Birmingham Diocesan Multi Academy Trust selects RM to support the technology roll-out of its new school – Christ Church C of E Secondary Academy

LONDON, 05th August - RM, a leading supplier of technology solutions to the education sector, today announced it had signed a contract with Birmingham Diocesan Multi Academy Trust’s new secondary Christ Church C of E Secondary Academy to become its first technology partner.

Christ Church Secondary Academy is situated in the Yardley Wood area of Birmingham in the West Midlands. The new school will open in September 2021 and as a precursor ran a procurement exercise to select its technology partner. After a procurement that resulted in nine tender submissions – undertaken remotely during the pandemic – the Trust chose RM as its preferred partner, entering into a five-year contract worth up to a maximum of £2,000,000 over the five years.

The school will open this autumn to girls and boys of all backgrounds who value education and apply themselves to the best of their ability. As a Church of England Academy, their educational approach is rooted in Christian values built on the rich heritage of the Church of England – with policies, values and day-to-day life that are based upon values that come from the Christian faith.

In the English education system, Academies are Government-funded schools which operate independently of Local Authorities and are run by another entity – as is the case with Christ Church C of E Secondary Academy, which is part of the Birmingham Diocesan Multi Academy Trust which already comprises 18 Primary Schools across the West Midlands.

This new technology contract between Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust and RM not only covers IT infrastructure, computer devices and classroom audio-visual equipment, but more importantly it calls upon RM’s proven expertise in helping schools get the most from the technology they have in a modern school setting. RM has almost 50 years’ experience supporting schools like Christ Church in delivering a vision for a technology enabled learning experience for their pupils.  

Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust was looking for a proven partner to support them as they set up their school from new. Without the constraints of an established organisation, they had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leap forward with the latest thinking – putting technology at the heart of their school, rather than trying to add it as a subsequent after-thought. With that in mind they whittled their procurement list down from nine suppliers to arrive at just one that they felt could bring their breadth of experience from only working in education, and justify their proposal based on the 8,000 schools they already support.

John Baskerville, Managing Director of RM comments: “New academies are an exciting sector within the school education system. Many schools are forced to slowly evolve their thinking, building on what already exists – whereas a new school like Christ Church C of E Second Academy has a unique opportunity to start afresh – taking lessons from those who have gone before, overlaying their view of the future, and then delivering the best of breed. At RM we have many years’ experience of doing just this and can bring that expertise to bear. We have strategic relationships with the big technology providers like Microsoft and Google and can use this to benefit schools like Christ Church. This is an exciting time to work in education”.

Chris Manning, Director of Finance and Operations of Birmingham Diocesan Multi Academy Trust, said: "We are very excited to the working with RM on the creation of Christ Church C of E Secondary Academy but also on bringing the technology within our existing schools up to date. Technology has a key role to play in supporting teachers in delivering excellent education for the children and young people in our care as well as enhancing the learning opportunities we can provide. RM demonstrated a strong understanding of our needs and values during the tender process, particularly around sustainability both of the technology solution and the environmental impact. We are looking forward to all our pupils being able to benefit from this new partnership."

For more information on how RM could support your school or trust, visit rm.com/education.

About RM

RM’s technology business unit enables the improvement of education outcomes around the world through the innovative use of existing and emerging technologies. With a heritage dating back almost 50 years, supporting schools, teachers and pupils across the globe – from pre-school to higher education – including examination boards, central governments and other professional institutions. rm.com/education

About RM plc

RM’s technology division is part of the listed company RM plc – the £189m turnover British business, with c. 1,837 employees globally. Established in 1973, RM plc’s Group purpose is to enrich the lives of learners worldwide. rm.com

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