Schools will be 鈥渆xpected鈥 to secure management information system (MIS) suppliers through a new government framework from next year. Today鈥檚 announcement comes after Schools Week revealed last year that ministers were looking to shield schools from the 拢200 million MIS turf war by creating the new purchasing route. The move is part of the Department for Education鈥檚 鈥 a wide-ranging scheme aiming to boost 鈥渋nvestment in the school system, so every pound delivers for children鈥. Speaking this afternoon, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 鈥淥ur new framework聽means schools no longer聽have to聽do it themselves. 鈥淲e are stepping in to support them to drive down costs, protect pupils鈥 data, and lift the burden so the school workforce can focus on what they came into the job to do.鈥 2027 target The department told leaders in November it understands buying MIS 鈥渃an be difficult鈥, as it looked 鈥渢o create a simpler purchasing route that reduces costs and legal risks with suppliers鈥. Slides shown during a DfE webinar the same month said officials want to ensure data 鈥渇low[s] smoothly across school, trust, local authority and national levels鈥. They also hope to 鈥渆ase鈥 information transfers when schools move trusts and simplify 鈥渃ontract exit around [the] transfer of data while protecting relevant supplier IP鈥. And now the government has said all schools with 鈥渟ufficient broadband鈥 will be expected to procure their MIS through the framework from September 2027 鈥渦nder a comply or explain approach鈥. The framework – which will provide “a list of approved suppliers” – is due to be published next summer. 鈥楤uying power鈥 Schools 鈥渟hould not break existing contracts鈥. Instead, they will be expected to 鈥渋dentify when their current agreement expires and plan their transition accordingly鈥. DfE added the framework will give officials 鈥渢he collective buying power of 22,000 schools鈥. Currently, most schools secure their MIS 鈥 which is their 鈥渃ore administrative software鈥 containing pupil data, like attendance figures, safeguarding records and SEND data 鈥 independently. This, the department said, creates 鈥渦npredictable price increases, unclear exit clauses, inconsistent data security standards, and significant administrative burden 鈥 diverting time and resource away from teaching and learning鈥. Procurement 鈥榤inefield鈥 Education consultant Duncan Baldwin previously argued that 鈥渘avigating procurement for these systems is a minefield鈥 for many schools. 鈥淚f this framework provides a simpler, less risky route then it鈥檚 a good thing, so long as fairness and openness for suppliers is maintained,鈥 he said. 鈥淣obody 鈥 schools or suppliers 鈥 wants the complexity and cost of legal wrangles.鈥 The emergence of cloud-based suppliers has led to big changes in the MIS world, estimated to be worth about 拢200 million. SIMS, which has long dominated the sector, has seen its market share shrink to 34 per cent, down from 74 per cent in 2021, according to analysis by the Bring More Data blog. It has been eclipsed by Arbor (39 per cent), while rival Bromcom鈥檚 share now sits at 16 per cent. Legal fights The changing hand in suppliers has led to high-profile legal disputes. United Learning Trust, England鈥檚 biggest trust, lost a high court battle with Bromcom in 2023 after a judge ruled the business should have won a 拢2 million MIS contract. This was despite ministers handing ULT 拢1 million to challenge Bromcom as it tried to protect the wider academy sector, amid claims the firm had 鈥渁 history of litigiousness鈥, trust correspondence with the government said. Ali Guryel, Bromcom鈥檚 executive chair, previously said the 鈥渓itigious鈥 comment was 鈥渦nfair and defamatory鈥. Lift Schools, previously called Academies Enterprise Trust, settled a three-year legal battle with Bromcom just over 12 months ago. The Competition and Markets Authority was pulled into a dispute two years ago after SIMS announced its customers would be breaching their contracts if they sent copies of their databases to third parties. The watchdog later closed the probe, saying intervention is 鈥渘ot currently needed鈥.