Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for language schools.
A checklist built from how language schools work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Enquiries and placement tests
- Classes by level and room
- Registers and unit coverage
- Progress tests and promotion
- Lesson packs and make-ups
- Teacher hours and cover
- Exam entries and course books
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For the owner
- For academic coordinators
- For teachers
- At the front desk
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Placement results and levels assigned
- Seats open and waiting queue by level
- Attendance by class and learner
- Lessons remaining on each pack
- Promotion and repeat counts per unit
- Teacher hours taught, cover and trial lessons
- Exam entries filed against their closing date
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- WhatsApp or other messaging apps
- SMS
- Online card payments
- Video lesson links
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Is this for language teaching only?
- Can we use our own placement test?
- How does it count lessons on a pack?
- Can it hold a queue for a full level?
- Does it total a part-time teacher’s pay?
- Can company groups be billed on one invoice?
- Can online lessons be included?
- Can we bring our existing learner list?
- How do we get our records out later?
- What would it cost for one small school?
- How soon before the front desk uses it for the next intake?
- What should the school put together?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Placement results sit apart from class lists
- Level progress lives in teachers’ notebooks
- Make-up lessons are arranged by message
- Teacher pay is rebuilt from registers
- Exam entries and course book sales are tracked separately
Prefer to talk it through? See the language schools page.