September 2025 News & Updates

We’re excited to give our school partners an exclusive first look at Parent Portal 2.0! With the launch close to release, this sneak peek highlights the key features and improvements that will help families stay informed and engaged. Watch the short video to see what’s coming and get a head start on how this upgrade will benefit your school community.

Be among the first to explore what’s next!

We’ve added more flexibility for handling location clashes:

Save Location Clashes (Ad Hoc Bookings)
Location Approvers and Main Facilities users can now save bookings even if there’s a location clash. Several schools requested this feature — it allows you to log the booking first, then resolve any clashes later

New “Allow Clashes” Setting
Facilities locations now include an Allow Clashes option. If ticked, no availability check will be made when adding a booking or calendar event. This is ideal for locations such as Teams, where clashes aren’t an issue.

SOCS is thrilled to introduce a new pilot project aimed at bringing the excitement of top-flight Daily Mail Trophy matches directly to your screen! Through SOCS TV/Spotlight, selected matches will be broadcast live, supported by a weekly podcast and expert commentary from Little and Large.

It's a fantastic opportunity to provide access to match highlights, key statistics, and competition talking points—giving staff, students, and families a fresh way to engage and support their teams.

We’ve already had strong interest from several schools, but if your school would like to learn more about how to get involved, reach out to the team today! 

You can also learn more about the weekly podcast, and watch the first episode here: 

SOCS Media Presents: The Daily Mail Trophy Podcast by Little and Large

Stay tuned for more details, and we look forward to bringing the action to you.

We’re proud to announce that SOCS has been named the Top School Co-Curricular Management Platform in Europe 2025.

The award citation highlights SOCS’ “stellar reputation and trust among customers and industry peers, evident in the numerous nominations received from our subscribers.” Following an exhaustive evaluation by a panel of C-level executives, industry thought leaders, and the editorial board, SOCS emerged as the leading platform for schools across Europe.

This recognition is a testament to the trust our schools place in us and the commitment of our team to deliver innovative, reliable solutions that empower schools to manage and enrich their co-curricular programmes with confidence, saving time and money.

Thank you to our community of schools for your continued support—we share this achievement with you.

Read the full profile piece from Education Technology Insights here: 

SOCS | Top School Co-Curricular Management Platform in Europe-2025

It’s been an action-packed few weeks for the SOCS team in Dubai!

James kicked things off at the very first PADSIS UAE Conference, delivering a conference talk and two follow-up workshops. It was a fantastic day – huge thanks to the teams at PADSIS and DASSA for such a brilliant event, and to Dubai College for providing world-class facilities.

Following this, Tracy, Martyn and Jim hosted our SOCS User Group at Safa Community School. It was an incredible morning connecting with so many SOCS users and hearing your insights first-hand. A big thank you to Safa for hosting and for their warm welcome and support. We’re also grateful to the brilliant team at DASSA for their collaboration, and of course to all of the attendees who made the event such a success.

In between events, the team also packed in a number of school visits, and even had the chance to watch some SOCS competitions in action at Collegiate International School.

All in all, it’s been an inspiring trip – full of great conversations, community spirit, and a shared commitment to supporting schools across the UAE. We’re excited to keep building on this momentum and can’t wait to be back soon!

SOCS was proud to sponsor the PEBE Back to School Event, a fantastic day bringing together brands, athletes, parents, and educators — all focused on one goal: breaking down the barriers that stop girls from staying in sport.

From empowering kit shopping to a thought-provoking evening panel, the event created a space where girls could feel confident, supported, and inspired for the new school year.

The panel featured Ugo Monye, Ellie Boatman, Emma Ross, and Dani Mugridge, expertly chaired by Chris Dossett, who shared honest and passionate perspectives on keeping girls active through and beyond puberty.

The energy, conversations, and connections were incredible — and this highlight reel captures just a glimpse of it. Together, we can continue building the future of girls’ sport.

In our latest article, Richard Shorter (founder of Non-Perfect Dad) explores how SOCS helps schools manage student workload and well-being.


The piece highlights how SOCS gives staff a comprehensive view of each pupil’s co-curricular commitments, making it easier to spot potential overloads and have meaningful conversations with students and parents.


By using data to guide discussions about balance, schools can create an environment where students thrive without burning out. The article also offers practical conversation starters for staff and parents to support students in managing their commitments effectively.


Read the full article here: When Busy Becomes Too Busy: How SOCS Helps Schools Support Balance

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