The ultimate guide to switching MIS – Autumn Term 2024

Most SIMS contracts are set to renew in 2025 and 2026 – which means the majority of schools and MATs now have about 4-6 months to take a look around and find the best MIS for their teams.

At Arbor, we think this is an incredibly exciting opportunity for schools and trusts. We’ve always believed that switching MIS is more than just a system change – it’s a real opportunity to change the way your school works for the better. The right MIS can positively impact everything from workload, to staff happiness, parental engagement, and the way you make decisions. Which means it’s more than worth taking the time to understand what’s out there now, before you get locked in for another three years.

That’s why we’re launching a dedicated programme of events, demos and resources this term – all focused on why switching MIS matters, and how it works. Our goal is to share learnings from the 6,000 schools and 600 trusts who have moved to Arbor to help inform your decision making, demystify the process, and help you make the best choice for your school.

It’s #TimeToSwitch, and this guide sets out how we’re here to help you every step of the way.

1. Why does reviewing your MIS matter?

1 in 3 schools plan to switch this term – but that still means two thirds of schools aren’t yet sure about their plans. To help, we surveyed 7,306 Arbor users in summer to ask them about their experience of switching MIS – and specifically about the differences they’ve seen.

They told us that moving to Arbor has saved them:

  • 70 minutes per week, per staff member (rising to 113 minutes for Business Managers and Office Managers, or 140 minutes per week for Data and Exam Managers)
  • £5,000-£15,000 per year, through removing third party apps
  • And they see benefits ranging from more flexible working, improved collaboration between staff, better use of data to inform planning, and a reduction in admin in favour of more fulfilling work

We’re also proud that 74% of respondents told us that Arbor has made their working life “easier or significantly easier” than their previous MIS.

Click here to read Cost, time, value: Arbor’s ROI in schools and trusts (2024 edition)

2. How does the switching process work? Are there key dates I need to know about?

Half of all schools in England now use a cloud MIS – and migrating is straightforward as a result. 

To help you better understand the process, we’ve produced Switching Made Simple as a set of practical guides just for SIMS users, based on our experience of helping over 6,000 schools and 600 MATs go from reviewing their MIS, to choosing Arbor, to migrating their data and getting started. 

Click here to read Switching Made Simple for Primary Schools and for Secondary Schools

You’ll hear from other schools and MATs on the difference Arbor has made vs their legacy system, and you’ll find recommendations on what to consider when you’re choosing a new system, how to kick-off the process, and how to manage the change at your school. We also break down Arbor’s onboarding journey into week-by-week segments.

Don’t forget you’ll need to give SIMS notice by 31st December 2024 if you want to leave (you can always change your mind after this). We also recommend getting in touch with our friendly Partnership Specialist team to discuss the right length of time to allow for your decision-making process (we recommend, for example, that secondary schools and trusts aim to make a decision by the end of Autumn Term, whilst primary schools have a little longer).

3. How can I learn more about Arbor this term?

We understand that your MIS is a critical system, and that getting your research right is really important.

We’ve put together a programme of online and in-person events and demos this Autumn so you can learn more about our MIS in the right way for you. 

I want to…We recommend…
….review Arbor in my own timeWatch a pre-recorded demo online at any time – click here to find them
….join a live demo with other schools or MATsSign up for a monthly drop-in demo here
….meet you in-personWe’re at these events this term:
3rd-4th October: MAT PN South West
7th-8th November: CST Annual Conference
20th November: Schools And Academies Show, Birmingham
28th-29th November: ISBL Conference
26th-27th November: MAT PN Midlands
I’d like to talk to someone to ask questions firstBook a call with our Partnership Specialist team here

We understand moving MIS can feel like a big change. Many schools we speak to are putting off reviewing their MIS because they feel their staff are too busy and just don’t have time to re-train on a new system – when in fact a new MIS is the one change that will save your staff the most time. 

We’re big believers that switching MIS is an opportunity to make a lasting, positive change to the way you work at school. With your SIMS contract coming up for renewal, is it finally #TimeToSwitch?

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