ClassCover expands substitute teacher pilot across Ireland

ClassCover has expanded its substitute teacher booking pilot in Ireland beyond Dublin to include Cork, Limerick, Galway, Tipperary, Meath, Louth, Wicklow and Kildare.

The expansion follows the company's launch in Ireland as schools continue to report difficulty securing cover for staff absences. Schools outside the pilot areas can use a free version of the service, while substitute teachers and special needs assistants can join the platform at no cost.

Ireland's school system has faced persistent problems finding substitute teachers at short notice. A survey by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation found that 60% of schools were unable to source a substitute teacher for an absence. The shortfall also led to some substitute work being carried out by unqualified people.

Schools have often relied on phone calls, personal contact lists and social media groups to fill vacancies, particularly for single-day absences. The platform is intended to give school leaders a centralised way to check the availability of substitute teachers and special needs assistants, and to manage bookings through one system.

Under the pilot, participating schools receive the standard version of the service free for two months. Schools outside those counties can access ClassCover Lite, which allows them to bring their existing list of trusted substitute teachers and special needs assistants onto the platform.

The system also allows schools to attach lesson plans to booking requests. School profiles can include onboarding information for incoming staff to help substitute teachers prepare before arriving at an unfamiliar school.

Teacher shortage

The expansion comes amid broader staffing pressures across Irish education. The Irish National Teachers' Organisation said disrupted learning from class splitting reached 735 days in the first six weeks of the school year alone, underscoring the strain on schools when cover cannot be found.

ClassCover was founded in Australia in 2011 by Ben Grozier and has been widely used there. It now handles 500,000 bookings a year and is used by one in two schools in Australia, according to the company, as it seeks to establish a foothold in Ireland.

Its Irish offer covers both primary and secondary schools and includes bookings for substitute teachers as well as special needs assistants. Users can choose which schools can view their profile, including whether they are visible to schools searching beyond their existing contacts.

Local demand

ClassCover linked the wider Irish rollout to early demand from schools and temporary staff outside the capital. This suggests the administrative burden of finding cover is not confined to Dublin, but is shared across urban and regional school networks.

In one example cited by the company, a school in Cork had to make dozens of calls to secure cover for a single day. The case illustrates how staffing gaps can consume time for principals and administrators before teaching arrangements are in place.

"We've heard again and again from Irish schools just how much time is lost trying to arrange cover. One Cork school reported having to make 39 phone calls just to fill a single day of absence, with cover handled through scattered contact lists and group chats. ClassCover consolidates all of that information into one single platform. With tiered plans, every school can benefit, whether they're searching for new subs or simply managing the ones they already trust. We've seen how this platform has transformed the way schools in Australia navigate their teacher shortage and now it's time to do the same for schools in Ireland," said Ben Grozier, Chief Executive Officer, ClassCover.