These terms are governed by Irish law. The Irish courts have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory rights that apply to you. First Bell EdTech Limited (CRO No. 820218) is incorporated in Ireland.
First Bell EdTech Limited ("we", "us", "our", "First Bell") operates a technology platform that helps Irish primary and post-primary schools connect with substitute teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) for emergency and planned cover. The service is available through our school web application at app.firstbell.ie and our mobile applications.
First Bell EdTech Limited is incorporated in Ireland under the Companies Act 2014 (Companies Registration Office No. 820218). Our registered office is Marine Court Centre, Malahide, Co. Dublin, K36VK53, Ireland.
First Bell is a matching and communication platform. We provide technology that enables schools to create cover requests and enables substitute teachers and SNAs to receive and accept suitable requests.
First Bell is not the employer of any substitute teacher or SNA and does not employ, engage, pay or direct them. Any employment or engagement relationship is directly between the school and the substitute teacher or SNA. First Bell provides the technology used to facilitate the connection.
We do not guarantee that a suitable substitute teacher or SNA will be available for every request, that any request will be accepted, or that an accepted booking will be completed. Availability depends on participating users, location, suitability and their willingness and ability to accept a request.
You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential, using reasonable security measures, and notifying us promptly at support@firstbell.ie if you suspect unauthorised access. Each person must use their own authorised account; login details must not be shared.
You agree to provide accurate, current and complete information and to update it promptly if it changes, including any applicable registration, vetting, qualifications, role preferences and availability.
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that contain inaccurate information or that violate these terms.
When you submit a cover request through First Bell, you ask the platform to notify potentially suitable substitute teachers or SNAs using the information and preferences supplied. Submitting a request does not guarantee that cover will be found or that any suggested person is suitable for your particular role.
As a school using First Bell, you agree to:
You may designate substitute teachers or SNAs as "favourites." When you submit a relevant cover request, favourites may be notified before the request is expanded to other potentially suitable users. This feature does not create an obligation to offer or accept work and does not create an employment relationship through First Bell.
First Bell can provide a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) to any school that requires one for governance or procurement purposes. Contact us at dataprotection@firstbell.ie to request a DPA before commencing use of the platform.
When you receive a cover request notification and choose to accept it, you are committing to attend the specified school on the specified date and to perform the role described. Our system operates on a first-to-accept basis. Once you accept a request, you are expected to fulfil it.
Repeatedly accepting cover requests and then failing to attend ("no-shows") undermines trust in the platform. We may restrict, suspend or remove users who demonstrate a pattern of unreliability, following a fair review and with prior notification where reasonably possible.
Important - please read this section carefully.
First Bell collects registration, qualification, vetting and supporting information needed to operate the service. Where applicable, the platform may facilitate the upload of a Statutory Declaration and Form of Undertaking under Department of Education Circular 0031/2016. We handle this information as described in our Privacy Policy and make relevant information available to authorised school users to support their checks.
Unless we expressly state otherwise for a particular check, First Bell does not independently guarantee the authenticity, completeness or continuing validity of user-supplied information and does not confirm Garda vetting against live National Vetting Bureau records. Users remain responsible for keeping their information current.
Schools remain responsible for deciding whether a person is eligible and suitable for a role and for completing all checks required before work begins. This includes applicable Department of Education recruitment requirements and statutory vetting obligations. First Bell supports but does not replace those obligations.
Users who provide materially false or misleading information may have their account restricted or removed. Where necessary and lawful, we may also notify the relevant school, regulator or authority.
One school. One price. The standard school subscription is €350 for the academic year from 1 September to 31 August. It includes unlimited cover requests, unlimited substitute teacher and SNA connections, unlimited authorised school users, current features, updates and support. There are no setup or booking fees. Substitute teachers and SNAs can join and use First Bell free of charge.
A school that registers by 31 October 2026 may use First Bell from launch without an upfront payment. Its first invoice will be issued on 1 November 2026. A Founding School retains its Founding School price while its subscription remains continuously active. If the subscription ends or payment is not maintained, any later subscription will be offered at the price then available.
Unless a different offer is clearly shown before purchase, a school first subscribing from January to March pays €250 for access until 31 August, and a school first subscribing from April to June pays €150 for access until 31 August. Registration during July or August is treated as registration for the next academic year, with access and billing details shown before purchase.
Invoices and checkout information will state the amount due, payment method and payment date. Any renewal arrangement, including any automatic renewal where offered, will be made clear before the school subscribes. We will tell the school about the renewal price and any material pricing change before it becomes binding. Failure to pay an amount when due may result in restricted or suspended access after reasonable notice.
A school may tell us at any time that it does not wish to renew for the next academic year. Cancellation does not normally create a refund for an academic-year subscription already started, except where required by law or expressly agreed by First Bell. Nothing in these terms limits any statutory right to a remedy where the service is not supplied as agreed.
First Bell does not process pay between schools and substitute teachers or SNAs. All payroll, tax deductions and employment-related financial obligations are handled directly by the school in accordance with applicable Department of Education and Revenue requirements.
The First Bell platform - including its design, code, branding, logo and content - is owned by First Bell EdTech Limited or its licensors. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable and revocable right to access and use the platform for its intended purpose while your account remains active. You may not copy, modify, distribute, reverse engineer or create derivative works from the platform except where permitted by law or with our prior written permission.
You retain ownership of any content you provide to the platform, such as profile information, qualifications, and cover request details. By providing this content, you grant First Bell a licence to use it for the purpose of operating the platform and providing the service described in these terms.
You agree not to use the First Bell platform to:
Nothing in these terms limits rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be limited. Subject to that, and to the maximum extent permitted by Irish law:
Liability cap: For a school, our total aggregate liability arising from the service in an academic year is limited to the greater of the subscription fees the school paid for that academic year or €350. For a user who has not paid us, the cap is €100.
We do not exclude or limit liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, wilful misconduct, breach of data protection law for which liability cannot lawfully be limited, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under Irish law.
To the extent permitted by law, you are responsible for reasonable losses and third-party claims suffered by First Bell that directly result from your deliberate unlawful use of the platform, your fraudulent or materially misleading information, or your material breach of these terms. This responsibility applies only to the extent the loss was caused by you and does not apply to loss caused by First Bell.
You may close your account at any time through any available in-app account controls or by contacting support@firstbell.ie. Account closure does not remove accrued payment obligations. We will delete or retain personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, applicable legal obligations and legitimate record-keeping needs.
We may suspend or terminate your account if:
Where possible, we will give you reasonable notice and an opportunity to address the issue before terminating your account. In cases of serious misconduct, child safeguarding concerns, or legal requirement, we may suspend your account immediately without prior notice.
If you have a dispute with First Bell, we encourage you to contact us first at support@firstbell.ie so we can try to resolve the matter informally. We aim to respond to all complaints within 5 working days.
These terms are governed by the laws of Ireland, and the courts of Ireland have jurisdiction over disputes arising from them. If mandatory consumer protections apply to you, this clause does not deprive you of the protections or court rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.
We may update these terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will:
Where law or the nature of the change requires express agreement, we will ask for it. Otherwise, continued use after the effective date will be treated as acceptance of the updated terms. Changes will not retrospectively reduce rights or remedies that have already arisen.
If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, or if modification is not possible, it shall be severed from these terms. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
These terms, together with any order or subscription information accepted by a school and any other policies expressly incorporated into them, form the agreement governing use of First Bell. Our Privacy Policy explains how we process personal data; it is not intended to reduce your rights under data protection law.
For any questions about these terms:
First Bell
Marine Court Centre, Malahide, Co. Dublin, K36VK53, Ireland
Email: hello@firstbell.ie
Website: firstbell.ie