{"id":237833,"date":"2025-11-14T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=237833"},"modified":"2025-11-13T23:20:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T23:20:18","slug":"dfe-looks-to-reduce-mis-legal-risk-amid-200m-turf-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/dfe-looks-to-reduce-mis-legal-risk-amid-200m-turf-war\/","title":{"rendered":"DfE looks to reduce MIS \u2018legal risk\u2019 amid \u00a3200m turf war"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The government is bidding to shield schools from the \u00a3200 million management information system (MIS) turf war<\/a> by drawing up a new framework through which leaders can purchase the edtech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials have launched a consultation<\/a> on how they can simplify the process of buying the software \u2013 which collects attendance, payroll and admissions data \u2013 and reduce the \u201clegal risks\u201d schools face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It follows a string of costly court fights, involving local authorities and some of England\u2019s biggest academy trusts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Minefield\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Education consultant Duncan Baldwin argued that \u201cnavigating procurement for these systems is a minefield\u201d for many schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf this framework provides a simpler, less risky route then it\u2019s a good thing, so long as fairness and openness for suppliers is maintained,\u201d he said. \u201cNobody \u2013 schools or suppliers \u2013 wants the complexity and cost of legal wrangles.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department for Education told leaders this week it \u201cunderstand[s] buying management information systems can be difficult\u201d. Officials \u201cwant to hear\u201d from them as it looks \u201cto create a simpler purchasing route that reduces costs and legal risks with suppliers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a webinar with suppliers on Thursday, officials revealed the framework \u2013 which will have \u201cno limit to [the] number of suppliers\u201d \u2013 will help \u201call schools and trusts use transparent buying processes, guidance and pricing\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improve data sharing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Slides shown during the event, seen by Schools Week<\/em>, said they want to ensure data \u201cflow[s] smoothly across school, trust, local authority and national levels\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also hope to \u201cease\u201d information transfers when schools move trusts and simplify \u201ccontract exit around [the] transfer of data while protecting relevant supplier IP\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The emergence of cloud-based suppliers has led to big changes in the MIS world, estimated to be worth about \u00a3200 million. SIMS, which has long dominated the sector, has seen its market share shrink to 34 per cent, down from 74 per cent in 2021, according to analysis by the Bring More Data blog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been eclipsed by Arbor (39 per cent), while rival Bromcom\u2019s share now sits at 16 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legal turf war<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The changing hand in suppliers has led to high-profile legal disputes. United Learning Trust, England\u2019s biggest trust, lost a high court battle with Bromcom in 2023 after a judge ruled the business should have won a \u00a32 million MIS contract. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was despite ministers handing ULT \u00a31 million to challenge Bromcom as it tried to protect the wider academy sector, amid claims the firm had \u201ca history of litigiousness\u201d, trust correspondence with the government said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ali Guryel, Bromcom\u2019s executive chair, previously said the \u201clitigious\u201d comment was \u201cunfair and defamatory\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lift Schools, previously called Academies Enterprise Trust, settled a three-year legal battle with Bromcom just over 12 months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Competition and Markets Authority was pulled into a dispute last year after SIMS announced its customers would be breaching their contracts if they sent copies of their databases to third parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firms welcome change<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Guryel said the government\u2019s plans for a new framework was a \u201cvital step forward\u201d. His company \u201cremain[s] committed to supporting a transparent, competitive, and user-focused marketplace that empowers schools to make informed decisions without fear of legal entanglements or restrictive contracts\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Weatherill, of Arbor, said his company \u201chas always recommended frameworks as they ensure compliance and value for money, so we support any initiative that simplifies the way schools buy \u2026 and ultimately helps [them] choose the system that is right\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, ParentPay Group chief executive Lewis Alcraft, whose organisation owns SIMS, warned: \u201cIt\u2019s vital that the framework protects genuine choice, not only in suppliers, but in how schools access and procure their systems.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Officials have launched a consultation on how they can simplify the process of buying the software<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":311204,"featured_media":237835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1746],"post-theme":[],"class_list":["post-237833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-mis"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t