The COS Back to School (BTS) portal is a school-facing platform that allows school staff to build student supply packs, manage team access, track bulk orders, and set which items within a pack are mandatory or optional for each year level. To get started, your school’s BTS account must be activated by COS. Once active, the nominated school administrator logs in to the BTS Assistant, configures the team and year level packs, and uses the built-in BTS Assistant tool to build and review orders before they go live on the Parent Portal.
The COS Back to School portal, also referred to as the BTS Assistant, is the school-side platform used by business managers, coordinators, and administrators to set up, manage, and track the student stationery and supply pack ordering process. It is separate from the Parent Portal, which is the platform families use to place their child’s pack order.
Understanding the distinction is important: the BTS portal is for school staff. It is where the school’s team is configured, where year level packs are built and reviewed, where mandatory and optional items are designated, and where bulk order progress is tracked. Parents interact with the finished packs through the Parent Portal at parent.cos.net.au, not through the BTS Assistant itself.
This article covers how to set up and manage your school’s team on the BTS portal, how to use the BTS Assistant to build and review orders, and how curriculum and mandatory item requirements work within the system.
Getting Started: Account Activation and First Login
Before your school can access the BTS portal, your account must be activated by COS. If your school is using the BTS program for the first time, or if you need to reactivate an existing account for the new year, contact the COS BTS and Parent Portal team to arrange setup.
Contact COS to activate your BTS account
Call 1300 614 133 or email parentportal@cos.net.au to set up or reactivate your school’s BTS account. Have your school name, address, and the contact details of the staff member who will be the primary BTS administrator ready. The COS team operates Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 8pm AEST.
Receive your school login credentials
COS will provide your school’s BTS login credentials, typically an email address in the format schoolname@cos.net.au and a password. These credentials are used by school staff to access the BTS Assistant portal, and a version of them may also be shared with families to access the Parent Portal.
Log in to the BTS Assistant
Go to the BTS Assistant portal using the URL provided by COS. Enter your school’s login credentials. The dashboard will show the main navigation areas: Building Orders, User Management, Summary View, Order Status, Quick Actions, and Order History.
Review the current year’s setup
Check the year level packs that are set up under your account. If you are setting up for a new school year, work with the COS team to ensure the pack contents are updated to reflect your school’s current requirements before the packs go live for parent ordering.
BTS pricing window: The COS Back to School special price list is available from 1 September 2026 for deliveries between 28 September 2026 and 26 February 2027. Contact the BTS team early to ensure your packs are set up and live within this window.
How to Set Up and Manage Your Team on the BTS Portal
The User Management section of the BTS portal is where school administrators add, edit, and manage the staff members who have access to the portal. This is important for schools with multiple staff involved in the back to school process, such as the business manager, year level coordinators, and administrative assistants.
Navigate to User Management
From the BTS Assistant dashboard, locate the User Management section in the main navigation. This is the central area for controlling who on your staff can access and operate the BTS portal.
Add a new team member
To add a staff member, select the option to add a new user. Enter their name, email address, and the access level they require. Different access levels may allow some staff to view orders only, while others can build packs and manage settings. Confirm the details and save.
Review and update existing users
Regularly review the user list to ensure it reflects current staff. Remove access for staff who have left the school or are no longer involved in the BTS process. Keeping the user list current prevents unauthorised access to order data.
Contact COS if you cannot access User Management
If the User Management section is not visible in your portal or if you encounter an error when adding users, contact the COS BTS team on 1300 614 133 or parentportal@cos.net.au. Some access levels may need to be configured by COS rather than by the school administrator directly.
Administrator tip: Designate at least two staff members as BTS portal users so there is always a backup person who can access the system if the primary administrator is unavailable during the busy ordering period. This is particularly important in the weeks leading up to the parent ordering window opening.
How to Use the BTS Assistant to Build and Review Orders
The BTS Assistant is the core tool within the portal used to build, review, and manage the student supply packs your school offers through the Parent Portal. It guides school staff through the process of configuring packs by year level, designating items as mandatory or optional, and reviewing the pack contents before they go live for parent ordering.
Open the BTS Assistant
From the BTS portal dashboard, navigate to the BTS Assistant or Building Orders section. This is where you access and edit the pack configurations for each year level your school has set up.
Select the year level to configure
The BTS Assistant displays your school’s year levels. Select the year level you want to build or review. The item list for that year level will display, showing the products included in the pack.
Review and adjust item selection
Review the items listed for the selected year level. Items can be marked as mandatory (required for all students) or optional (available for parents to add or remove from their order). See the curriculum requirements section below for guidance on how mandatory and optional designations work.
Use Summary View to check overall pack status
Navigate to the Summary View to get an overview of all year level packs, their current status, and any items flagged as needing attention. This view is useful for checking the overall readiness of your school’s packs before the parent ordering window opens.
Use Quick Actions for common tasks
The Quick Actions menu provides shortcuts for common tasks within the BTS Assistant, such as publishing packs, sending communications, or updating order settings. Familiarise yourself with the available Quick Actions for your account, as these vary based on your school’s setup.
Track orders using Order Status
Once the parent ordering window is open, the Order Status section shows how many orders have been placed for each year level, which orders are being processed, and any orders that require attention. Use this view to monitor ordering progress and identify any issues before the delivery window closes.
Need help with the BTS Assistant? The COS BTS team can walk you through the portal during a phone or screen-share session. Contact them on 1300 614 133 or parentportal@cos.net.au, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 8pm AEST.
Curriculum Requirements in BTS: What Is Mandatory and What Is Not?
One of the most common questions from school administrators using the BTS portal is how curriculum and mandatory item requirements work. The short answer is that it is the school, not COS, that determines which items within a pack are mandatory and which are optional. COS provides the platform and the products; the school controls the designation.
How Mandatory and Optional Items Work
Within the BTS Assistant, each item in a year level pack can be set to one of two designations by the school administrator:
- Mandatory: Items marked as mandatory are required for all students in that year level. Parents will see these items in their pack and cannot remove them from their order. These are typically items specified in the school’s supply list as required for curriculum delivery.
- Optional: Items marked as optional are included in the pack as recommendations or additions, but parents can choose whether to include them in their order. These might be supplementary workbooks, additional stationery items, or discretionary resources.
When parents log in to the Parent Portal to place their child’s order, they will see the pack with items clearly indicated as mandatory or optional. This transparency allows families to make informed choices about optional items while ensuring mandatory curriculum supplies are included.
Is Ordering Through COS Compulsory for Families?
No. Ordering through the COS Parent Portal is not compulsory for families. The COS Back to School program offers convenience, but families are always free to use the school’s supply list as a guide and purchase items from any retailer they choose.
This is a policy decision made by each individual school when communicating the BTS program to families. Schools typically communicate that the COS portal is an available and convenient option, and that items purchased independently should match the specifications on the school’s list. Some schools note explicitly in their communications that book packs are not mandatory to purchase from COS.
If your school wants to include this information in its Parent Portal communications, the COS BTS team can assist with wording for your school’s parent letter or portal messaging.
Key distinction: Items within a pack that are marked as mandatory are mandatory to include if the parent is ordering through the COS portal. However, the decision to order through the COS portal at all remains the family’s choice. The school sets which items are on the list and which are required; COS provides the ordering platform.
How to Set Mandatory and Optional Items in the BTS Assistant
Within the BTS Assistant, navigate to the year level pack you want to configure. For each item in the list, you will see an option to toggle it between mandatory and optional. Review the item designations against your school’s supply list and any decisions made by your curriculum team or leadership before the pack goes live. Once the parent ordering window opens, changes to item designations may affect in-progress orders. Contact the COS BTS team if you need to make changes after the window has opened.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up or manage my team on my BTS portal?
Navigate to the User Management section of the BTS Assistant portal. From there you can add new team members by entering their name, email address, and access level, review and update existing users, and remove access for staff who are no longer involved in the BTS process. If the User Management section is not visible or you encounter an error when adding users, contact the COS BTS team on 1300 614 133 or parentportal@cos.net.au. Some access configurations need to be made by COS rather than at the school administrator level.
How do I use the BTS Assistant?
The BTS Assistant is accessed from the BTS portal dashboard and is used to build and review the student supply packs for each year level. Navigate to Building Orders or the BTS Assistant section, select a year level, and review the items listed for that pack. You can designate each item as mandatory or optional, review overall pack status in the Summary View, and use Quick Actions for common tasks such as publishing packs. Once parent ordering is open, use the Order Status section to monitor how many orders have been placed and track progress. For a guided walkthrough, contact the COS BTS team on 1300 614 133.
What is the curriculum requirement in BTS and is it compulsory?
The BTS portal allows school administrators to designate items within each year level pack as either mandatory or optional. Mandatory items are those the school has determined are required for all students in that year level and cannot be removed from an order placed through the Parent Portal. Optional items can be included or excluded by the parent. The school sets these designations, not COS. Ordering through the COS portal itself is not compulsory for families: parents can use the school’s supply list and purchase items from any retailer. Schools should communicate this clearly in their BTS parent letters or portal messaging.
What is the difference between the BTS portal and the Parent Portal?
The BTS portal (Back to School Assistant) is the school-facing platform used by school administrators and staff to build year level packs, manage team access, set mandatory and optional items, and track orders. The Parent Portal (parent.cos.net.au) is the family-facing platform where parents log in using school-provided credentials to view and order their child’s supply pack. School staff should use the BTS Assistant; parents should use the Parent Portal.
When is the BTS price list available and what are the delivery dates?
The COS Back to School special price list is available from 1 September 2025 for deliveries between 29 September 2025 and 27 February 2026. Schools should have their packs configured and live for parent ordering within this window to take advantage of BTS pricing. Contact the COS BTS team as early as possible to ensure account setup and pack configuration are completed before the window opens.
Who do I contact for BTS portal support?
Contact the COS BTS and Parent Portal team directly for all BTS portal queries. Phone: 1300 614 133. Email: parentportal@cos.net.au. Available Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 8pm AEST, excluding public holidays. For general COS customer service queries unrelated to BTS or the Parent Portal, contact 1300 88 22 44 or customerservice@cos.net.au.
Contact the COS Back to School and Parent Portal team for account setup, pack configuration, team management, and order support. Call 1300 614 133 or email parentportal@cos.net.au, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 8pm AEST.
