, uniform, special events or donations.
  • Easy medication management.
    Manage sell-by-dates for medication held at school including inhalers and epipens and send automatic reminders directly to parents.
  • Great value for money.
    SchoolTray is more than just a website, it's a complete management system that take the headache out of admin and contributes to the school community.
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