Presenting a balanced view of the UK’s MIS landscape
featuring news, reviews and expert commentary.
As new revelations emerge about the government’s ambitions for school management information systems, WhichMIS? examines the implications for competition, data protection and the future of
Schools have asked us about the roll out of SIMS NextGen so we asked ParentPay Group and this is what they said……… 12 October 2026
Veracross product roadmap: AI, automation and a growing UK focus Veracross has provided a further update on its product roadmap, highlighting developments across its core
ParentPay Group’s latest news release announces the decision by Dumfries and Galloway College to select the UNIT-e platform from ParentPay Group as its MIS in
A new name is entering the UK school MIS market. Blundens has announced the launch of Loudwater, a new school management platform that aims to
An apology On Friday 11 September 2026 we published an article headlined “ESS reports lower revenue as investment in SIMS Next Gen continues”. That article
Continuing our series of MIS product roadmaps, in this edition we focus on Compass. Compass – rapid product development, but less public visibility of what
When schools and Multi-Academy Trusts select an MIS, they are not simply buying the product that exists today. They are also, to some extent, buying
The transition from traditional SIMS to SIMS Next Gen is entering an important phase, with ParentPay Group indicating that its programme to recreate SIMS functionality
The Key Group has announced a significant leadership change, with Arbor co-founder and CEO James Weatherill appointed as Group CEO, succeeding Chris Kenyon, who moves
When schools and Multi-Academy Trusts select an MIS, they are not simply buying the product that exists today. They are also, to some extent, buying
The Department for Education has now published the Pre-Procurement Questionnaire (PPQ) for the new Management Information Systems for the English Schools & Data Spine framework,
Following the publication of the Academy Trust Handbook 2026 and our recent article questioning how schools could be expected to use a mandatory MIS framework
Bromcom Computers, the privately owned provider of a cloud-based MIS for schools, has reported an EBITDA of £5.1m for the year ended 31 December 2025
The publication of the Academy Trust Handbook 2026 has introduced a significant new requirement for academy trusts procuring Management Information Systems (MIS). Academy trust handbook
The English schools’ May 2026 census returns data has now been released by the DfE and it continues to show significant movement in the MIS
A Quiet Revolution in School Data Management? Following our article last month (below), we now publish an update on the DfE’s plans: The Department for
CEO of GroupEd From the GroupEd Profile on WhichMIS?GroupEd is a modern, cloud-based edtech company built around one idea: that schools deserve software that actually
The latest results from The Key Group provide another reminder of the scale now sitting behind Arbor and its wider school-facing offer. For the MIS
Yesterday, we were lucky enough to be invited to attend the annual Bromcom at The Shard event. Hosted by Bromcom on the 34th floor of
AI in Schools: From Conversation to Capability Last week we had the opportunity to attend an invitation-only event hosted by Veracross at The Perse School
In light of last week’s article on the DfE’s plans to introduce a new national framework for Management Information Systems (MIS), with the aim of
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced plans to introduce a new national framework for Management Information Systems (MIS), with the aim of making it
Education Authority Launches New School Management System Across Northern Ireland All schools across Northern Ireland to move to a modern and secure school management system.
While much of the school MIS market focuses on dashboards, AI, analytics and parental engagement, one of the most operationally critical parts of school technology
The Schools & Academies Show at ExCeL London highlighted just how central technology has become to the operational and strategic priorities of schools and trusts.
The Schools & Academies Show at ExCeL London on 7th May is one of the most important events in the education leadership calendar—bringing together school
Why Supplier Contracts Matter More Than Ever In an increasingly complex EdTech landscape, selecting a Management Information System (MIS) or wider supplier is no longer
For schools and multi-academy trusts, the summer term is one of the busiest periods of the academic year. Alongside examinations, assessments and year-end processes, it is also
We finally have the data from the Spring census, where we see which MIS each school used to submit their return and, as expected, we
The Isle of Anglesey County Council has announced that it has selected the cloud-based Management Information System (MIS) from Bromcom for its schools. The decision
The Assignment Report is the leading source of education industry news and analysis – offline and online – covering listed and private companies operating across
In its recent Schools White Paper, Schools white paper to rewire education transforming life chances – GOV.UK the Department for Education made a clear statement
As we move towards the end of the 2025/26 financial year, many schools and MATs are either completing—or actively preparing for a migration to a
As part of our ongoing partnership with The Assignment Report, WhichMIS? is pleased to bring you a monthly selection of carefully chosen articles exploring the
How Welsh Local Authority Rhondda Cynon Taf Migrated 111 Schools from SIMS to Bromcom in Just Three Months. At BETT 2026, one of the most
What It Really Meant for MIS Leaders BETT 2026 once again confirmed its status as the UK’s flagship EdTech event, bringing together tens of thousands
How a PTFA Volunteer Project Reimagined Parent Communication and Engagement In the education technology world, it’s easy to assume that most innovation comes from large
If you’re reviewing your MIS, exploring future procurement options, or simply want an informal, no obligation chat about what’s working well (and what isn’t), we’d
We’re pleased to announce a new partnership with The Assignment Report, through which WhichMIS? will be publishing one article each month that we hope you’ll
As the year draws to a close, everyone at WhichMIS? would like to wish our readers, MIS providers, partners and contributors a very happy Christmas
Following our ‘When Systems Fail’ post of 13th Oct, we now look at how schools should plan for the unlikely event of a service failure?
We have just received the data from the latest census of English state schools in October and the trend of MIS churn here continues unabated.
In recent weeks, several schools have reported receiving renewal quotes from their incumbent MIS provider showing increases of between 176% and 240% compared with the
WhichMIS? was delighted to attend the Schools & Academies Show (SAAS) in Birmingham on 19–20 November, joining thousands of education leaders, suppliers and sector specialists
Introduction:Last week’s DfE briefing on its proposed MIS procurement framework, covered in SchoolsWeek under the headline of reducing “legal risk,” signals much more than a
Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming one of the most discussed innovations in education, and with good reason. While much of the conversation currently focuses
WhichMIS? at The School & Academy Show
Bromcom continues to benefit from schools switching MIS provider
Cardiff Local Authority have awarded the school MIS and Finance contract for their 128 schools to Arbor.
New MIS functionality coming for the new academic year
Arbor becomes the market leading MIS provider to the UK, toppling SIMS from its 40-year top spot.
Bromcom hosted a full day of presentations and discussion at the iconic Shard in London
Procuring a new MIS in a compliant and effective way is a complex and lengthy process. Here we list the top ten mistakes that are often made.
At the recent Education World Forum, the Secretary of State for Education laid out a clear vision: technology will play a central role in reducing teacher workload, improving school efficiency, and enabling smarter decisions
The Schools and Academies Show in London’s ExCeL Centre brought together a vibrant cross-section of the education community, from school leaders and MAT executives to suppliers and advisors.
List of events being arranged by MIS suppliers for the summer term 2025
A FOI request has been made regarding the forthcoming transition of ScholarPack and Integris schools to Arbor MIS.
In our previous posts about the churn in MIS we have focused on the analysis of data gleaned from the census returns of maintained schools in England – now we can look at the picture across the entire UK.
Bromcom have announced that Swansea Council in Wales has selected them to provide both the MIS (Management Information System) and the Finance Solution for all schools in the city.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Education has launched a call for evidence into the loss of the love of learning.
MIS market share from January 2025 census data. SIMS continues to lose share whilst Arbor and Bromcom continue to gain.
Multi-school analytics is a major topic when looking at MIS functionality.
School and MAT finance functionality within MIS systems
Arbor have announced that they will be discontinuing both ScholarPack and Integris MIS systems in February 2026
Welsh authority Rhondda Cynon Taf have chosen Bromcom to provide the new MIS for all 111 of their schools, to modernise data management and communication tools for staff, students and parents.
Bromcom have announced that they are launching a multi-million pound legal action against rivals Arbor, claiming that Arbor won 26 contracts across over 500 schools unfairly.
Arbor have announced that Vale of Glamorgan has chosen the Arbor MIS platform for its 53 schools.
Last week, WhichMIS? took a stand at BETT. Here is our short review of our time there.
WhichMIS will be at Bett this year! Visit our stand to discuss all thing ‘MIS’.
We asked all MIS providers to let us know if they have any new releases, or news they’d like promoted in advance of BETT.
Whilst school and MAT leaders carefully explore such areas a functionality, data security, training, support, analytics etc. when considering a change of MIS, how many also explore the financial and economic standing (EFS) of the potential MIS providers?
Qhat staff on the front line in schools and MATs think about the way in which their MIS affects things in their schools.
Our colleagues at IRIS let us know that they’ve recruited two important new roles:
What can MIS providers offer to support remote learning and hybrid education models?
Bromcom win second Welsh authority contract.
MIS market churn continues as hundreds of schools change their provider!
EANI have taken the decision to not proceed with the Fujitsu contract which had been awarded in December last year.
The team from WhichMIS took a small stand at the recent Schools and Academies Show at the NEC, Birmingham to showcase our MIS procurement services and to offer free advice sessions to any schools/MATs that are considering a change of MIS.
According to two new research studies sponsored by IRIS Software Group, student academic progress is measurably higher in schools where staff report greater job satisfaction.
How does your MIS platform enhance data security and protect against the latest cyber threats, ensuring compliance with GDPR and other relevant regulations?
We have been made aware of a recent email from ESS, that has been sent to schools and MATs using the SCOMIS SIMS hosting services.
In this email, ESS state that SCOMIS are breaching their contract with ESS, as well as their own Contracts Procedure Rules, by recommending that the schools currently using the SCOMIS hosting services move away from ESS SIMS to an alternative MIS provider.
MIS providers tell WhichMIS about their migration services and timescales.
According to a post on Edugeek, SCOMIS, one of the largest MIS support teams in the UK, have confirmed to their 850+ schools that they will no longer be supporting the SIMS MIS
Juniper Education is launching a new Management Information System (MIS) which it states is ‘a fresh alternative designed to address the specific needs of UK schools’.
Bromcom announce new Head of Strategic Partnerships
Bromcom filed a High Court claim against Lift Schools after missing out on a £2m deal to supply its MIS
In their latest edition, SchoolsWeek published another article on the thorny subject of MIS companies paying referral fees to local authority teams that recommend their
We asked all MIS providers what they’re doing to continually Improve system interoperability. We also asked if they have a user group of schools & MATs to provide feedback.
The CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) have decided to close their investigation into concerns that ESS (Education Software Solutions) may have broken the law by taking action to prevent schools from switching from their SIMS software to an alternative MIS (Management Information System) provider.
Now we’re in the summer holiday period, we thought it worth asking what release plans MIS providers have.
UK Management Information System (MIS) providers must continuously update their products to keep pace with the rapidly evolving technological landscape and the dynamic needs of their users.
Recruitment and retention are significant issues for all schools and Trusts. Our friend, Simon Freeman from IRIS Software Group has recently written an article discussing
WhichMIS? is an online publication for schools, multi-academy trusts and the wider education industry.
It aims to present a balanced view of the MIS landscape in the UK, with views from all the key market players, as well as reviews, the latest news and expert commentary.
Subscribe free of charge to ensure you get notified of all new posts, news items and articles!
WhichMIS? is an online publication for schools, multi-academy trusts and the wider education industry.
It aims to present a balanced view of the MIS landscape in the UK, with views from all the key market players, as well as reviews, the latest news and expert commentary.
Subscribe free of charge to ensure you get notified of all new posts, news items and articles!
