Are you comparing school MIS software and unsure which provider is the best fit for your school or MAT?
This guide gives an overview of the main MIS providers used in UK state education, including SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom, IRIS Ed:gen and Compass.
The right MIS depends on your school’s requirements, including whether you are primary or secondary, part of a multi-academy trust, moving from SIMS, or looking for better reporting, usability and cloud access.
MIS reviews for independent and international schools differ slightly, as fee-paying schools often require wider functionality across admissions, fees, billing, parent payments and international requirements.
How Classroom365 Helps Schools Review Their MIS
Classroom365 is independent of MIS vendors. We do not promote one provider over another, but we help schools understand how changing their MIS can affect their school’s ICT systems and provide support to minimise downtime.
The aim of changing MIS is to improve productivity, reduce frustration and give staff a better user experience.
Many schools also use an MIS change as an opportunity to review their school’s infrastructure as part of a longer-term IT strategy review.
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Choosing the Right School Management Software is Crucial
Choosing the right MIS system provider is vital to your school’s smooth back-office operations. With modern cloud MIS solutions, staff can use a single login to access attendance, classroom incidents and student reporting.
Classroom365 has experience supporting schools using systems such as SIMS, Compass and Bromcom. Our role is to help schools understand the wider technical considerations around MIS choice, migration and integration.
Arbor is a popular choice of MIS for multi-academy trusts, particularly primary, whereas Bromcom specialises more in secondary schools. Our support team has over 20 years of experience working with SIMS and FMS, from patches and upgrades to complete SIMS server migrations. We are seeing more schools review alternatives to SIMS as the market moves towards cloud-based MIS systems. However, SIMS remains popular, with around 30% market share (as of January 2026), though that share is declining.
In English state schools, Arbor, SIMS and Bromcom now account for the vast majority of MIS usage, with smaller providers making up the remainder. SEEMiS is Scotland’s standard local-authority school MIS and is usually treated separately from the English state-school MIS market.
Management Information System Providers for Schools
ESS SIMS
SIMS (formerly Capita ESS) is the most well-known school management system in the UK, with over 30 years of experience. SIMS has been losing market share as schools move towards cloud MIS solutions. This is not surprising, as traditional SIMS setups often require a dedicated server, regular updates and technical support, often onsite.
SIMS was late in developing its cloud MIS – SIMS Next Gen, and with its competitors already established, uptake of its latest version has been slow.
Bromcom MIS
Established in 1986, Bromcom is another MIS provider in the UK market. Initially focused on providing hardware solutions, the company pivoted towards software development and launched its cloud management in 2011, quickly gaining market share in schools nationwide.
Bromcom’s data management with integrated finance is suited for secondary schools and is well established in the North of the UK. Bromcom is a complete cloud-based MIS solution.
Arbor MIS
Arbor was founded in 2011 and quickly gained popularity for its user-friendly interface and integrations with other school service providers, such as CPOMS and ParentPay.
Arbor says it is now used by over 12,500 schools across the UK. It became part of the Key Group in 2020, which acquired ScholarPack in 2018 and RM Integris G2 in 2023. This consolidated the Key Group as the largest UK provider of MIS software for schools. By 2026, Arbor had overtaken SIMS in the English state school MIS market.
Compass MIS
Compass MIS is a newer entrant to the UK MIS market and is originally from Australia. Public market data reported in early 2026 put Compass at just over 100 UK schools and growing, while Compass states its platform is used by more than 5,000 schools globally.
Other MIS Systems
Pupil Asset from Juniper Education, SchoolPod, Go 4 Schools and Satchel One are other MIS systems currently used by a small number of UK schools.
IRIS Ed:gen is another modern cloud MIS for state schools, and their iSAMS MIS is widely used in the independent school sector.
Legacy MIS Platforms
The popular MIS platforms ScholarPack and Integris were discontinued in February 2026, with schools supported to migrate to Arbor.
Making the Right Choice: Factors to Consider
Effective education management software for primary and secondary schools should offer:
- An intuitive interface that staff can use confidently.
- Reliable MIS technical support from the software provider or third party.
- Clear contract terms, including costs, renewal dates and exit options.
- Is training included or a paid for extra cost?
- Scalability if your school grows or joins a multi-academy trust.
- Clear migration, setup and data transfer costs if they are additional to the SLA.
- Integrations with key admin and curriculum systems, including safeguarding, monitoring and classroom software.
- Suitable reporting, attendance, behaviour and assessment tools.
Schools should also consider how well the system supports SEND records, interventions and reporting for staff who need them. Data protection, user permissions and how records are accessed within the MIS should also be reviewed. For wider GDPR support and compliance, see our Data Protection Officer for schools service.
Choosing an MIS is not just about the software itself. Schools should also consider how the platform will work with their IT environment. Our guide to MIS migration and implementation explains what to consider when preparing the school’s network and where Classroom365 can help.
Schools reviewing providers may also find the Department for Education’s guidance on choosing a school MIS useful when considering supplier terms, related services and contractual arrangements.
Final thoughts on choosing the right school MIS provider
Selecting the right MIS provider is critical for your school or MAT’s success. Consider each provider’s features, interface, customisation, data management, security, and pricing to make an informed choice that meets your needs and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best MIS for schools?
There is no single best MIS for every school. The right choice depends on whether the school is primary or secondary, part of a MAT, moving from SIMS, or prioritising better reporting, finance integration or usability.
What MIS systems do schools use?
UK schools use a range of MIS systems, including Arbor, SIMS, Bromcom, Compass and IRIS Ed:gen. Some older systems, such as ScholarPack and Integris, have also been widely used, but Arbor announced they would be discontinued in February 2026 and moved to Arbor.
What are some examples of MIS systems?
Examples of school MIS systems include SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom, Compass and IRIS Ed:gen for state schools. Independent and international schools may consider systems such as iSAMS, Tes Engage, HUBmis and SchoolBase.
What is MIS in school?
MIS in schools means Management Information System. It is the software schools use to manage pupil data, attendance, behaviour, assessment, reporting, communication and other day-to-day administration.
Mark Friend, BSc (Hons), is a Company Director at Classroom365 and has worked in technology for nearly 30 years. His IT career started with Rothschild Bank in Sydney, Australia, before working as a Global VPN Project Manager for the British Council. Mark has 20 years of experience in the UK education sector, helping schools integrate the latest tech into their curriculum and ICT vision.