integrated communication helps ensure that all stakeholders are aligned in their understanding of student needs and progress. Creating and managing different individual education plans becomes more streamlined and effective when supported by appropriate technology. This not only saves time but also helps ensure consistency in approach and better helps staff track student progress against specific goals. Through specialised dashboards, teaching staff can access comprehensive views of attendance, behaviour, wellbeing and academic progress, allowing for more informed decision-making and targeted interventions.
Streamlining administrative processes
There’s a huge time-saving opportunity to be gained from education management systems.
A significant challenge for schools providing support to SEND students is the administrative burden associated with managing documentation, tracking progress and applying for funding. Systems can help streamline these processes through automation. For instance, bulk updating capabilities and automated data importing can significantly reduce the time spent on manual entry. This is particularly valuable when managing the extensive documentation required for SEND students, including ECHPs, individual education plans and funding applications. By centralising these documents in a secure, accessible system, schools can ensure that all stakeholders have immediate access to the information they need while maintaining data protection compliance. Education management systems also provide data-driven insights that help schools to identify inefficiencies, forecast needs accurately and streamline procurement, leading to better financial planning and reduced expenditures.
The impact of such gains shouldn’t be underestimated. When SENCOs and teaching staff spend less time on administrative tasks, they can dedicate more time to what really matters, supporting students and developing effective interventions. Our recent partnership with PAGS – the leading provider of special educational technology solutions – demonstrates how this can work in practice. Worthington Primary School, an inclusive school in Leicestershire, recently made the transition to PAGS through our IRIS Education team. Since moving over to the all-in-one system, time and resource management at the school has improved massively with a simple user- interface and centralised tools allowing staff to create tailored student targets and assessments as well as reduce admin and paperwork. This has ultimately resulted in both time and cost savings, something that is essential to the school’s SENCO who noted that “[when being in a job] where both budgets, and time, is very tight, it’s great to have everything all in one place.”
PAGS can work with education management software to automatically pull student data into its own system, significantly reducing the time it takes to create targeted, personalised plans and assessments for SEND pupils. It can also help save time spent on funding applications – a process that typically takes around 20 weeks and requires extensive evidence gathering.
Integration with specific SEND support software and dedicated wellbeing management tools also means staff can easily add children to the SEN register, sharing critical information with teaching staff through intuitive interfaces such as visual indicators in attendance registers. This ensures teachers are always aware of specific learning needs and support requirements.
Improving resource allocation and supporting teacher wellbeing
The ability to make informed decisions about resource allocation is crucial when facing funding challenges.
Education management systems can support this by providing real-time data and analytics on resource utilisation including classroom usage, teacher schedules and equipment needs. They can also help identify underutilised assets, enabling
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COMPUTING & IT RESOURCES schools to optimise space and staff assignments.
Recent research has revealed a direct correlation between effective resource management, teacher satisfaction, and student outcomes. A comprehensive study of around 74,000 UK school staff found that academic progress was notably higher among pupils in schools where staff reported greater job satisfaction, with 96% of teachers believing their job satisfaction directly influences pupil outcomes. It’s clear then that supporting teachers’ wellbeing is vital so they can provide the best education for students, particularly those with SEND needs. Strong performance management, leadership that addresses day-to-day challenges, clear career progression paths, reduced administrative burdens and flexible working options are essential to fostering teacher satisfaction.
This will also support schools looking to make cost savings. By improving teacher retention, schools are able to minimise turnover- related costs, such as recruitment, onboarding and training, while preserving knowledge and continuity in student learning. The power of artificial intelligence in education management systems is also beginning to show promise in helping schools make better use of their data. While still in its early stages, AI-driven analytics could help identify patterns in student progress and suggest interventions before issues escalate, potentially leading to more proactive and effective support strategies. We’re already seeing plans to introduce AI in schools more widely, with the government’s new AI Action Plan, and we expect to see its use and demand in the education sector grow – supporting teaching staff to free up time for more high-level activities.
As we face growing pressure on SEND resources, the role of education management systems in supporting schools will become increasingly important. However, it’s crucial to remember that technology is not the complete solution. The success of these systems depends on how effectively they are implemented and integrated into existing school processes.
Delivering brilliant outcomes for SEND students The adoption of education management systems presents an opportunity for schools to address the pressing challenges of supporting SEND students. Now is time to implement these solutions, and the risk of not doing so is too big - as local authorities and schools continue to grapple with funding constraints, it’s important there are additional measures in place to provide support. By leveraging these systems, schools can gain valuable data- led insights, streamline administrative processes, and enhance communication among stakeholders. This not only allows educators to provide more targeted support to students, but it also creates significant cost and efficiency savings that can be reinvested into SEND resources.
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