Any recommendations apart from SIMS?

[steve_nfi]

It doesn't receive much press around here but WCBS Pass is used in quite a few independent schools including ours. Might be worth a look...

WCBS – Information Management for Schools

 

I'd think long and hard before considering this.

 

We have the misfortune to be moving over to in at the moment.

It should have been up and running in the new year but it still hasn't gone live. Also costs an arm and a leg. Support not very good either.

[vikpaw]

@Tonyoung

Hi, I left the school i was working at and have been travelling, though i'm still involved with schools back home.

 

At my old school, we ran SIMS with Bromcom alongside for registration purposes with plans in place to expand and use the behaviour module.

 

We had previously used the markbook functionality as well, which was very good too.

 

In order for Bromcom to work, overnight, every night it ran exports from SIMS to maintain a copy of the timetable, staff / student info etc. So even though we weren't using it as an MIS system, it held all of our data in order for registers to be available to the correct staff.

 

It then did live exports back to SIMS to populate the attendance module. In my 3 and a bit years we never had any problems. In fact the benefit was that during SIMS upgrades we had an entire backup of SIMS on the Bromcom server with quick access to student photos, contact numbers etc. so we could in effect continue functioning whilst the upgrade was carried out on SIMS.

 

It's definitely worth checking out the system and seeing some demos. If you took it on, you could run in parallel and / or take it on a module at a time. If you are currently on SIMS that's even better because they already deal with lots of SIMS systems and know how they work.

 

Also, get in touch with some schools that use it, my old one for example Rushden Community College, and Wrenn School both in Northants. Though my old place has probably gone down hill since i left. haha!! Bromcom can give you some other examples, there's a great one in Coventry where we held user group meetings.

[Nibs]

we are gonna be looking for a new mis soonish as pearson phoenix withdraw support from gold. Be good to get a few names of ones to check out. Definately not going down the e1 route.

 

There are no plans at all for Pearson Phoenix to withdraw support to Gold - its a good product and for as long as clients prefer to use this than the web-based e¹, the support will be there for them.

Edited October 8, 2008 by Nibs

[RabbieBurns]

Thats good to know. Thanks.

[Marshy]

I'd think long and hard before considering this.

 

We have the misfortune to be moving over to in at the moment.

It should have been up and running in the new year but it still hasn't gone live. Also costs an arm and a leg. Support not very good either.

 

I'm posting this message because I need to have made a post before I can PM and I want to PM steve_nfi about what he said.

 

I too am on the trudge for an alternative MIS.

[flyinghaggis]

It doesn't receive much press around here but WCBS Pass is used in quite a few independent schools including ours. Might be worth a look...

WCBS – Information Management for Schools

 

What's your thoughts on the system? Are there any issues with it and how does it compare to others you've seen?

 

I'd think long and hard before considering this.

 

We have the misfortune to be moving over to in at the moment.

It should have been up and running in the new year but it still hasn't gone live. Also costs an arm and a leg. Support not very good either.

 

Sounds like you're not having much luck with it? What stopped it from going live if you don't mind me asking?

Edited November 12, 2008 by flyinghaggis

[steve_nfi]

It doesn't receive much press around here but WCBS Pass is used in quite a few independent schools including ours. Might be worth a look...

WCBS – Information Management for Schools

 

DON'T we are having a nightmare with it. Support and training not much cop.

Few other independents that have it aren't very impressed either.

[flyinghaggis]

You make it sound pretty bad Can you elaborate on any of the specific issues or reply by PM if you aren't happy posting it on the forum?

 

TIA

[VPatel]

And how much does this arm and a leg cost? (How much for WCBS?)

[Willzzz]

If only CAPITA were more open to the idea of people writing their own software that would work alongside SIMS, then no school need ever worry about lack of functionality.

 

I suspect that a lot of this is due to the fact that SIMS is a bit a of a mess under the hood. This is the case with most software that has been gradually evolving over several decades.

[Tonyoung]

If only CAPITA were more open to the idea of people writing their own software that would work alongside SIMS, then no school need ever worry about lack of functionality.

 

I suspect that a lot of this is due to the fact that SIMS is a bit a of a mess under the hood. This is the case with most software that has been gradually evolving over several decades.

 

Wilzz - we approached our LA and explained the applications we wanted to create and why. They then gave facilitated a meeting with Capita developers and we ended up buying 1 days consultancy and support. This allowed us to use the SDk and DLLS to read the data we needed. We then went a step further and have now completed an application to write back simple assessment data. Capita were fully supportive when we got the LA involved. Before they were hesitant and on reflection probably correctly as the LA team hold the SIMS license and are obliged to support our database if anything goes wrong.

 

Subsequent to our work we have seen many other schools and LAs who have developed their own applications with SIMS. My current favourite is recordlink which we have downloaded and are evaluating foc.

[SpuffMonkey]

We use CMIS - and are pretty happy with it - its tons easier to maintain than SIMS and is pretty robust nowadays. ePortal is pretty easy for the teachers to use.

 

The down side is that it needs setting up and configuring properly in the first place, which is not always somehing that gets thought about in schools - then there are complaints that it doesn't do this that or the other.

 

As an aside - we've recently heard that they are looking to integrate a decent accounts package (IRIS) into it soon - which will lead to much rejoicing as we can finally ditch FMS (spit spit...)