Empowering Educators and Administrators in the Digital Age

The United Kingdom is seen as the global hotspot for the EdTech industry. With the number of EdTech firms exceeding the mark of 1,000 in the UK for the first time in 2022, and schools having spent over £1 billion on digital learning tools in the past five years, the necessity and demand for EdTech products and services are illustrated clearly.

Additionally, the UK is also seen as having the biggest EdTech sector in Europe owing to its unrivalled expertise in areas such as augmented/virtual reality, AI, and online education.

With schools needing digital tools to help them deliver healthy and allergen-free meals on a budget, online payment systems for various payment items such as school trips, clubs, etc., and MIS for managing daily school life, it becomes important to explore which products might fit the schools’ needs the best.

There are plenty of EdTech products in the market to choose from. But with ParentPay Group, schools can access the solutions they need in one place to streamline operations and focus on what matters the most – improving outcomes for children.

Our EdTech product suite includes a diverse range of items. ParentPay is the industry leader in cashless payments, Schoolcomms is transforming parental interaction, and solutions like Cypad, BlueRunner, and Meal Manager are helping schools deliver safe and healthy meals. ParentPay Group and its family have been at the forefront of assisting schools in running smoothly. Discover everything ParentPay Group has to offer.

Choose a whole-school MIS

A school is much like an orchestra, where many instruments are needed to produce a beautiful symphony. It’s the same with the technology schools use to run smoothly.

The management information system (MIS) is the conductor’s podium – a centralised document management system that offers tools to engage parents, save time for teachers, and put information into senior leaders’ hands to identify and remove barriers to learning.

The right solution makes sharing and analysing data easy too so that informed decisions can be made across the school to improve achievement and progress.

Our SIMS management information system (MIS) is the beating heart of a school and helps to ensure every area of school life runs efficiently. With SIMS you can make life easier for everyone in your school, both inside and outside the classroom.

MIS Reporting Software for Data-Driven Decision-Making

Senior leaders have access to school management tools and reporting software they can use to identify areas for improvement and track progress towards them.

• Achieve school improvement goals – see at a glance what impact persistent absence is having on attainment or which pupil groups need what help so informed decisions can be made to tackle it with SIMS Discover.
• Track interventions – use the SIMS Interventions tool to monitor the success of catch-up programmes or initiatives designed to close learning gaps.
• Maximise school finances – from teachers’ CPD to new wellbeing initiatives, and make sure every penny invested in improving pupil outcomes has a positive impact with our powerful financial management software for schools.
• Supercharge the library – boost literacy skills and encourage reading for pleasure across your school with our library management solution.

Empowering Educators with Digital Tools

With SIMS, teachers have classroom management tools that improve teaching and learning and free up time to plan and deliver lessons to inspire pupils’ progress.

• Reduce administration – the SIMS Teacher App cuts the time it takes to take the register, manage behaviour, or update pupils’ assessment grades so teachers can concentrate on what they do best – teaching.
• Spot patterns –identify trends in pupils’ achievement or conduct over time with SIMS Discover.
• Shape successful interventions – help teachers understand the support pupils need, whether it’s extra maths tuition or work set to ensure a pupil who excels in sport also succeeds academically.
• Provide work-life balance – use SIMS Connected so teachers can plan lessons or work from wherever they choose and still access the latest information they need.

Simplifying parental engagement

When parents are fully engaged in school life and know exactly what help they need to provide from home, their child is much more likely to succeed.

With ParentPay Group’s digital tools, schools can strengthen the vital home-school links and share timely information from SIMS with parents, however, they want it, to help them better support their child’s achievement and progress.

• Regular emails – send details of homework assignments or what topics are coming up next term home so parents can help their child manage their learning.
• Text messages – share the latest maths test results or praise points awarded in class straight to a parent’s mobile device so they can celebrate their child’s achievements at home.
• Share real-time data instantly – put information on children’s progress and achievement across the curriculum in parents’ hands with the SIMS Parent App.
• School meal choices – give parents more information on the food their child is eating in school to help them make healthy meal choices.
• Insight from the library – help parents monitor their child’s reading progress with the Reading Cloud and share video book reviews.
• Save time and money – reduce administration and cut paper and printing costs to a minimum.

Go cashless for payments

Make it easier for parents to pay for items like school meals, clubs, and trips with ParentPay, which is used by 11,000 schools and integrates with any MIS including SIMS.

• Increase efficiency – cut administration and allow parents to pay for the things their child needs online.
• Eliminate stress – give parents peace of mind with secure payment options.
• Simplify budgeting – analyse your cash flow or view statements and payment histories instantly.

Deliver healthy school meals on a budget 

The ability to have a hot meal is the top reason why over 84% of pupils have a school meal at least once a week and 58% have one every day, according to the nearly 250 thousand parents and guardians we surveyed for our national 2023 School Meals Report.

With the increased cost of providing cooked meals and schools responding to the new rules on the labelling of allergens as a result of Natasha’s Law, it has never been more important to have technology in place to manage kitchens efficiently and provide nutritious meals at an affordable price.

ParentPay Group can help with this too, with our solutions for schools – Meal Manager, BlueRunner, and Cypad.

• Streamline school meal provision – cut costs and reduce waste by allowing parents and children to pre-order and pay online so kitchens cook only the school meals needed each day.
• Increase uptake – identify which meals are most popular to refine menus and buy ingredients in bulk to stretch budgets.
• Support healthy eating – provide detailed information on healthy food options and ensure allergens are displayed clearly.
• Keep the kitchen informed – links with your MIS so canteen staff know if a pupil is absent or has gone home sick.

Efficient, effective school management

Having digital tools for education that help schools operate effectively all in one place can truly drive change.

Just as the musicians in an orchestra work seamlessly together to create a beautiful piece of music, the technology and tools used in schools empower educators to enhance teaching and learning and give every child the best possible opportunity to thrive.

For more information about how ParentPay Group can support your school, get in touch with our team today.