There’s no shortage of technology or data in schools. In fact, there’s never been so much of it. When we surveyed 500 school leaders in Australia this year, over half (53%) said they use more than ten separate software systems, sourced from an average of 8.6 different providers. It’s a similar situation in the UK.
With more technology, theoretically schools can automate more processes and gain valuable data from across their school.
However, while many schools now have the data to tackle the range of challenges they face, what we hear from leaders and headteachers is that this data sits in separate systems. It’s hard to access or interpret. And this means that building a cohesive picture of what’s happening across a school – staff, pupils and operations – is often impossible.
A SENDCO, for example, can access detailed pathway data for pupils on the SEND register, while finance and HR teams can build an intricate understanding of the financial health of a school or trust and how staff sit within this. But this doesn’t mean the data sits together or is connected in a way to provide the meaningful insight that schools need.
Framed in this way, too much data and technology can result in too much time spent on manual intervention and impede visibility as a result.
The patchwork problem: why connecting data matters
The repercussions of this fragmented picture can be stark: warning signs can go unnoticed, priorities become misaligned, and critical resources can be wasted.
Let’s take the example of a pupil whose attendance may suddenly improve or may have started signing up for after-school activities every day. The staff tracking clubs might see this as positive engagement, as would those looking at attendance. But underneath this there may be other less obvious reasons why this change in behaviour is taking place. In reality, the pupil may be avoiding going home. While safeguarding concerns may be recorded, these are kept in a separate system, meaning the connection isn’t made. As a result, opportunities for action or early intervention may be delayed or not taken at all.
This is what we call the patchwork problem, the gap that exists between having information and being able to use it. The patchwork problem is one of the most pressing challenges facing schools and trusts, with critical information spread across more people, teams and systems. It impacts how schools can recruit and retain great teachers, identify student needs, perform safeguarding, engage parents and communities and ensure operational excellence as a whole – and all of this inhibits
schools from unlocking better outcomes for both staff and pupils, from the investment in technology and the abundance of data this provides.
This lack of data connectivity points towards the solution required to ensure that schools can make more of what they have - and not look to further layers of technology to help them to get the insight required. This is exactly what tools like Tes360 are built to do.
Connecting what’s already there
By integrating with trust’s existing systems, we can join the dots between together critical information across all aspects of a school’s operation, be that staffing and retention, school operations, classroom management, timetabling, HR, SEND, safeguarding, and more. This connectivity produces actionable insights that enable the right people to see what matters, understand why and act sooner.
In particular, leaders gain one view of every staff member across their whole journey and the pupils they teach. They gain one view of every pupil across attendance, behaviour, SEND, safeguarding and progress, providing the insight to support the improvement of individual pupil outcomes. They gain one view of operations, from budget to timetable, enabling more efficient resource allocation and better-informed planning. And as connections across products grow and deliver more insight, they gain an ever clearer and more consistent view of what’s happening across their school or trust, driving earlier action or interventions.
Crucially, when data becomes timely, contextual and actionable, it moves from a reporting exercise to a strategic tool for improving outcomes. School leaders don’t need to spend large amounts of time searching for and reconciling information but can instead act on insights already provided and make more impactful decisions.
Connected data, deeper insights, greater impact
It’s not that schools are restricted by a lack of data or technology – quite the opposite. Instead, the problem is disconnected data, meaning insights don’t reach the people who are best placed to take action when and where it’s needed most. The goal is to enable the ability to make faster, more informed decisions with the information that already exists.
By using tools that join together the rich data we have, leaders can gain deeper insights that enable them to deliver greater impact at scale. Running schools becomes more efficient, finding, hiring and retaining teachers is easier, managing classrooms and pupils is seamless, and parents and the school community are more engaged. Ultimately, it’s only by gaining a connected view of staff and pupils that leaders can reduce complexity and achieve better outcomes.
- Rod Williams is CEO of Tes, one of the sponsors of CST's 2026 Annual Conference.
We welcome perspectives from a diverse range of guest contributors. The opinions expressed in blogs are the views of the author(s), and should not be read as CST guidance or CST’s position.
