Effective communication is crucial in every school environment. From handling parent calls to managing attendance and safeguarding concerns, the school admin and SLT teams need tools that help to save time and reduce the amount of manual work required.
EdTechPro Portal, in partnership with the 3CX phone system and MIS integration, delivers a smarter communications platform tailored to the needs of schools and trusts.
What is Portal?
Portal is a solution designed to integrate a school’s phone system with its Management Information System (MIS) – such as Arbor, SIMS, or Bromcom. By connecting your phone system platform with your MIS, Portal ensures that every incoming and outgoing call becomes more context-aware and easier to manage.
When a parent or guardian calls, the system automatically matches the phone number to the student in the MIS. This brings up key information on the screen, including the caller’s relationship to the student, attendance data, and any safeguarding notes, before the call is answered.
Reduce administrative time
One of the standout benefits of Portal’s MIS integration is efficiency. Instead of manually searching for student records during every call, staff have instant access to the relevant information as soon as the phone rings. This saves valuable time – often 2–3 minutes per call which can add up to hours saved each week for busy office teams.
Time saving features
- Instant caller identification: Know who is calling, and their connection to the student before answering, as well as their call history.
- MIS screen pop-ups: The system pulls relevant MIS data into a single screen, so staff don’t have to switch between systems.
- Attendance logging: Attendance can be logged directly from the call interface in seconds, significantly speeding up first-day absence procedures.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): A feature powered by AI imports absence voicemails and suggests the appropriate absence code, saving multiple hours each week.
Improved safeguarding
Safeguarding is a top priority for schools, and communication tools must support that. The Portal system can display real-time safeguarding alerts pulled from the MIS when a caller is flagged with specific statuses such as court-ordered restrictions or a CPOMS incident. This ensures that staff are instantly made aware of any critical information that could impact how they handle the call.
In some configurations, the integration also supports writeback features, meaning updates made during a call, such as attendance records or safeguarding notes, can be written back into the MIS automatically. This reduces double-entry and ensures records stay up to date without extra manual steps.
Enhanced parent and staff experience
For parents, a system like this means fewer repeated questions and quicker, more personalised interactions with school staff. For school administrators and attendance teams, it means streamlined workflows, reduced administrative load, and more time to focus on what matters most.
A solution built for education
Portal’s combination of 3CX phone system power and deep MIS integration provides a communications infrastructure designed specifically for the education sector. It enhances efficiency, reduces errors, supports safeguarding compliance, and modernises how schools handle everyday communications.
Portal Lite and Pro – What’s the difference?
Portal Lite and Portal Pro offer similar features, but Portal Pro also includes built-in attendance logging. This means you can record attendance directly in Portal Pro without switching to your MIS, streamlining and speeding up the attendance process.
How can we help
If your school or trust is looking to modernise your phone system while saving staff time and improving accuracy, Portal is a solution worth exploring. We can help to install, setup and manage your entire phone system, complete with Portal integration.
Contact us for more information and a free demo.