Best Educational Service Providers in Australia | Service Provider Awards

Award-winning principal of Westbourne Grammar in Victoria, Dr. Adrian Camm, highlights why service providers are so important. “Schools are facing more complexity than ever – tighter budgets, rapid technology change, teacher shortages and rising expectations from parents and students. The best service providers make life easier for educators, solve real problems and deliver actual solutions.”

Principal of Plumpton High School in NSW, Tim Lloyd, agrees on the financial burden highlighting the need for services to be “cost effective” yet connective.

“Services enable schools to function in an effective and efficient way. For example, if you’re purchasing technology support or technology third-party products, they need to intersect and seamlessly integrate with other software packages that are involved and currently engaged in the school so that there’s no duplication of workload,” he says. 

The Educator team objectively assessed providers across 10 categories:

• Artificial intelligence in schools
  
   

• Interactive learning 
  
   

• Learning management systems 
  
   

• Performance tracking 
  
   

• Professional development 
  
   

• Recruiters 
  
   

• Security software 
  
   

• Student and school management systems
  
   

• Suppliers
  
   

• Tech/hardware

After benchmarking each company against the other and showcasing evidence of success, the outstanding firms were recognised in the Service Providers Awards 2025.

Dr Camm adds, “Exceptional education service providers in Australia combine deep sector expertise with breadth, understanding schools, their contexts, and indeed the broader educational and political landscape in which they operate. They excel at customer service, provide outstanding client and candidate care and are adept at solving the problem you knew you had and even the problems you didn’t know you had.”

Service providers are also able to have an impact on more students, as there was a 1.1% rise in 2024 compared to the previous year, as enrolment increased to 4,132,006 in Australian schools.

However, Lloyd states that the leading service providers need to appreciate their role in the educational sector. “They need to be ethically constructed, so they’re not manipulating or driving a particular agenda through the algorithms that are linked in the background.”

 

Five factors enable the standout performers to deliver for schools nationwide.

Personalised and relationship-driven support    

• Dedicated contacts: Many top providers assign a dedicated account manager, engagement manager, or “buddy” to each school or client. This ensures continuity, personal attention and a deep understanding of each client’s unique needs.
  
   

• Tailored solutions: Services are adapted to the specific context of each school or educator, often through on-the-ground visits, co-design or bespoke programs.
  
   

• Building long-term relationships: Providers focus on building trust and long-term partnerships, not just transactional support. This is reflected in high retention rates and positive client testimonials.
  
   

Responsiveness and accessibility    

• Fast response times: Leading providers commit to rapid response times, often within 24 hours or even minutes.
  
   

• Multi-channel support: Support is available through various channels – email, phone, live chat, in-person and online resources – ensuring accessibility for all users.
  
   

• Proactive communication: Providers don’t just wait for issues; they reach out with regular updates, check-ins and proactive guidance.
  
   

Expertise and empathy

• Staff with educational backgrounds: Many teams include former educators or specialists who understand the challenges faced by schools and teachers.
  
   

• Empathetic, human approach: There is a strong emphasis on friendly, solution-focused, and empathetic interactions, treating clients as partners rather than just customers.
  
   

Continuous improvement and feedback    

• Active feedback loops: Providers actively seek and use feedback from clients to refine and improve their services and resources.
  
   

• Regular updates: Support materials, resources and features are regularly reviewed and updated for accuracy, clarity and relevance.

Winning category: Interactive learning

Designed to inspire curiosity and support educators, the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) of NSW’s programs bring agriculture into classrooms and communities through immersive and accessible learning.

RAS empowers schools by delivering engaging, curriculum-aligned experiences that connect students and teachers to the vital role of agriculture in their everyday lives and future careers. 

Its offerings include:    

• RAS Farm Day Program – Students get a rare opportunity to be immersed in Australian agriculture, curating a farm, and obtain agriculture experience by meeting primary producers firsthand. This engaging experience brings the curriculum to life, providing valuable insights into food production, sustainability and the people behind Australia’s agricultural success while providing teachers with evidence of curriculum compliance.
  
   

• Ag in a Box – Free, classroom-ready kit to equip teachers with hands-on activities, real-world case studies and cross-curricular links. Designed with flexibility and inclusivity in mind, it supports primary and secondary educators in delivering purposeful agricultural education with minimal preparation, giving teachers back time to focus on student learning and wellbeing.
  
   

• Discover Ag – School career expo hosted on the RAS Sydney Showground showcases over 50 agricultural career pathways through interactive displays and industry-led workshops. From data science and engineering to animal care and agribusiness, students explore diverse opportunities across the production chain.
  
   

• Sydney Royal Easter Show – The School Education Program offers guided tours, curriculum-based trails, teacher professional development and student workshops. It allows students to experience the scale and innovation of Australian agriculture up close.

“As a not-for-profit, we prioritise access”

Duncan KendallThe Royal Agricultural Society of NSW

Research shows that the strongest influence on students pursuing careers in agriculture is a family background or connection to the industry, and with 90% of Australians now living in urban areas, this presents a significant challenge for the sector’s future, especially given that agriculture is Australia’s second-largest export.

Head of Education Duncan Kendall says, “RAS Education addresses this gap by connecting students and teachers to Australian agriculture’s real-world impact, diversity and innovation through engaging, hands-on and curriculum-aligned programs.”

Affordable, transparent and flexible pricing    

• Providers offer a range of pricing options – affordable memberships, tiered subscriptions, and flexible licensing – to ensure access for schools of all sizes and budgets.
  
   

• Transparent, all-inclusive pricing models eliminate hidden fees and allow schools to plan and budget with confidence.
  
   

Bundled, all-in-one solutions reduce costs    

• Many providers consolidate multiple needs (learning, wellbeing, communication, analytics and compliance) into a single platform or package, replacing fragmented systems and reducing the need for multiple subscriptions.
  
   

• This integration streamlines operations, saves time, and delivers significant cost efficiencies.
  
   

Measurable cost savings and return on investment   

• Providers demonstrate clear, quantifiable savings.
  
   

• Schools often report that the time and money saved on administration, reporting and tech support can be reinvested into teaching and learning, directly supporting better student outcomes.
  
   

Free or low-cost access to high-quality resources   

• Many services offer free or very low-cost resources, programs, or platforms, democratising access to quality education and support for all students and educators.
  
   

• This is especially valuable for regional, remote and low socioeconomic status schools.
  
   

Personalised, needs-based solutions   

• Providers work closely with schools to tailor offerings to their specific needs and context, ensuring that investments are relevant, effective, and not wasted on unnecessary.
  
   

Winning category: Suppliers

Winc Australia frees educators by taking care of everything a school needs, all in one place and delivered. It partners with schools around the country and has a national logistics footprint with office or warehousing infrastructure in all major capital centres, plus Townsville and Geraldton operations to help service more remote parts.

Katie Mystakidis, head of education, explains, “This means that locally, in-stock products can be delivered the next business day to metro school customers, ensuring they have access to products in a way that supports lesson changes, student number variations or timetable adjustments.”

The customer service team is available during business hours to assist, and the online platform is continually updated for enhanced user experience with added features such as invoicing and delivery by department or campus, budget limits, approval requirements and order tracking visibility.

 

“We work closely with textbook publishers to reflect the latest curriculum design changes and have developed our eBooks platform to further enhance collaboration, offering over 175,000 eBooks and more than 10,000 textbooks”

Katie MystakidisWinc Australia

Winc also offers a team of dedicated education account managers with an average tenure of over eight years, making them experts in servicing the daily needs of a variety of schools.

With increased focus on STEM and play-based learning, plus more understanding of the complex ways individual students learn, Winc has added more sensory products, learning resources and technology products in line with up-to-date learning research and customer demands.

Due to its extensive school customer base, Winc serves over three million students and 240,000 teaching staff. This collective insight allows the firm to grow its offering based on market insights and customer requests.

“Through years of experience, a broad customer base of Australian schools and relationships with leading suppliers, Winc has the know-how and breadth of range to provide schools with everything they need to help support their academic goals,” adds Mystakidis.

Evidence-based, curriculum-aligned content    

• Emphasise resources and programs that are grounded in the latest educational research, mapped to curriculum standards and regularly updated to reflect best practice and current needs.
  
   

• Content is often developed or reviewed by subject matter experts, experienced educators, and in collaboration with respected institutions.
  
   

Continuous innovation and responsiveness    

• Many providers have a strong feedback loop with users, using educator and student input to refine features, content and delivery.
  
   

• They are at the forefront of technology and pedagogy, introducing innovations such as AI-powered insights, predictive analytics and real-time intervention alerts.
  
   

• Products are regularly tested, evaluated and improved, often with formal external validation.
  
   

Reliability, security and compliance    

• Quality is closely tied to reliability and security, especially for technology providers.
  
   

• Data integrity, secure hosting and compliance with national frameworks are priorities, giving schools confidence in the safety and stability of the products.
  
   

User-centred, intuitive design    

• The best products are designed in close consultation with educators and school leaders, ensuring they are intuitive, practical and genuinely solve real-world problems.
  
   

• Features are shaped by educator input and refined through long-term partnerships, resulting in platforms that are easy to use, configurable and adaptable as schools’ needs evolve.
  
   

Comprehensive, all-in-one solutions   

• Unified platforms that integrate multiple functions (curriculum, assessment, communication, analytics, wellbeing and administration) into a single, cohesive system.
  
   

• This reduces fragmentation, streamlines workflows and ensures consistency and quality across all aspects of school operations.
  
   

High standards in product selection and delivery   

• Suppliers only stock or supply high-quality, branded products that meet rigorous safety and performance standards, ensuring durability and reliability.
  
   

• Programs and workshops designed and delivered by qualified professionals, tested in real classrooms and continually refined for maximum impact.
  
   

Winning category: Learning management systems

Schoolbox replaces a fragmented stack of tools by combining learning, wellbeing, communication and community in one place.

Accessible to teachers, students and parents, as it is built for the complexity of K–12 schools, Schoolbox is configurable and secure, with every feature shaped by educator input and refined through long-term partnerships. With more than 20 years of development behind it, the platform evolves without disruption and grows as schools do.

Monica Grace, marketing advisor, says, “Beyond the product itself, our difference is in how we partner. Every school is supported by dedicated school engagement managers and onboarding consultants who are former educators. Our support is proactive, personal and embedded because we know lasting impact doesn’t come from software alone.”

 

“Schoolbox isn’t just the next system. For many schools, it’s the last one they’ll need to implement”

Monica GraceSchoolbox

The numbers speak for themselves, as across 2024, the platform was used to create:    

In addition, the SBX Pastoral Care module almost doubled in usage over 2024, with 5.1M pastoral records created, 532K pastoral comments made, and 291K pastoral actions.

“Over the past 12 months, Schoolbox has grown our LMS customers by 13 schools in ANZ in addition to new international schools in MENA and Asia taking on our community portal product,” adds Grace.

Multiple, flexible purchase channels    

• Online, phone and in-person options: Allows customers to purchase memberships or products online, over the phone, or in person, catering to different preferences and school procurement processes.
  
   

• Mobile-optimised platforms: Some offer desktop and mobile-optimised websites with business account features, making purchasing convenient for busy school staff.
  
   

Purpose-built, user-friendly systems    

• Custom portals and booking systems: Tailored, intuitive interfaces for schools to browse, build orders and manage resources efficiently.
  
   

• Streamlined registration and booking: Simple online forms and guided booking processes, reducing administrative burden and making access nearly instant.
  
   

Personalised, human-led support    

• Dedicated customer success teams: Assign real people to guide schools through each step, offering attentive, context-aware support rather than automated responses.
  
   

• Consultative, individualised approach: Personalise every interaction, from initial enquiry to onboarding and training, ensuring schools feel supported and confident throughout the process.
  
   

Seamless onboarding and integration   

• End-to-end support: Handle everything from proposal to onboarding, including data migration, SSO setup and staff training, so schools can get started quickly and easily.
  
   

• Change management and training: Providers offer comprehensive training and change management support, making transitions to new platforms or services smooth and stress-free.
  
   

Trial and evaluation opportunities    

• Free trials and demos: Some offer schools the chance to trial products before committing, allowing them to evaluate fit and effectiveness in their own environment.
  
   

• Guided evaluations: Providers support schools through the evaluation process, ensuring they understand the product’s benefits and how it meets their needs.

Winning categories: Artificial intelligence in schools and security software

As a partner deeply embedded within the Catholic education community, Catholic Education Network (CEnet) facilitates sharing and collaboration, supporting over 330,000 students, teachers and staff across 760 member schools and 17 member dioceses.

CEnet manages a private, high-speed network crucial for reliable internet access, especially in regional and remote areas, minimising latency and downtime.

The standout benefit for members is cost-effectiveness, as CEnet utilises the collective buying power of members to negotiate better prices. An independent review found CEnet makes a $27 million per annum difference for members on like-for-like services and software procurement compared to a disaggregated model.

 

“We drive innovation with sector-specific solutions like our cechat AI platform designed to support educators”

Frank BrooksCatholic Education Network (CEnet)

Over 2024, CEnet’s membership value growth year over year was 41.7% and is forecast to grow more in 2025. Infrastructure services also deliver significant cost savings, with members experiencing a 96% decrease in cost per terabyte alongside a 2,381% increase in internet download volume between 2012 and 2023.

The product portfolio is comprehensive and designed to meet the diverse technology needs of modern education:     

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
  
   

• Safer Internet as a Service (SIaaS)
  
   

• Secure Internet Gateway (SIG)
  
   

• Domain Name Services (DNS)
  
   

• Enterprise Interoperability Platform (EIP): a central hub to connect the various digital systems used across Catholic education. A digital bridge allows different applications and data sources within dioceses, external services and CEnet systems to communicate and share information seamlessly.
  
   

• Security Services: Baseline and advanced measures like secure web gateways, advanced firewalls, DDoS protection, identity and access management and incident response retainers tailored to educational risks.
  
   

“Our ongoing network transformation projects have already resulted in significant speed increases across our backbone and connectivity,” says Frank Brooks, communication and engagement manager. “We focus on providing the robust infrastructure needed for today’s digital learning environments, ensuring schools have the tools they need when they need them.”

Immediate and on-demand access    

• Instant digital access: Deliver immediate access to resources, platforms or professional learning as soon as a subscription or purchase is completed. This enables educators and students to start benefiting from services without delay.
  
   

Rapid physical delivery and logistics    

• Fast dispatch and delivery: Robust logistics networks and large warehouses, ensuring rapid dispatch and timely delivery of physical products and kits to schools across Australia. Many guarantee next-business-day delivery to metro areas and express shipping options for remote locations.
  
   

• Efficient event and program delivery: Programs, workshops and events are scheduled and delivered promptly, often within days of booking, to meet urgent or emerging needs.
  
   

Flexible scheduling and responsive support    

• Timely support and communication: Providers prioritise prompt responses to inquiries, with support teams ready to assist and resolve issues quickly. This ensures minimal downtime and keeps schools running smoothly.
  
   

• Adaptable scheduling: Flexible scheduling launches, workshops and training at times that suit each school’s timetable.
  
   

Having the ability to create and offer solutions is not a difference maker. For service providers, it’s about what is effective and impactful in a school’s day-to-day operations.

“A colleague of mine once told me that if you make the simple things simple, you make complexity possible. If service providers can solve problems and make things easier for people in schools, more time will be available to focus on the relational aspects of school life,” adds Dr Camm. “Programs and partnerships that invest in teacher capability, leverage technology smartly and stay relentlessly focused on students are the ones that move the needle.”