WEDUC UK LIMITED

Reach More Parents by Weduc - School Communications Platform & App

Reach More Parents enables schools to reach and communicate to parents other systems can’t. By engaging more parents, schools will spend less time chasing hard to reach parents, parents will feel more engaged and involved in school life and schools can spend more time teaching.

Features

• Custom Branded School Communication APP/Portal
• Automatic Smart Message Routing
• Simultaneous - Emails, SMS, App Messages, Social Media and Website
• Two-way, Multi-stakeholder Engagement
• Create Digital Forms, collect Consent with Reminders and Chasers
• Calendar Integrations - Parents can Sync to School Calendar Events
• Language Translations - App can be Translated into different Languages
• Integrate and Connect with with Exiting Systems
• Integrated Cashless (Online) Payments with Reminders and Chasers
• Attendance Registers, Meal management and Absence Reporting

Benefits

• Provide Secure Communication for School Staff, Parents and Pupils
• Considerably reduce Teacher and Office Administration Time and Cost
• Manage Absence, Homework, Permissions, Trips, Payments, Clubs and Parents’ Evenings
• Online Register can be taken for each Class, updates MIS
• Create Automatic Permission Slips with Evidential Messages and Receipts
• Seamless Parent and Pupil Contact Detail changes 24/7
• Book and Manage Appointments with Remote Meetings combined
• Build tailored Newsfeeds to informs Parents about upcoming Events
• Helps with Data Protection, Ofsted, DfE and accessibility compliance
• Gives staff significant amounts of Time back for Teaching

£500 a licence a year

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at richard.thomas@weduc.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

178952686729773

Contact

Richard Thomas
01509 221 349
richard.thomas@weduc.com

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Public cloud
• Service constraints: The product portal and app is available 24 hours / 7 days a week with essential planned maintenance windows in school downtime such as the summer. Any such time is communicated as per our SLA.
• System requirements:
  • A Wonde Supported MIS
  • SIMS 7 (Self Hosted or in the cloud)
  • Either Edge, Safari, Firefox or Chrome
  • Reach More Parents App Minimum iOS 13.0 or Android 8.0

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Weekdays excluding English Bank Holidays 8:30am - 5:00pm - Within 2 Working hours
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: Web chat
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 A
• Web chat accessibility testing: Tested via Weduc UK Limited QA Department in addition to Zendesk Support. Integrated into Reach More Parents but part of the wider Zendesk Offering.
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: As part of any initial sale Reach More Parents includes an implementation which consists of the following stages.; ; Synchronise your data - With a seamless synchronisation with your MIS, setting up Reach More Parents users and keeping them up-to-date couldn’t be any easier. We integrate with all the common MIS either direct or via Wonde.; ; Set-up and go live - With a designated implementation manager, we will create and brand your environment based on your project plan. Either roll-out in stages or with a big bang. We’ll be with you every step of the way and help you build your content ready for launch.; ; Whole school training - Choose from a wide range of training programmes to fit your school timetable and ensure a successful launch to teachers and office staff alike. With access to the Reach More Parents Knowledge Centre, you can keep up-to-date with new features, product enhancements and training materials.; ; This is a compulsory part of the initial purchase and is priced between £750 to £2000 dependant on type of school.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Reach More Parents currently offers unlimited online training during the implementation period with a personalised Implementation Manager and documentation such as user guides on every section of the product. Additional training or consultancy can be purchased separately based on at the prevailing day rate.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Reach More Parents offers the customer the option to extract all data in a CSV format. Within the product we also offer the option to run SARS requests extracting data around a data subject.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the contract term the customer has a grace period of 30 days to request or pull any data they may require. After this period Reach More Parents will delete the data associated with the organisation and their users. This is included within the service and is not a chargeable item.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
• Application to install: Yes
• Compatible operating systems:
  • Android
  • IOS
  • Windows
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Our mobile app is designed for parent access and interaction with the school for published content, currently available on both android and IOS. ; ; The web portal is primarily designed for the internal school stakeholders such as the admin team and teachers with a focus around content creation to share with parents. ; ; This said, we also offer a parent view on the web portal for accessibility and inclusion purposes for content viewing.
• Service interface: No
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 A
• API: No
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: - personalized app within app store ; - logos, colour scheme, branding, login page; ; - users with correct permissions can change this within the portal.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Reach More Parents is a containerised, horizontally scaled platform using Amazon ECS and auto-scaling groups to provide scaling for our compute requirements.; ; Files are stored using Amazon EFS which allows throughput bursting to allow Reach More Parents to remain responsive during spikes and surges in usage.; ; Data storage uses Amazon Aurora Postgres with a Redis cache for performance.; ; Each component can be scaled individually without downtime or disruption to service.; ; Our cloud infrastructure is split across 3 availability zones within Amazon London to provide high-availability.; ; We use CloudFront for edge distribution to provide the fastest delivery possible for cacheable resources.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: User uptake and Engagement dashboards; Message Reporting; Newsfeed Reporting; Meal ordering reports; SMS / Billing reports
• Reporting types:
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: None

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: No
• Datacentre security standards: Managed by a third party
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type:
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Most features, for example forms, offer a built-in data export tools which will export the data in a number of formats such as CSV, Excel, PDF. Outside of this data can be exported by Reach More Parents and provided to the customer in a CSV or Excel format.; ; Additionally, within the product we also offer the option to run SARS requests extracting data around a data subject.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • Excel (Feature specific)
  • PDF (Feature specific)
  • Word (Feature specific)
• Data import formats: CSV

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
• Data protection within supplier network: IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: As per our SLA , our target uptime is 99.9% inside Working Hours (Monday – Friday excluding English Bank Holidays). ; Our software updates are typically every 2-4 weeks and for the majority of software updates, we are able to keep the users running whilst the update occurs, but on occasions it is necessary to take the system offline when making fundamental database and architectural changes.
• Approach to resilience: Reach More Parents is hosted in the London data centre and split across 3 availability zones. Each availability zone is designed as an independent failure zone. This means that availability zones are physically separated within a typical metropolitan region and are located in lower risk flood plains (specific flood zone categorization varies by Region). ; ; In addition to discrete uninterruptable power supply (UPS) and onsite backup generation facilities, they are each fed via different grids from independent utilities to further reduce single points of failure. ; ; Availability zones are all redundantly connected to multiple tier-1 transit providers. Distributing applications across multiple availability zones provides the ability to remain resilient in the face of most failure modes, including natural disasters or system failures.
• Outage reporting: The Reach More Parents platform uses a number of infrastructure and application monitoring tools. These tools notify the infrastructure team by email and push notification if response times, error rates or throughput breach upper or lower thresholds or move out of their normal ranges or there are reachability failures.; ; In the event of a interruption to service customers are informed by the following methods; Email / The Reach More Parents Website / Social Media

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Reach More Parents implements a role-based access control system.; ; Each role is granted a collection of ACLs (which govern which actions a user can perform) Users are then assigned to one or more roles.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: At least 12 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: No
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: Annual penetration testing by a CREST supplier

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: No
• Security governance approach: Internal Group policies and procedures are followed.; All staff are trained in data management and security matters and all staff are DBS checked as a matter of standard.
• Information security policies and processes: Reach More Parents has a full set of internal policies and procedures covering the processes for managing systems containing personal data.; ; As part of this all staff must undergo data protection law training annually and access to data is restricted to staff who require access as part of their role, also assessed annually; ; All staff must provide a satisfactory DBS Enhanced disclosure before privileged accounts are granted.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: The Reach More Parents platform is designed, developed, operated and maintained by Weduc UK Limited with software provision and data storage in London. ; ; All changes to the source code and infrastructure are documented by tickets in our issue tracking platform and we use AWS CodeCommit for source code control allowing us to track the full history of the codebase.; ; All changes are tested by our QA team prior to a release being signed off.; We use AWS CodeBuild and CodePipeline to deploy changes to the platform.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Weduc UK Limited takes a proactive approach to vulnerability management.; ; Our processes ensure that dependencies and operating system images are kept up to date and deprecated packages are factored out. Additionally we use automated scanning tools such as AWS Inspector to scan our deployment images for vulnerable packages.; ; Our application is pen-tested by external testers annually. In the case where a vulnerability is discovered on our live infrastructure, we aim to have a patch pushed to live within 24 hours.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: Weduc UK Limited uses a number of infrastructure and application monitoring tools alerting us to abnormal traffic or requests that match likely attack vectors or probes. ; ; In the event of a suspected attack or breach, our development and infrastructure team will work with our DPO and communicate with the relevant parties.; ; We have a number of tools that allow us to mitigate vulnerability such as Web Application Firewall rules, IP address range blocking and deploying changes to the platform if required.; ; We treat potential data security issues with the highest priority.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Users may report incidents by any of our support channels or external users may report incidents to support@weduc.com.; ; Our support staff will document the report in a ticket that is picked up and investigated by the development or infrastructure team.; ; Where required, incident reports will be delivered by email.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Covid-19 recovery

  Reach More Parents can be an integral part of a school's Covid catch-up strategy. ; ; The pandemic has accelerated the use of technology in; education, with the current generation of school goers and their educators already familiar with the opportunities it can provide.; ; There is plenty of evidence to show that technology can change the game when it comes to teaching students of all learning styles, enhancing the learning experience and encouraging students to become more active in their own education. ; ; Reach More Parents is helping to revolutionise schooling; right now, empowering parent/teacher communications, providing; real time data all year round and freeing up staff time so they can; focus on what really matters – providing quality teaching.

  Tackling economic inequality

  The DfE support for education recovery focuses on children and young people’s wellbeing, introducing schemes, programmes and activities for children and young people of all ages – with a particular focus on prioritising disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational; needs and disabilities. ; ; Reach More Parents is a tool that helps schools tackle inequality by creating and executing a targeted and consistent messaging and communications strategy by empowering a school's existing staff with the right technological tools without necessarily hiring more staff.

  Equal opportunity

  Reach More Parents can help to make sure that socially disadvantaged pupils are not excluded or disadvantaged. ; ; A robust parental communication platform is essential for fostering equal opportunities within educational settings. Effective communication between parents and educators ensures that all parents, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances, are engaged in their child's learning journey. ; ; Reach More Parents facilitates transparent communication, providing all parents with access to information about their child's progress, school activities, and educational resources. This transparency levels the playing field, ensuring that parents who may face barriers such as language or time constraints are not left behind. ; ; The platform encourages parental involvement in decision-making processes. When parents are empowered to participate in discussions about their child's education, it creates a more inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and considered. This involvement can lead to the implementation of policies and practices that cater to the needs of all students, promoting fairness and equity.; ; Equal access to information through a communication platform allows parents to support their child's learning at home effectively. Whether it's accessing supplementary materials or understanding homework assignments, parents play a crucial role in reinforcing classroom learning, and a communication platform ensures that this support is accessible to all.; ; In essence, a good parental communication platform acts as a bridge, connecting parents and educators in a collaborative effort to provide every child with the support and resources they need to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances. By fostering such collaboration, the platform promotes equal opportunities for all students, laying the foundation for a more inclusive and equitable educational experience.

  Wellbeing

  Reach More Parents allows schools to free up staff time – allowing them to focus on pupil wellbeing, providing extra pastoral support etc, without draining teachers and leading to burnout.; ; Our platform provides schools with valuable insights – as technology and personalisation go hand-in-hand - schools that equip themselves with tech will be able to identify the students that need support the most.; ; Reach More Parents can track homework, registers and performance in one place, using reliable real-time data to provide a detailed and personalised view for parents, teachers and students helping to prioritise mental wellbeing.; ; Both students and staff will still be experiencing the fallout from the; pandemic to varying degrees. In fact, 35% of parents have reported they are now very or extremely concerned about their children’s mental health. And according to Barnardo’s: “More than two-fifths (41%) of children polled by YouGov said they were more lonely than before lockdown, more than a third said they were more worried (38%), more sad (37%) or more stressed (34%). A third also said they had more trouble sleeping.”; ; Reach More Parents can help identify children who find it even more difficult to focus on learning when they are struggling mentally and emotionally. As a result, it’s vital they learn how to deal with the impact of the pandemic on their mental health, meaning that promoting positive mental wellbeing and providing adequate support is now a crucial focus for schools.

Pricing

• Price: £500 a licence a year
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at richard.thomas@weduc.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.