IRIS Reach vs Skool Loop
IRIS Reach
iris.co.ukSkool Loop
skoolloop.comSide by side
| Figure | IRIS Reach | Skool Loop |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · School Communication Software | 7.7 (#12) | 7.7 (#14) |
| Purpose | IRIS Reach is a cloud-based parent engagement suite designed for secondary schools. | Skool Loop is a parent-teacher communication app for school notices, appointments, interviews, and other school updates. |
| 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. | The maker says data is hosted on AWS, browsers use HSTS to connect to the backend over HTTPS, passwords are encrypted, and files are kept in private storage with controlled access. |
| Support | The IRIS Reach helpdesk is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, by phone or email. | The contact page directs app users to customer support via its chat box or the app enquiry email [email protected]. |
Plans
In their own words
IRIS Reach
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.
Skool Loop
Skool Loop is an Android and iOS app for parent-teacher communication about school notices, appointments, and other updates. Parents can receive newsletters and push notifications, check the school calendar, choose teacher-provided interview slots, respond to permission slips, send absence messages, and find school contacts. Notice groups let parents select which school channels send them updates. The app translates between English, German, and Mandarin. Its calendar can connect to a school Google calendar or student management system and synchronize with other calendar programs. The maker says the service caters to schools in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. The maker says form information is directed to the selected school and is not accessed by Skool Loop or sold for database use. It also says data is hosted on AWS, passwords are encrypted, and images and documents are stored privately with controlled access. The app has been assessed by Safer Technologies 4 Schools.