edde Education are proud to have been successfully working in the education sector for 10 years. Over the past decade, we have grown organically with a passion for education and a commitment to delivering the best solutions and services. We take great pride in the support we offer to schools, their families and the wider communities, helping to make digital learning more accessible, manageable and sustainable for all. 

Our digital learning support is underpinned by transparency and integrity. We believe it is vital that the solutions we offer are not only effective but also morally and ethically right for the education sector.  

At edde, we firmly believe in providing clear, honest information. This allows schools to fully understand how our schemes are structured and ensures complete confidence in the process. There are no hidden fees, just clear and concise financials and reports.  

Our independence allows us to offer choice and flexibility, designing bespoke schemes tailored to each school’s needs. We work in close partnership with leading education resellers to deliver the latest products and solutions. These are supported by a strong panel of funders, enabling schools to access the most competitive financial options available. 

We also collaborate with PRA-approved insurance providers, all of whom are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. This gives schools and families peace of mind, knowing that every policy is protected and secure. By working with these trusted partners, we help create schemes that are not only effective but built for long-term success and stability. 

Our market-leading software platform, Tedd, lies at the heart of what we do. Developed in response to direct feedback from schools, Tedd has been carefully built and is continuously improved to meet the real-world needs of school staff, students and parents. It provides a user-friendly interface, extensive reporting, and real-time access, which is all designed to simplify the scheme management process. 

In addition, our dedicated concierge team is on hand to support schools throughout the entire lifetime of the scheme. With years of experience in administration, insurance claims and day-to-day management, our team works closely with schools, parents and students to ensure everyone receives the support they need. 

Our sole focus on digital learning in education is what makes edde truly unique. We have made a conscious decision not to profit from our schemes, but instead to reinvest in our people and our software. This allows us to continuously improve and deliver a best-in-class service for schools.  

As we celebrate this important milestone, we want to thank the incredible schools and communities who have worked with us over the past decade. Your trust, collaboration and commitment to digital learning has helped shape edde into who we are today. We look forward to continuing this journey with you, supporting the next generation of learners together. 

Where we were!

Schools have been accounted for under UK GAAP, the standard accounting practice in the UK. In 2008 the then chancellor Gordon Brown announced that ‘Schools are not allowed to borrow without permission of the Secretary of State for Education’. This meant that Schools could only enter into Operating Leases. There are several requirements for a lease to be deemed as an operating lease these include but are not limited to

1. Risk we resale of the asset sits with the funder there therefore has to be a residual investment. The easiest example of an operating lease is Contract Hire for a vehicle
2. You can’t lease for more than its useful life
3. It shouldn’t be of a specialised nature

Certain items that may have very long life or are high in intangible costs such as software or installation were either excluded or became economically unviable.

Costs for extension, indefinite use or third party buy out were unknown and varied massively often leading to unforeseen costs

Where we are!

The Public Sector has moved to International Financial Accounting Standard. Under these standard there is no differential between a lease with or without a residual investment so they are both accounted for in the same way.

The statement, Schools can’t borrow remains, however, specific consent has now been given by the DfE and certain items, including IT, can be leased without pre-approval. This therefore means that any lease whether it grants title at the end which can be documented or what we know as operating leases are now available to LA Schools from 1st April, with Trusts set to follow in September. As most items fall under the IRFS 16 low value assets exemption, these leases can still be classed as off balance sheet.

Trusts are not subject to IRFS as they are set up with Charitable status, but they were still not allowed to ‘borrow’, which they will be able to in September. They will still benefit from accounting for a lease as on balance sheet for finance leases or off balance sheet (a revenue expense) for operating leases.

The future

All Schools will now be able to make more appropriate informed decisions when considering the best way to purchase all IT assets. Where devices have been historically returned and replaced after 3 years to benefit from the most up to date kit, warranties etc, this will still be the best option. Items such as boards have been leased for many years, now we can match the term with the warranties and lease for a longer period of time, matching the term with the actually useful life. It may be simple that budget dictates a longer term is the most suitable option to enable the school to benefit from essential equipment now ensuring the best outcomes for the child and using their own IT resource more effectively.

For Trusts, they will have the benefits of the above, however they will still be able to place residual based leases off balance sheet, we can therefore help with capital and revenue budgets when deciding which is the best option.

With all options, we can request the banks future expectations there should therefore be no unforeseen costs. End of term options can be documented if required and appropriate.

With regards to 1:1 or BYOD devices that are backed by parental contribution we can again choose the most appropriate lease which will be easier to administer.

See you at the Bett Show in London!

See you at the Bett Show in London! Edde will hopefully see you at the Bett Show in London, which will be running between the 23rd and the 25th of March. It will be held at the ExCeL London where around 20,000 visitors are expected to be attending. Bett has over 400 solution providers, has […]

Bring technology into the virtual classroom

Bring technology into the virtual classroom… We are here to support digital learning in the UK education sector. With nearly 25,000 schools and the best part of 8.2m children in education at any one time, the market for digital mobile learning devices is big and continuing to grow. The days of having a computer room […]

digital device insurance

Insurance Solution for School Devices Edde is pleased to provide the essential insurance solution for school devices. With the increase in remote learning, more and more digital devices are being used at home. However, with students going back to school and taking devices to and from home, accidents are bound to happen. We understand that […]

Remote learning for schools – How can edde help you? It has been a challenging year for schools across the UK with the emergence of COVID-19 and its rapid spread. However, it has been fantastic to see schools rising to the challenge and adapting their curriculum to provide remote digital learning to their pupils. On […]

Thermal Imaging systems

Thermal Imaging System Finance Options As a result of the recent outbreak of coronavirus, it is becoming a priority to make sure establishments do all they can to make their environment safe for everyone. Here at edde we are helping schools prepare for when students return. Firstly, ensuring that every student that needs a digital […]

How is the Government supporting schools through the coronavirus

How is the Government supporting schools through the coronavirus As we all know, schools have been shut for a number of weeks now due to the coronavirus outbreak. A question on everybody’s mind was, “How is the government going to support schools, teachers, parents and students through this difficult time?”. The department for education has […]