Founded in 1876, Edgbaston High School for Girls is an Independent day school located in Birmingham and caters for girls aged 2-18 years.
Edgbaston High School’s mission is to nurture confident, considerate, and intellectually curious young women, inspiring growth across their preparatory, senior, and sixth form schools.
Why did you start looking for a new MIS at the beginning of your journey?
We faced several challenges with our previous system. The primary issue was that the previous MIS had significant limitations in its functionality, which prevented it from meeting all our organisational needs. As a result, we had to implement several additional systems to fill in the gaps and compensate for the shortcomings of the MIS.
This workaround of using multiple systems created a number of inefficiencies. One of the major problems was the increased workload for our team, as they had to spend a considerable amount of time moving or manually entering data between the different systems. The fragmented system landscape also made it difficult to have a unified view of our operations, leading to potential delays in decision-making and reduced overall productivity.
It became clear that a more integrated and comprehensive MIS was necessary to streamline our processes, improve data accuracy, and enhance overall efficiency.
“The user-friendly interface of iSAMS also played a crucial role in our decision. The intuitive and easy-to-use interface facilitated quick adoption by our staff and minimised the learning curve, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal disruption.”
What made you choose iSAMS?
One of the primary reasons was its comprehensive functionality. iSAMS offered a wide range of features that covered all aspects of our school’s operations, including student information management, attendance tracking, academic reporting, and communication tools. This meant we could rely on a single system for most of our needs, simplifying our IT infrastructure.
Being a cloud-based solution, iSAMS offered accessibility from anywhere, which was crucial for our increasingly mobile and remote working needs. This also meant reduced infrastructure costs and maintenance efforts. Furthermore, iSAMS demonstrated the capability to scale with our growth. As our institution expanded, iSAMS could easily accommodate additional users and increased data without compromising on performance.
What do you like most about iSAMS?
Its seamless integration with other systems and its comprehensive functionality, which supports the entire student lifecycle from admissions through to leavers. This integration capability has significantly streamlined our processes, reducing the need for manual data entry and ensuring data consistency across different platforms.
One of the standout aspects of iSAMS is the wide range of features it offers. For instance, the reporting tools are incredibly powerful, allowing teachers to generate detailed and insightful reports quickly. These reports help in tracking student progress, identifying areas for improvement, and making informed decisions.
The Rewards module is another feature I particularly appreciate. It enables teachers to recognise and reward student achievements easily, fostering a positive learning environment and encouraging student engagement.
The flexibility of the Student Registers module has been invaluable. It allows us to customise the module to fit our specific needs, making it easier to monitor and manage students’ data accurately. This flexibility ensures that we can adapt the system to our unique requirements without compromising on functionality.
“The cover manager module is essential for managing staff absences and arranging cover efficiently. This module helps in ensuring that classes are always adequately staffed, minimising disruptions to the teaching schedule and ensuring invigilation for examinations.”
How was your experience of the iSAMS implementation and migration process?
Implementing and migrating to iSAMS was a transformative experience for our school. The process began with a thorough needs assessment, which helped us identify the specific requirements and goals we needed to achieve. This initial phase was crucial, as it ensured that we had a clear understanding of what we wanted from the system and how it could improve our current processes. The involvement of staff early on helped align everyone’s expectations and built a foundation for a smooth transition.
The planning phase was meticulous, with detailed project timelines and well-defined milestones. Scheduling training sessions early helped prepare our staff for the changes ahead.
The preparation of data for migration was a significant task, involving cleaning and organising existing information to ensure accuracy. This step was critical, as any errors in data migration could have caused significant issues later on.
During the implementation phase, the configuration of iSAMS modules to suit our specific needs was handled efficiently. Customising user roles and permissions was fairly straightforward, and setting up user accounts was managed with minimal disruption. The data migration process was smooth, with rigorous checks to ensure data integrity. The comprehensive training provided to our staff was invaluable, as it ensured that everyone was comfortable with the new system before it went live.
“iSAMS solved several critical problems for us. It consolidated various functions into one platform, eliminating the need for multiple, disparate systems. This integration reduced the complexity of our IT infrastructure and streamlined our data management processes.”
How has your experience been with the variety of support options that iSAMS offer?
My experience with the iSAMS support team has been generally positive. The team is known for its responsiveness, often addressing queries and issues quickly. Their communication is clear and concise, which helps users understand the steps needed to resolve their problems effectively. The team’s expertise is evident, and they can provide detailed solutions for both common and complex issues.
“The support documentation provided by iSAMS is comprehensive and well-structured. It covers a wide range of topics and issues, including step-by-step guides, FAQs, and troubleshooting tips. This documentation is easily accessible through the iSAMS website and support portal, making it convenient for users to find the information they need.“
Does your school use any third-party integrations?
Our school works with several third-party integrations with iSAMS, including SOCS, iFinance, RMUnify, and Microsoft systems. These integrations have significantly enhanced our operational efficiency and overall educational experience.
We use iFinance integrated with iSAMS to handle billing, fee collection, and financial reporting. This integration ensures that all financial transactions are accurately recorded and reconciled in both systems, reducing errors, and improving financial transparency. It also provides parents with an easy-to-use interface for managing admissions payments and viewing their accounts.
Integrating SOCS with iSAMS helps in managing our co-curricular activities effectively. This integration allows us to organise, schedule, and track participation in sports and other extracurricular activities seamlessly.