HR Software for Schools

HR software for schools is a cloud platform that manages the full staff lifecycle for teachers, education support staff, relief teachers and volunteers. Sentrient's HR software for schools covers recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, performance, timesheets, document and form management, compliance and AI-powered HR assistance in one system, so school HR teams work from a single record for each staff member. Course delivery and assessment records are covered on our learning management software for schools page.

Yes. Sentrient is an Australian company based in Melbourne that builds HR, compliance and GRC software for organisations in Australia and New Zealand. Its compliance training is legally endorsed and reviewed at least annually by legal partner Mills Oakley Lawyers, and the Child Safety and Protection course is kept up to date with legislation in every state and territory.

Australian schools typically combine a payroll system, a student information system and an HR or compliance platform. Sentrient is the HR and staff compliance layer in that mix, and it connects with tools such as Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Xero, MYOB and KeyPay so staff records, training and policy acknowledgements live in one place.

No. Sentrient does not run payroll, relief teacher rostering or award and enterprise agreement interpretation. It is the HR and staff compliance platform that works beside those systems, covering recruitment, onboarding, training, policies, compliance records, timesheets and performance, and it integrates with payroll tools such as Xero, MYOB and KeyPay. Devices, instruments and equipment issued to staff are tracked in our asset management software for schools.

HR software lets schools record each staff member's Working with Children Check details and expiry date in one place and send reminders before a clearance lapses. In Sentrient, compliance records sit on the staff profile with automated expiry alerts, and leaders can report on who is current across every campus. Check names and rules differ by state, such as the Blue Card in Queensland and the Ochre Card in the Northern Territory, and schools remain responsible for verifying clearances with the relevant screening authority.

Yes. Schools can record each teacher's registration details and expiry date in Sentrient and receive reminders before renewal is due. AITSL's national framework sets a maximum registration period of five years, with renewal based on professional learning, recency of practice and ongoing suitability, and each state or territory authority sets the detail. Schools remain responsible for confirming registration status with that authority.

HR software supports the Child Safe Standards by keeping evidence of how staff are screened, inducted, trained and supervised. The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations describe recruitment, screening, induction, supervision and ongoing training as foundations of a child safe organisation, and in Victoria, Ministerial Order 1359 provides the child safety framework for schools. Sentrient records clearances, policy acknowledgements and training completions for each staff member. It helps you evidence practice, and schools remain responsible for meeting the standards that apply to them. Child safety and WHS risks themselves are logged in our risk management software for schools.

Schools publish the child safety code of conduct in Sentrient, assign it to staff and volunteers, and record each acknowledgement with a date. Policy management keeps version history, so when the code changes staff can acknowledge the new version and leaders can see who has not yet done so. VRQA guidance for Victorian schools expects the code to set expectations for all staff and volunteers, and schools remain responsible for the content of their code.

Sentrient includes pre-built courses relevant to schools, including Child Safety and Protection, Child Safety Training for Managers, Code of Conduct Awareness, Privacy, Work Health and Safety, Workplace Bullying, Psychological Health and Safety and Professional Boundaries. The library for schools holds more than 50 legally endorsed courses and policy templates, and the Child Safety and Protection course covers the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations for employees, contractors and volunteers. Schools can also build their own courses for local procedures.

Training frequency depends on your state or territory, school sector and staff role, so there is no single national rule. In Victoria, VRQA guidance lists child safety training that last occurred more than 12 months ago as an example of non-compliance with Ministerial Order 1359. Sentrient lets schools set re-enrolment rules so refresher training is assigned automatically on the schedule the school chooses, and schools remain responsible for confirming the requirement that applies to them.

Staff compliance records work best in one secure system that shows each person's clearances, registrations, training and policy acknowledgements with dates. Sentrient stores these against the staff profile with expiry alerts and completion certificates, replacing separate spreadsheets. VRQA guidance for Victorian schools states that schools must keep records showing staff and volunteers have undertaken relevant induction or training, and schools remain responsible for their own recordkeeping obligations.

Sentrient helps schools prepare by keeping training completions, policy acknowledgements and credential records current all year, rather than assembling them before a review. Leaders can report on outstanding items by campus or role, and checklists support internal audits. Registration requirements vary by regulator and sector, and schools remain responsible for the evidence they present.

Yes. Staff can log incidents, near misses and hazards using mobile-friendly forms, attach photos or documents and notify the right people automatically, with follow-up actions assigned and tracked. Schools that want deeper governance and risk tools can add Sentrient's GRC system for schools, which includes risk registers, inspections and board-ready dashboards.

HR software lets new teachers complete contracts, personal details, screening information, policy acknowledgements and induction courses online before their first day. Sentrient's onboarding checklists show what each new starter still needs, and eSign contracts and pre-boarding cut paperwork for the school office. Penleigh Essendon Grammar School uses Sentrient to automate staff onboarding and offboarding alongside training and compliance.

Yes. Casual relief teachers, contractors, coaches and volunteers can each have a profile in Sentrient with the checks, policies and training their role requires. A volunteer can receive a shorter induction while a new teacher completes a full program, and clearances are tracked for everyone who works with students. Schools remain responsible for deciding which checks each role needs under their state's screening laws.

Yes. Sentrient supports single-campus schools and multi-campus or networked school groups, giving leaders oversight across sites while each campus manages its own staff. Penleigh Essendon Grammar School runs Sentrient across four campuses and a staff base of around 560. The platform scales as your school grows, so HR processes stay consistent from kindergarten to senior years.

HR software helps schools retain staff by building recognition, communication and development into everyday work. Sentrient's announcements, community wall and milestones keep staff connected, engagement surveys show how people are feeling, and goal setting gives each person a development path. Less time on paperwork also frees leaders to spend more time with their teams.

Sentrient supports supervision and reviews with goal setting, performance meetings, feedback records and performance improvement plans in one module. Heads of department can document conversations, track progress against goals and link development needs to training. The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations include appropriate supervision of staff and volunteers, and schools remain responsible for how that supervision is carried out and recorded.

Yes. Sentrient is designed to be simple to implement and easy to use, and staff can complete courses and acknowledge policies on any device, including phones. Automated reminders tell staff what is due, so they do not need to go looking. Sentrient also provides onboarding support and training materials to help administrators and staff get started.

Schools choose Sentrient because HR, staff compliance and legally endorsed training sit together in one Australian platform. Sentrient holds ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications, uses role-based access controls to protect staff information, and has a local team that works closely with each school to configure the system around its policies.

More than 1,000 organisations across Australia and New Zealand use Sentrient, including independent schools and child-focused organisations. Penleigh Essendon Grammar School uses Sentrient for paperless training, policy sign-off, onboarding and offboarding across four campuses, and Kids First Australia uses Sentrient to streamline workplace compliance.

Most schools complete Sentrient implementation within four to six weeks. The onboarding team configures core modules, imports existing staff data, trains administrators and sets up automated staff notifications, so the platform can be ready for the start of a term.

Pricing depends on the size of your school and the modules you need. Sentrient offers per-user annual subscriptions with pricing tiers for multi-campus schools, and a tailored quote follows a short discovery call.

Yes. Book a free demo and a Sentrient specialist will walk you through the platform and show how it can work for your school, from Working with Children Check tracking to teacher onboarding. You can explore the features before making any commitment.