Edvolve

Audience: School Leaders and Administrators

Data Protection and Technology

Choosing school software involves more than checking features, comparing prices and deciding which system best suits your needs today, as schools also need to consider what happens if those needs change and they decide to move on.

There are some important questions to consider:

• Can you access your school's data? 
• Can it be transferred to another provider? 
• Can your systems exchange information without creating more work for staff?
• What happens when a contract comes to an end?

Your data shouldn't dictate your future

School information is central to everyday operations, from pupil records and attendance to timetables, assessments and communication with families, staff need information to be accessible and useful.

Yet moving between systems can be complicated beacuse data may need to be exported, reformatted or transferred manually. Some information may not move neatly into a new system, and the process can take time and careful planning. This can make changing providers more difficult than expected, particularly when a school has years of information held within one system.

Data portability matters because schools need a practical way to retrieve and transfer their information when circumstances change

Before signing a contract, ask your prospective provider what data you can export, which formats are available, whether supporting documents and attachments are included and what assistance is available if you move to another system.

Systems should work together

Portability is only one part of the picture, interoperability matters too.

Schools often use several systems to manage communication, classroom administration, pupil information and wider operations, if those systems cannot exchange information effectively, staff may find themselves entering the same details more than once, checking information in different places or relying on manual processes to keep records up to date.

Not every system needs to connect directly to every other system, however, schools should understand which integrations and data exchanges are supported, how they work and whether they meet the school's needs.

The right questions are practical ones: What information can be shared? How is it transferred? Are there additional costs or technical requirements? And will the arrangement continue to work if the school changes another part of its digital environment?

Look beyond the feature list

A software demonstration can show what a product does today, but it may not reveal how straightforward it will be to retrieve information, introduce another system or leave the service in the future. This is why looking beyond features is so important and asking those important questions relating to the wider relationship with the provider is crucial.

Consider:

• Data access - Can the school retrieve its information when required?
• Export and transfer - What formats are supported, and what exactly can be exported?
• Interoperability - Which integrations or data exchanges are available?
• Contract terms - What are the minimum commitments, renewal arrangements and notice periods?
• Exit arrangements - What happens to the school's data when the agreement ends, and how is it returned or securely deleted?

Clear answers help schools make informed decisions and understand the implications of their choice before they commit.

What this means for Edvolve

At Edvolve, we believe school software should be considered in the context of a school's wider needs, including how information is managed and what options remain available as those needs evolve.

Edvolve goes beyond the traditional MIS, covering school communication, classroom administration and everyday school operations. Our approach considers not only what schools need from the software, but also the importance of data portability and flexibility.

We believe these questions deserve attention from the beginning of a software relationship, rather than being left until a school is ready to change provider. Every school should understand what its chosen system can do, what its commitments involve and how its information will be handled throughout the relationship.

Ask the questions before you sign

Interoperability and portability may not be the first things that come to mind when choosing school software, but they can have a significant bearing on how easily a school manages information, works with other systems and responds to future change. The best time to ask these questions is before making a commitment.

At Edvolve, we believe schools should understand not only what their software can do today, but also how their information is protected and managed throughout the relationship.

Our Trust Centre sets out our approach to data protection, children's privacy, platform security and responsible technology.

Your school should choose software that meets its needs today, with a clear understanding of its options for tomorrow.

Explore Edvolve

Visit the Trust Centre