Finding the right casual relief teachers (CRTs) is an important part of keeping a school running smoothly. Every school has its own approach, whether that’s working with a trusted teacher agency, managing a pool of local educators or using software to organise daily staffing.
With more staffing options available than ever, Victorian schools have greater flexibility in how they manage their casual teaching workforce.
At SOS, we’ve been connecting schools and educators since 1995. Over that time, we’ve seen firsthand the value of personalised agency support and the strong relationships schools develop with their own local educators.
It’s this experience that led us to develop SOS Platform, giving schools more choice in how they manage their daily staffing needs.
What Is Local CRT Software?
Local CRT software helps schools organise and manage their own pool of casual relief teachers and education support staff.
Unlike an agency booking system, which typically connects schools with educators supplied through an agency, local CRT software is designed to help schools manage relationships with their own educators directly.
For schools that have established relationships with local CRTs, it provides a convenient way to manage availability, bookings and communication in one place.
Rather than coordinating staffing through phone calls, text messages and spreadsheets, schools can bring everything together through an online portal and mobile app.
With dedicated local CRT software, schools can:
- Manage their own educator pool: Build and maintain relationships with trusted CRTs who are familiar with the school community.
- View educator availability: See which educators have indicated they’re available for upcoming placements.
- Send booking requests: Contact individual educators or send requests to multiple available staff.
- Manage bookings outside school hours: Organise upcoming placements at a time that suits the school and its educators.
- Keep everything organised: Manage bookings, calendars, communication and staffing records through one system.
For schools with an established local CRT network, this can be a practical and cost-effective way to manage everyday staffing, saving valuable time for daily organisers.
It also gives educators greater independence, allowing them to update their availability and respond to booking requests directly from their phones.
The Benefits of Working with a Teacher Agency
Teacher agencies continue to play an important role in supporting Victorian schools, offering recruitment expertise, established educator networks and personalised staffing assistance.
One of the greatest benefits of working with an experienced agency is having a dedicated team that understands your school’s staffing requirements, preferences and culture.
At SOS, we work closely with schools to understand not only the qualifications required for a placement, but also the type of educator who may be best suited to their learning environment.
An agency can be particularly valuable when schools need:
- Access to a broader educator network: Connect with qualified teachers and education support staff beyond the school’s existing contacts.
- Specialist educators: Assistance finding teachers with particular subject knowledge, experience or specialist skills.
- Short-term and extended placements: Support with daily relief, planned leave and longer-term staffing requirements.
- Personalised recruitment: A team that takes the time to understand a school’s needs and identify suitable candidates.
- Professional staffing support: Assistance with educator recruitment, registration and relevant compliance requirements.
For many schools, the value of an agency extends beyond filling a vacancy. It’s about building an ongoing relationship with a team that understands their school and can support changing staffing needs throughout the year.
Why Schools Can Benefit from Both
Local CRT software and teacher agencies offer different benefits, but they don’t need to be an either-or decision.
In fact, they can complement one another particularly well.
Schools often have a group of familiar CRTs who regularly return and have developed strong relationships with students and staff. Local CRT software makes it easier to maintain those connections, coordinate availability and organise placements directly.
At the same time, there will be occasions when a school would benefit from additional recruitment support, access to new educators or assistance finding someone with particular experience.
That’s where an established teacher agency can add value.
By combining the two approaches, schools can enjoy the independence of managing their own local educator network while maintaining access to professional staffing support when needed.
The result is greater flexibility, more staffing options and a solution that can adapt to each school’s individual needs.
Introducing SOS Platform: Two Staffing Solutions in One Place
After more than 30 years supporting Victorian schools, we’ve developed a deep understanding of the everyday challenges faced by daily organisers.
Through our conversations with schools and educators, we’ve gained valuable insights into how casual staffing is organised and where technology can make a meaningful difference.
Those experiences helped shape SOS Platform, combining practical staffing knowledge with software designed around the needs of schools.
We developed SOS Platform to give schools the tools to manage their own local educators, while retaining the option of using SOS Teacher Agency for additional staffing support.
Through SOS Platform, schools can:
- Create and manage their own pool of local CRTs and education support staff.
- View educator availability and send booking requests.
- Communicate directly with educators through the platform.
- Manage upcoming and previous placements.
- Keep staffing information and records organised.
- Access SOS Teacher Agency when additional staffing assistance is required.
Importantly, schools can book educators from their own pool without paying agency booking fees.
When additional support is needed, schools can also access SOS Teacher Agency through the platform, bringing both staffing options together in one convenient system.
It’s a natural extension of what we’ve always done at SOS: connecting schools with educators and making staffing management easier.
Comparing Local CRT Software and Teacher Agencies
Every school is different, and the right staffing approach will depend on its existing educator network, recruitment needs and preferred way of working.
| Staffing need | Local CRT software | Teacher agency |
|---|---|---|
| Booking familiar, local CRTs | Manage your own educator pool directly | Request preferred educators through your agency |
| Organising future placements | Send requests and manage bookings online | Arrange placements with personalised team support |
| Finding new educators | Grow your school’s local CRT network | Access an established network of qualified educators |
| Specialist teaching requirements | Connect with suitably qualified educators in your pool | Receive assistance identifying suitable candidates |
| Educator compliance | Schools manage requirements for their own educators | Agency manages relevant checks for agency educators |
| Communication | Direct messaging and digital notifications | Personalised assistance from an experienced team |
| Staffing costs | Platform subscription, without agency booking fees for your own educators | Agency charges apply to agency placements |
With SOS Platform and SOS Teacher Agency, schools can access the benefits of both approaches through one system.
Preparing Your School’s CRT Staffing for 2027
As schools begin planning for the 2027 school year, it’s a good opportunity to review how casual staffing is currently managed.
For schools looking to strengthen their local CRT network, dedicated software can help organise educator contacts, availability and upcoming placements before the new school year begins.
It’s also an opportunity to consider where professional recruitment support may be beneficial, particularly for specialist positions, planned leave or additional relief staffing throughout the year.
At SOS, we believe schools should have the flexibility to choose the staffing approach that works best for them.
Whether that’s managing your own educators, working directly with our agency or combining both, our goal remains the same: helping Victorian schools connect with the right educators.
Discover SOS Platform
SOS Platform brings educator availability, bookings, communication and staffing management together in one place, with the additional support of SOS Teacher Agency when required.
