SCR Tracker

The problem schools needed solved

Schools had a Single Central Record, but they didn’t know whether it was up to date and ready for inspection. That uncertainty was the problem: they needed confidence in the record and the recruitment checks behind it.

SCR Tracker helps schools manage that record and their recruitment compliance. I built the software and the business around helping them answer that practical question.

Earning the first customers

The hardest part was earning trust before we had a track record. Schools were reluctant to use us because other schools weren’t using us yet. We had to show that we could deliver what we promised.

We found a handful of early customers in the first year. That gave us time to work closely with them, understand how they used the product and refine it around their day-to-day needs.

Working with safeguarding experts

We brought safeguarding experts into that process to help refine the product and review whether it covered what schools needed. Their expertise helped us check the work against the requirements schools faced.

When legislation changed, we met with those experts and stayed involved in the discussion. Understanding the requirements and keeping the product useful were an ongoing part of running the business.

A trust that changed our reach

We bid for a large multi-academy trust and won the work. Our willingness to adapt the product to the way they worked was a major reason they chose us. The improvements we made for them also benefited our other customers.

Once their logo was on our site, prospective customers recognised who was using us. That reference helped overcome the trust barrier, and growth accelerated.

Getting through COVID

COVID was our biggest setback. We went around six months without new sales and came close to losing the business.

Building a business around it

I grew SCR Tracker to US$1M in annual recurring revenue in three years. The product reached more than 2,000 schools.

The software was the tool; understanding the problem, earning trust and working with customers and safeguarding experts were central to the business. Running it also meant taking responsibility for budgets, cash flow, hiring and the systems needed to scale.

Leading the exit

I led the successful sale of the company and stayed through the acquisition handover. I understand the work involved in preparing a software business for an exit as well as building it in the first place.

Technology stack

React · TypeScript

The school compliance application.

Node.js · Express · GraphQL

Backend services and APIs.

MongoDB · Redis

Application data and caching.

Auth0

User authentication.

AWS

Cloud infrastructure supporting the product.