Feature Comparison

 Feature

CHQ

SchoolsBuddy

Mobile app for parents, staff and students 

(SB - part native for enhanced user experience)

✅

✅

SMS integration*

✅

✅

Switch user profiles under the same account 

✅

✅

Twice daily register sync for attendance from MIS

✅

✅

Easily identify where students are for enhanced Safeguarding - ‘Who is Where’

✅

✅

Students attendance status visible to parents 

✅

Built in Communications for parents, students and staff including SMS and push notifications

✅

✅

Customisable forms for parents to complete

✅

Parent Portal Custom Links & Pages

✅

Parent Portal Twitter Widget

✅

Enhanced OpenApply & ManageBac integration

✅

 Feature

CHQ

SchoolsBuddy

Upload activities via CSV

✅

Preference or First Come First Served activity sign up 

✅

✅

Event Type Priority 

✅

One click allocation 

✅

✅

Pre-allocation of students 

✅

✅

Manually override to make changes 

✅

✅

Post allocation Join Requests*

✅

Attendance tracking and reporting 

✅

✅

Control access to activities by a deposit payment

✅

 Feature

CHQ

SchoolsBuddy

Create appointment schedules for onsite or online parent meetings 

✅

✅

Identify eligible students for bookings 

✅

✅

Clash Management avoids double bookings

✅

✅

Set appointment time, length and interval duration

✅

✅

Staff can view and print their schedules 

✅

✅

Make manual bookings on behalf of parent if required*

✅

✅

All appointments visible from the parent diary 

✅

✅

Facilitate student led conferences 

✅

Flexibility to customise breaks for all day conferences as required

✅

✅

Allow staff to manage their own breaks independently, reducing burden on admin staff

✅

 Feature

CHQ

SchoolsBuddy

Organise sports matches, fixtures and events 

✅

✅

Create opponent database 

✅

✅

Request parent consent 

✅

✅

Send communications to specific groups 

✅

✅

Generate attendance registers with guardian and medical information also accessible via the app 

✅

✅

Dependent on events, allow for a deposit or require upfront payment*

✅

 Feature

CHQ

SchoolsBuddy

Parents can book online in advance for single/ multiple days 

✅

✅

Cap numbers

✅

✅

Require optional upfront payment 

✅

Parents can cancel previously booked events 

✅

✅

Auto-generated attendance registers 

✅

✅

Allow parents to pay via childcare voucher (option to limit parents)

✅

Allow parents to pay via previously returned credit (from refunded activities)

✅

Optional time based charging 

✅

Send communications easily to whole group or just those attending a particular day

✅

Parents only see what is relevant to their children

✅

✅

Limit parents from booking if they have a bad credit history

✅

Organise everything at the start of the year but display booking options  to parents within a rolling time period (e.g. parents can only book two weeks in advance)

✅

Fast, automated payment chasing notices

✅

 Feature

CHQ

SchoolsBuddy

Take online payments immediately for all school bookings - full or partial payments

✅

✅

Require partial payment/ deposit up front for bookings

✅

Request payments for school trips, events and more 

✅

✅

Parents can access their account and pay off items by activity individually or partial payments for larger sums

✅

Hassle free activity swap - Parent wallet holds quick credits from cancellations, immediately available to re-book

✅

✅

Childcare vouchers are handled for UK schools (option to limit payment by voucher to parents that have a positive balance only)

✅

Enhanced parent user interface with the ability to download full payment history

✅

Automated chase emails can be sent for unpaid balances 

✅

✅

Financial reporting 

✅

✅

Tuition Fee Billing (coming early 2022)

✅

 Feature

CHQ

SchoolsBuddy

Create bus routes and schedules 

✅

✅

Register transport methods for each student including late bus options for After School Activities 

✅

✅

GPS Tracking (Coming to SB latest Jan 2022)

✅

Attendance tracking from mobile devices 

✅

✅

Parents can make change requests to a transport method

✅

✅

Staff approval for parental change requests 

✅

Dynamic lists make changes if a child has an activity

✅

✅

Optional absentee alerts for staff/parents if a child has not arrived

✅