ScholarPack discontinuation
Received: 18 March 2025
I am submitting this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.Recently, The Key Group'which owns the Arbor, ScholarPack, and Integris MIS platforms'announced that it will discontinue ScholarPack and Integris from February 2026. Schools currently using these products have been informed that they will be automatically migrated to Arbor MIS without a competitive procurement process. I understand you still have many schools using Scholarpack.The supplier has advised affected schools that:'There is no material change to contract terms as part of this move. The price, the product functionality and service levels are similar or improved, and so the move to Arbor Core is allowed under procurement law.'This advice is misleading. The transition to Arbor constitutes a new contractual arrangement with a different product, which has distinct architecture, features, and data management processes. Schools cannot assume that migrating to Arbor is automatically permissible under procurement regulations. Failure to follow proper procurement processes could result in schools not securing best value for money by failing to consider alternative solutions.Given this, please provide the following information:1.Has the local authority issued any guidance or communication to its maintained schools and/or their supporting IT teams regarding the procurement implications of the ScholarPack and Integris discontinuation?oIf yes, please provide copies of any such communications.oIf no, does the local authority intend to issue guidance?2.Has the local authority provided any specific advice to schools regarding their legal obligations under procurement regulations when selecting a new MIS provider?oIf yes, please outline the nature of the advice and provide any relevant documents.3.Is the local authority taking any steps to facilitate a coordinated procurement process or provide market insights for affected schools?oIf yes, please describe these steps.4.Does the local authority have a procurement or IT advisory team that supports schools in such decisions?oIf yes, what support is being made available to schools in this case?Given the financial and operational significance of an MIS transition, we believe local authorities play a key role in ensuring schools receive independent and impartial guidance.I would appreciate an acknowledgement of this request and a response within the statutory timeframe of 20 working days. If you require any clarification, please let me know.
Outcome / Documents
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