Industry Served: EdTech
Aquinas Education, Connecting Schools With
Qualified Teachers and Support Staff
Revolutionising Education Staffing Through a Hybrid Tech-Based Recruitment Platform
A Vision to Change the Educational Hiring Landscape
Discuss your projectAquinas Education is an innovative platform that simplifies connecting schools with qualified teachers, TAs, and administrative staff in the UK and overseas. It streamlines staffing processes, making it easier to find candidates while offering features like attendance tracking and salary management.
Aquinas Education aspired to reshape the landscape of educational hiring by recognising and addressing prevalent challenges in the sector. They wanted to uproot the hurdles that come in the way of swiftly placing qualified teachers and helping educators find suitable positions. They realised that these issues persisted due to outdated hiring methods and inadequate job platforms. These shortcomings lead to delays, inefficiencies, and increased administrative burdens.
The team at Aquinas Education identified these challenges and committed to leveraging technology to pioneer a transformation in staffing processes. Their vision was to create a user-friendly platform that caters specifically to the intricacies of education staffing.
Transformation to a Next-Gen Platform
From an Outdated System Unable to Meet Evolving Needs
Aquinas Education's previous platform faced significant challenges due to its outdated design, poor functionalities, and a user journey that no longer aligned with the vision. As times evolved, the platform struggled to fulfil the changing needs of schools, educators, and administrative professionals.
To an Efficient, Cutting-Edge and Robust Platform
Aquinas Education approached us with a clear vision to develop a new, cutting-edge platform. This revamp aimed to create an efficient, usercentric solution perfectly tailored to meet the needs of both schools and educators, addressing the specific pain points experienced by education professionals.
Project Challenges & Needs
01
Algorithm Precision And Human Interaction
Developing an algorithm that accurately matches education professionals with schools while preserving the personalised touch required in staffing.
02
Integrated System Complexity
Designing an integrated system that manages attendance, salary calculations, and data encryption, demanded precision in data capture and secure handling.
03
Data Privacy And Security Measures
Implementing robust security measures to ensure stringent data privacy protocols while maintaining accessibility for authorised users.
04
Platform Scalability And Performance
Ensuring the platform's capability to handle increased user loads without compromising on performance or response time.
Our Solution
We developed a scalable, role-based Education Staffing Platform enabling:
Two-way matching between schools and vetted education professionals
Direct booking of teachers, TAs, and administrative staff for specific dates
Professional registration with qualifications, key stages, and sector preferences
Integrated attendance tracking with real-time visibility for schools
Salary management with secure handling of financial data
Direct school-to-professional communication throughout the placement
We collaborated closely, combining innovative ideas with technical expertise to redefine the platform's architecture and functionalities. Rigorous testing and iterative design processes were integral to ensure a seamless user experience, with focus on precision in algorithm development for staff matching, robust data encryption for privacy, and system scalability to handle growing demands.
Interfaces We Developed
Admin Web Interface
A comprehensive, user-friendly interface tailored for administrative purposes, empowering administrators to:
- Manage staffing across schools and professionals
- Oversee placements from booking through completion
- Streamline administrative tasks including attendance & payroll
- Monitor platform activity and generate reports
Web & App Platform For Schools
A unified platform accessible via web and app, giving schools:
- Access to a fully vetted pool of educators & administrative staff
- Search and browse by qualifications, key stage, and availability
- Direct booking of educators and staff for required dates
- Real-time attendance insights across booked staff
Web & App Platform For Teachers
A versatile web and app platform for educators to:
- Create detailed profiles with qualifications, key stages, and desired sectors
- Explore roles matching their qualifications and preferences.
- Engage with schools directly and confirm placements
- Track placements, attendance, & payments in one place
Key Features & Capabilities
Efficient Booking System
A platform that simplifies hiring educators akin to booking an Uber. Schools review qualifications, communicate directly, and hire prescreened professionals.
Two-Way Matching System
Educators find suitable roles while schools identify qualified staff, ensuring mutual satisfaction in placements.
Precise Algorithm
A sophisticated matching algorithm optimising placements based on qualifications and preferences.
Attendance Tracking
Integrated tracking offering schools real time insights into staff attendance, streamlining administrative processes.
Salary Management
Efficient salary calculations and secure handling of financial data, ensuring accurate and timely payments.
Role-Based Access Control
Admins, schools, and professionals each access only the tools their role requires.
How Does It Work?
Registration And Profile Setup
Professionals register on the platform, setting up a detailed profile specifying their qualifications, key stages, and desired sectors for employment.
Search And Browse
Schools access a fully vetted pool of educators and administrative staff, searching based on their specific requirements from qualifications to availability.
Direct Booking
Schools book educators and staff for their required dates through the intuitive system, allowing a quick and efficient hiring experience.
Direct Engagement
Schools and professionals engage directly, discussing roles, confirming details, and finalising placements through the platform.
Ongoing Support
Throughout the employment journey, Aquinas Education maintains regular communication with professionals, providing support and guidance irrespective of their placement status.
Outcomes And Impact
10K
Teachers placed weekly on average
48000
Teaching hours placed every day
99%
Satisfaction ratio reported
The Next Chapter: Aquinas Education Joins Zen Educate
Aquinas Education has joined Zen Educate, bringing its network of schools, teachers, and TAs into a larger education staffing group.
The platform we built was designed for exactly this kind of growth, and it carried the business through the transition without disruption to schools or professionals midplacement.
The platform we built was designed to scale with the business, & that scalability carried through the transition. The matching, booking, attendance, and payroll foundations continue to serve a wider network of schools and a larger pool of education professionals under the Zen Educate umbrella, with the same service standards teachers and TAs came to Aquinas for.
Technologies Used to Develop the Solution
Web Frontend
Next.Js
Fast, responsive portals for admins, schools, and professionals.
Mobile
Flutter (iOS & Android)
Cross-platform apps for schools and education professionals.
Backend
Node.Js (NestJS)
Modular APIs powering matching, booking, and payroll workflows.
Database
PostgreSQL & Redis
Reliable storage for profiles, bookings, and attendance, with caching for search.
Matching Engine
Elasticsearch & Custom Ranking
Fast candidate search with qualification and preference weighted matching.
Payments & Payroll
Stripe Connect
Secure salary calculation, disbursement, and financial record keeping.
Notifications
Firebase Cloud Messaging
Booking alerts, shift reminders, and placement updates.
Cloud Infrastructure
AWS (ECS, S3, RDS)
Scalable infrastructure handling peak term-time booking loads.
Security
Role-Based Access & Encryption
Protects candidate, school, and financial data end to end.
Here's What Our Client Has to Say
Working with their team was a delightful experience right from the beginning to the very end. They helped us reinvent our platform and made it future-proof, equipping it with great features and technology. Additionally, their innovative ideas and suggestions breathed new life into our concept.
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