frequently asked questions

Do you accept school purchase orders?

Yes, we accept purchase orders either via our website order form or by email to mail@focuseducational.com. Payment can be by bank transfer once invoice has been received or by card at time of placing your order.

How many users does a Focus school subscription cover?

Our subscriptions cover ALL staff and students at a single school.

Do we need to setup individual logins for our students?

No, we supply one login for all students and one for all staff. This is to simplify the login process. We can change this on request.

How long does a Focus subscription last?

Our subscriptions are set for one, two or five years. There is no tie or notice period at the end of a subscription. If it’s not renewed the online access simply times out.

How will I know when it’s time to renew my subscription?

Two weeks before the account is due for renewal a message will display on your main menu page saying that the account is due for renewal.

If your school is UK based
we physically post a renewal invitation addressed to the “Finance Department” at your school 2-4 weeks before the renewal date. We don’t do this by email as teachers move from school to school and automated emails tend to get trapped in spam filters. However, we will email the renewal if specifically asked to do so.

Schools located outside the UK will receive a renewal invitation by email 2-4 weeks before the renewal date. 

If you have a centralised finance department we suggest you put the renewal date in your diary.

My finance department has missed the renewal date. How can I get access restored today?

Don’t worry, that’s not unusual. Email your school name and address and the subject pack in question, or call us, and we’ll temporarily restore access whilst payment is organised. If our office is closed it might take an hour or two. So don’t leave it until the last moment to contact us.

Why can’t I buy Windows software versions of Focus resources?

It simply isn’t economic for us to maintain two sets of code, one for Windows and one for the web. So, in order to keep our prices as low as possible we decided to move all titles across to web only format. This also allows students to study anywhere, on Windows, Mac, iPad, Chromebook and Android tablets.

If I buy a Focus subscription do I need to download an App?

No, the Focus Design & Technology and Science Resource Packs are web based and are accessed via our server.

How reliable is the Focus Server?

Our hosting company guarantees 99.9% SLA uptime. That’s as good as it gets. In lay person language that equates to 52 minutes and 36 seconds of downtime per year.

We also have a backup ‘mirror server’ that we can switch to in a matter of minutes, if ever there is a serious server outage. It hasn’t happened yet. But it’s good to have precautions in place just in case.

How good is Focus technical support?

We believe it’s second to none. If you email us you will receive a response within a few hours and often we will call you if you supply a mobile phone number. 

Are Focus resources written for specific examination boards?

We try to avoid this as producing a version for each exam board would be extremely time consuming, and in all honesty not much fun to write. Focus simulations and resources are purpose designed to be teaching and learning tools, which can be dipped into as and when required and not complete teaching solutions.

Can I track my students progress?

Focus resources are teaching and learning tools rather than courses so we don’t track progress.

Is Focus GDPR compliant?

Yes, visit our Privacy and GDPR page for more details.
Our data centres are located in the UK.

How many schools use Focus resources?

Since 1998 Focus has supplied over 106,500 Windows site licences to schools and currently there are several thousand subscribers to the Focus online Design & Technology and Science resource packs.

Do you supply Teacher Training establishments?

Yes we do. The price is the same as for a 1 year school subscription i.e. £99.95 ex VAT. The way this works is the teacher training establishment tells us approximately how many trainees it will have each year and we supply a matching number of 12 month time limited individual logins. Extra logins can be supplied on request if more trainees sign up than been predicted.

Do you supply home tutors or home tutoring agencies?

Yes we do. Please contact us for more details. NB: include as much information as possible in your email.

Do you supply single user versions of your online resource packs?

No, we only supply “whole school” subscriptions.

Can I have a free trial?

Yes, teachers can apply for up to two 14 day free trials using our FREE TRIAL form.