Education Sector Change, Continuity and the Case for a More Joined-Up Approach

Supporting schools and trusts through change and beyond

Recent updates across the sector, including changes to services delivered by ScoMIS, have prompted many schools and trusts to review how their ICT, MIS and finance support is structured ahead of the new academic year.

While ScoMIS have confirmed that core MIS support remains in place, changes to areas such as ICT services, training and consultancy, backups, antivirus and procurement still represent a significant shift for many organisations, particularly across the South West of England.

For some, this creates immediate operational challenges.
For others, it is also prompting a broader question:

Is our current model still fit for purpose?

Continuity matters, but so does how services work together

When services change, the first priority is always continuity.

Ensuring that ICT support remains stable, systems remain secure, and staff can continue to access the tools they need day-to-day is critical, particularly heading into a new academic year.

However, these moments also highlight a wider, often longstanding challenge across the sector:

Many schools and trusts are managing multiple suppliers, systems and support models, which can lead to:

• Increased complexity and duplication
• Limited visibility across systems and data
• Inconsistent support experiences
• Greater operational risk

While this model has evolved over time, it is not always the most efficient, or sustainable, way to operate.

A shift towards more integrated models

Increasingly, schools and trusts are choosing to move towards a more joined-up approach, where ICT, MIS, finance and related services are aligned and delivered in a coordinated way.

Rather than operating as separate functions, these services are brought together to:

• Improve visibility and control
• Enable better use of data across systems
• Reduce time spent managing suppliers
• Create a more consistent and scalable model

This is particularly important for Multi-Academy Trusts, where alignment across schools is essential to delivering efficiency and strategic oversight.

How School Business Services supports a more joined-up approach

At School Business Services, we work with schools and trusts nationally to deliver both individual services and fully integrated solutions, depending on organisational need.

Our approach brings together:

• ICT support (service desk, infrastructure, cybersecurity, onsite and remote)
• MIS support, hosting, training and consultancy (including Bromcom, Arbor and SIMS)
• Finance services and system expertise
• Backup, cybersecurity and antivirus solutions
• Procurement and licensing support

Crucially, these are not delivered in isolation, but as part of a joined-up model that aligns systems, data and support.

This helps reduce complexity, improve performance, and create a more resilient foundation for schools and trusts.

Beyond operations: supporting long-term improvement

Alongside core service delivery, many organisations are also looking to strengthen their strategic capabilities.

This includes areas such as:

• Financial planning and forecasting with SBS Financial Planner and SBS ICFP enabling better decision-making in a challenging funding environment
• Internal scrutiny, providing assurance over governance, risk and financial controls
• Ongoing service improvement and optimisation

By combining operational support with strategic capability, schools and trusts can move beyond simply maintaining services, to actively improving how they operate.

Making the most of the moment

Periods of change are always challenging, but they also create an opportunity to reflect and improve.

For some organisations, this will mean putting in place new services quickly to ensure continuity.

For others, it may be an opportunity to take a step back and consider whether a more joined-up, integrated approach could deliver longer-term benefits.

At SBS, we are supporting schools and trusts at every stage of that journey, whether that is ensuring continuity in the short term, or helping to shape a more strategic operating model for the future.

Let’s continue the conversation

We recognise that every organisation is in a different position.

If you are reviewing your current arrangements, or simply want to explore how a more joined-up approach could benefit your school or trust, we would be happy to have a conversation.

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