The world of education is changing, and flexible working is no longer a luxury — it’s essential for supporting staff wellbeing, improving productivity, and keeping schools running smoothly. Here’s where cloud-based solutions like SIMS Connected come in.
For Conway Primary School in South East London, giving staff secure access to essential systems from any location has been transformational. “Before, everyone who needed to access the data to do their jobs was tied to the school,” explains Keith Robertson, School Business Manager. “We wanted to support staff wellbeing and promote a healthy work-life balance by giving teachers the option to work from home if they needed to.”
The flexibility has improved not just wellbeing, but efficiency too. Teachers can now leave on time to pick up their own children and access pupil information securely from home, without needing to stay late at school. “One staff member who used to struggle to keep up with data analysis during the busy school day no longer has to stay after hours,” Keith adds. “It’s saved them around five hours a term that they would’ve spent working late.”
This flexibility extends beyond the school gates. During school trips, teachers can take registers or update information in real time from their mobile devices, ensuring safeguarding remains a priority wherever they are. “It means SIMS is always there and always working,” Keith says.
City Learning Trust has seen similar benefits, particularly for administrative and HR teams spread across multiple schools. “Staff can now easily access the data they need — anytime, from anywhere, on any device,” says Matt Watson, IT Director. “With a single login, they can view data for all sites across the Trust, eliminating the need for physical visits or multiple logins.”
These changes have made life easier for staff, improved data accuracy, and allowed for more responsive decision-making. “Having centralised access to all our schools’ data has transformed reporting capabilities,” Matt adds. “We can now generate reports without manual data aggregation, saving significant time.”
By providing staff with the tools and secure access they need to work flexibly, schools and trusts are boosting job satisfaction, improving efficiency, and ensuring they remain agile — ready to respond to the needs of both staff and students in an ever-changing environment.