There has been a significant increase in the number of schools forming or joining MATs. This trend is predicted to continue over the coming years and the government expects that most schools that convert to academy status will join a MAT.
When multiple academies join together to become a MAT, they bring with them a legacy of their own processes and unique ways of working. ICT is the perfect conduit for bringing together and simplifying many elements across schools, sites, classrooms and offices, providing time and cost efficiencies in the short, medium and long term.
Use the chart below to begin to assess how well your MAT ranks for consistency, in particular for ICT:
| Always | Sometimes | Never | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your academies use a centrally agreed approved supplier list | |||
| The academies in your Trust use a common ICT framework | |||
| You jointly procure as a MAT | |||
| Your MAT is able to make cost savings as it grows | |||
| Back office staff all follow the same processes and use the same systems | |||
| All academies in your MAT follow ICT best practice | |||
| Your ICT teams have joined up objectives and a plan for the future | |||
| ICT is an enabler and speeds up tasks across your MAT | |||
| Your teaching staff can share ideas and lesson plans online across your MAT | |||
| You have visibility of all the data you need across and within your schools | |||
| Reporting is simple at both a school and MAT level | |||
| Your believe your data is safe, secure and accurate | |||
| Teachers across your MAT receive consistent ICT training | |||
| All your schools are able to communicate easily with parents and each other | |||
| You are able to access ICT support quickly if it goes wrong | |||
| You feel that your schools are well protected against online attacks |
Ideally you will have answered ‘always’ to all of the questions. Realistically however, the majority of MATs aren’t quite there yet. If you’re not sure how ICT can help you align systems and processes, and overcome consistency challenges across your MAT, you could use the above as starting points for a meeting agenda with your ICT provider.
Call our team to talk about ICT support on 08453 077 832 or email supportservices@rm.com to get an initial meeting booked in today.
You could also try our free online Health Check Tool to see how your MAT is currently performing.