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SPECIFICTION
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IRIS Reach

iris.co.uk

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Spec score 7.7 #12 of 29 in School Communication Software

What it is

IRIS Reach is a parent engagement suite for secondary schools, bringing email, SMS and social media communications into one place. Parents can receive school information through a school-branded mobile app; the MyEd app includes messages, attendance, timetables, absences, achievements and behaviour. Inbound and outbound messages can be automatically translated into over 40 languages, and parents can check attendance through real-time reports based on registration data. Schools can create and collect electronic forms and surveys, host documents online and send links by SMS or email. Up to twenty accounts can create dedicated channels for departments and functions. Reporting, analysis, response management and an audit trail are included. Reach synchronises with school management information systems such as SIMS and Integris; after setup, syncing runs nightly by default. The service is available on web, Android and iOS. Pricing is on request, and the product page offers schools a free demo. The MyEd app is available for iOS and Android; its help page says messages sent to and from the app are free.

Spec sheet

Purpose
IRIS Reach is a cloud-based parent engagement suite designed for secondary schools.Read 11 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Intended users
IRIS describes Reach as a parent engagement system for secondary schools and presents it as a solution for schools and multi-academy trusts.Read 10 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Security
IRIS's security statement says customer data is hosted in UK data centres and describes Okta authentication, role-based access, and encryption of personally identifiable data.Read 11 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Support
The IRIS Reach helpdesk is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, by phone or email.Read 10 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Headquarters
Slough, Berkshire, United KingdomRead 28 Sep 2026 · iris.co.uk
Founded
1978Read 28 Sep 2026 · iris.co.uk
Attendance
The product page says parents can monitor attendance using real-time reports from collated registration data.Read 11 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Backups and testing
The security statement says data is backed up nightly and penetration testing is carried out at least annually.Read 11 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Browser support
IRIS Reach supports most browser types and recommends current Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari; Internet Explorer is unsupported and may not work correctly.Read 11 Oct 2026 · help-iris.co.uk
Communication
It brings email, SMS, and social media communications together in one place.Read 11 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Communication channels
The cloud-based platform manages email, SMS and social media communications in one place.Read 10 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Department accounts
The product page says up to twenty accounts can provide dedicated channels for different departments and functions.Read 11 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Department channels
Up to twenty accounts can provide dedicated communication channels for different departments and functions.Read 10 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Document sharing
Documents can be hosted online, with links sent by SMS and email.Read 10 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Forms and documents
Schools can create and distribute electronic forms and surveys and host documents with links sent by SMS or email.Read 11 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Forms and surveys
Schools can create, send and collect bespoke forms and surveys electronically.Read 10 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Messaging limit
The MyEd help page says there is no charge for messages sent to and from the MyEd app.Read 11 Oct 2026 · help-iris.co.uk
MIS integration
IRIS Reach synchronises with school management information systems such as SIMS and Integris, with data sync arranged during setup and running nightly by default.Read 11 Oct 2026 · help-iris.co.uk
Mobile availability
The MyEd app is available for iOS and Android; IRIS recommends iOS 11.0 or later and Android 5.0 or later.Read 11 Oct 2026 · help-iris.co.uk
MyEd app
Parents can use the MyEd app for school messages and information, including student attendance, timetables, absences, achievements, and behaviour.Read 11 Oct 2026 · help-iris.co.uk
Parent app
Parents can use a school-branded mobile app to receive information, and the page identifies the MyEd app for messaging, texts, emails and letters.Read 10 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Pricing availability
The product page offers a free demo but does not state a subscription price.Read 11 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Reporting
The product includes reporting, analysis and response management tools, and describes a complete audit trail.Read 10 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Translation
IRIS Reach supports automatic translation of inbound and outbound messages in over 40 languages.Read 11 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk
Trial or demo
The product page offers a free demo for schools.Read 10 Oct 2026 · iris.co.uk

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Combines email, SMS and social media communications.
  • Automatically translates messages into over 40 languages.
  • Supports electronic forms, surveys and document links.
  • Syncs with systems including SIMS and Integris.
  • Offers a free demo for schools.

Limits

  • Pricing is available on request.
  • Internet Explorer is unsupported and may not work correctly.
  • Helpdesk hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.

Who it suits

Reach is aimed at secondary schools and multi-academy trusts that need to manage parent communications and information. Its department accounts and MIS synchronisation may also suit schools coordinating communication across functions.

Verdict

IRIS Reach combines parent messaging, attendance information and school forms in a system built for secondary schools. Check the pricing with IRIS and confirm browser compatibility, especially if Internet Explorer is in use.

Where Specifiction places it

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