Tes launches Tes360 connected platform for schools

Tes has launched Tes360, a connected platform for schools and school groups, in all markets where it operates.

The platform brings together information from school operations, classroom management, timetabling, human resources and pastoral care, while integrating with existing school systems. It is intended to address a long-standing problem in education: important information is often spread across separate teams, people and software tools.

Schools are not short of data or technology, but often struggle because information is not connected in a way that helps leaders act quickly. Tes360 is designed to give staff and school leaders a clearer view of what is happening across a school or across a group of schools.

Joined-up data

Tes360 combines Tes products with links to other systems already used by schools. This approach is intended to reduce manual work, improve consistency and give decision-makers earlier visibility of risks and issues.

The platform is designed to help schools identify problems sooner, make decisions more quickly and reduce administrative burden. It is also intended to support areas including teacher recruitment and retention, student management and engagement with parents and the wider school community.

The launch is part of Tes's effort to bring several strands of its education software and services into a single platform. The company operates across a broad range of school functions, including timetabling, behaviour management, staff wellbeing, parents' evenings, recruitment and professional development, as well as publishing Tes Magazine.

In Australia, Tes has expanded through acquisitions including Edval, Education Horizons and Teach Starter. It says it now supports a global community of more than 13 million educators and 25,000 schools.

Australia focus

Australia has been a notable part of Tes's growth strategy, with the company building a larger presence through those acquisitions. That footprint gives Tes an established base in timetable management, curriculum resources and other school administration tools, which now sit within the wider business.

Jonathan Joffe, managing director of Tes Australia, said Tes360 is designed to solve the problem of fragmented school data.

"Tes360 represents a significant step forward in how schools and school groups can harness the full value of their data. For too long, critical information has been fragmented across systems and teams, limiting the ability of leaders to respond quickly and effectively. By bringing these insights together into one connected platform, we are enabling educators to move from reactive decision-making to proactive, informed action," Joffe said.

The launch comes as schools face increasing operational complexity, with leaders expected to manage staffing, student outcomes, attendance, safeguarding, timetables and family communication across a growing number of systems. Suppliers to the education sector have increasingly focused on tools that promise a more unified view of these functions, rather than adding more standalone products.

Tes argues that a connected system can make existing data more useful without requiring schools to replace everything they already use. In practice, the platform's value will depend on how effectively it draws information from different systems and presents it in a way schools can use.

The company describes Tes360 as being built around earlier action and deeper insight. For school groups in particular, the model points to greater oversight across multiple sites, with more consistent information available to leaders responsible for performance, staffing and student welfare.

Tes has roots stretching back more than a century in education publishing and has developed a broader technology business serving schools in several markets. Its current offering spans software, services, professional development and media aimed at educators, giving it a broad presence across both administrative and teaching functions.