This is the year to finally sort problem paperwork within your school. You can improve safeguarding, productivity, space and compliance simply by improving the way you manage your student records, staff files and financial documents. Outdated ways of working can be transformed through a proven electronic document management system designed in collaboration with school business managers. Sound good? Here, school business manager Alison Jefferson shares how Durham Trinity School use mstore across student records, HR and finance...

“Clearing our filing cabinets has already created enough space to accommodate a new staff member, and we are really happy with the way mstore is transforming the way we work with documents.

“mstore was fast and easy to install; it works with our existing IT systems and software, including SIMS. We didn’t need to replace anything or learn how to use an entirely new system and the software is really straightforward to use. We can save and retrieve files quickly, and safeguarding is enforced more easily too.

“Arena is very familiar with the legal obligations surrounding records management in schools, and we were confident from the start that they could help us to achieve our goals whilst remaining compliant with all of the rules. The service has been great, we have had no complaints and I have even referred other schools to them.”

The King’s School use mstore for finance and HR records. Finance manager Tammy Gaines explains: “Before we had mstore, there were folders all over the place. We have sensitive documents to protect so we kept them in locked cabinets, but we had no way of telling who had accessed what, or if they had changed things.”

UK schools are obliged to keep a record of who has accessed particular documents types such as those relating to child protection. mstore makes this easy by automatically auditing activity in the system.

mstore also saves time and space, says Tammy: “We file everything electronically now. We used to shred a lot of documents as we could not store them all; it’s reassuring to have everything backed up in case we need it. It is without doubt quicker and easier to find things in mstore rather than searching through cabinets.”

Recent analysis based on mstore's use in four education institutions shows that return on investment can be achieved within two years. Digital gets it done!

So your new (school) year’s resolution is not a tricky one to make. And with the support of Arena’s education specialists, the transition to better ways of working that finally ditch that problem paper keeps you focused on more important aspects of school life.

Visit www.arenagroup.net/education to read more case studies and access resources, or contact [email protected] / 0344 863 8000.

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If you want to get more from your supplier, why not think beyond price? Arena has been supporting schools and colleges from day one, and specifically founded the business on strong community values that still stand 25 years later. Whilst price remains key for cash-strapped schools, many appreciate the additional, community-driven contributions that Arena can make. To see how much a supplier can help with the school community and beyond, take Ashton Sixth Form College in Greater Manchester...

Making the most of technology does not have to be an expensive luxury for schools. A recent study of four education organisations - one Further Education college and three Secondary schools - demonstrated that by implementing mstore for education, Arena’s electronic document management platform, significant returns on investment can be gained, making this a cost-effective choice.

At a recent webinar on ‘Practical Insight on the GDPR for schools’, Arena’s Neil Maude shared some of the most relevant features of the new data protection regulation for schools, the potential impacts, and next steps. This was followed with a survey to understand the state of play for education on individual schools’ journeys towards the May 2018 deadline, which has elicited some interesting insights. For example:

Schools and academies are urged to be more aware of the forthcoming changes to data protection at all levels of the organisation. To help schools, colleges and other education institutions navigate their way through the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and get plans off the ground, Arena Group has set up a free, practical webinar.

It’s vital that teachers understand how edtech can help learners to develop confidence in their abilities, and recognise the progress that they have made.  Arena has teamed up with Fujitsu to enhance the use of edtech to improve school efficiency and performance. By applying scanning innovation to the classroom, for example, teachers are able to put greater emphasis on progress across the curriculum, particularly in creative and technical subjects.

There are many benefits of changing the way a school manages student records, from traditional paper-based systems to electronic document management – saving space, increasing productivity, ease of audit preparation. But with the new general data protection regulation (GDPR) on the horizon, now more than ever is the time to act and review how you manage student and other files.

With new data protection regulations coming into force in May 2018, all organisations, including schools, will need to rethink how they manage personal data in order to comply fully. GDPR, or the General Data Protection Regulation, is designed to bring data protection up-to-date and provide greater protection to the individual. This will place more onerous requirements on schools to manage data well and more rigorously than current regulations permit. Penalties have also increased, making this a critical issue that cannot be swept under the carpet.

With document retention periods ranging from days to years, document-management specialists Arena Group are working to save schools from storage and retrieval problems. The company’s mstore software, an electronic document and records management system (EDRMS), helps school staff to stick to requirements from the Data Protection Act 1998, which state that schools should not keep records for any longer than necessary.