JamesWeatherill

We have built a v1 of this for our own internal use - it's how Ask Arbor works and orchestrates our cover agent, data analysis agent, room booking agent when you ask a question. You will also start to see more of this for external consumption as we integrate Habitude (our new workflow automation tool) into Arbor. MCPs can expose data privacy and permissioning issues, so worth doing carefully and not jumping in all guns blazing!

Sorry you've been experiencing issues with the migration. I've taken your list above and passed it back to the team, but if you DM me with any further feedback I'll ensure it's looked at

Fair play! I think you might be referring to the AI support bot which can be a bit effusive, as well as occassionally offering unasked for therapy for your data issues. I think this is a general issue with all Large Language Models at the moment. As you say the trade off is speed, as it can answer questions immediately 24/7. Both quality and tone will improve fast with each underlying LLM model iteration, so hang in there.

Just to clear up any confusion I have looked at our average response times for the past few months and they are all above normal, and I also looked at our Customer Satisfaction scores for support which are above 96% for each of the past 4 months (these are scores given by a sample of >1,000 schools each month). I don't pretend we get things right 100% of the time, but I would challenge the myth that as you get bigger service levels drop. We on average answer quesitons faster than a few years ago, to a higher level of satisfaction. To those who don't feel this is the case, we need to rectify this and get back to you!

Happy to clarify some of the questions asked here, particularly as some are a bit technical. All schools have 12 months to switch Schools are definitely not being “forced” to move to Arbor - they have free choice There is no material change to contract terms, the price, the product functionality and service levels are similar or improved, and so the move to Arbor Core is allowed under procurement law. If a school wants to change the terms of their contract, then they should of course follow proper procurement guidelines where the contract value is over £214,904, per the terms of the Procurement Act 2023. ​On Viks point above, we want schools to be happy on Arbor and we aim to provide the very best product/service in the market. I don't pretend we get everything right all the time, but we do try to be transparent and upfront with everyone. I hope you get that from everyone you meet from Arbor (inc me).

Completely understand why you'd feel like this with all the recent goings on. Have DM'd you so we can pickup direct!

Just to jump in to clarify: Arbor Core will include meal management and SMS/email functionality. Schools can choose to upgrade to more advanced parental communication and payment modules in Arbor Comms, but should save money overall by replacing third party systems that offer similar functionality.

@psydii - just thought I’d give my two cents here, at least from an Arbor perspective. In terms of scale, per the latest DfE census: · Arbor has 4,942 schools live including 603 secondaries, an increase of 30% from 12 months ago. Share of large MATs with >25 schools is 34.9% · Bromcom has 2,001 schools live including 661 secondaries, an increase of 16% from 12 months ago. Share of large MATs with >25 schools is 27.1% I wouldn’t say that scale or type of customer inevitably create bugs or slowness. There are plenty of large software platforms in the world who have complex customers and manage to maintain performance at scale. In terms of Arbor’s performance, our uptime is available publicly here, including minor incidents such as slowness and issues affecting a small number of schools. Arbor commits to uptime of >99.8% in school working hours, and have service credits that refund customers if we fall below that threshold. Last year, and current year-to-date, our uptime is 99.96%. Hope that helps!

Hi everyone, I just thought I'd jump in and give a quick update before people draw the wrong conclusions. We completed our investigation into the incident on the 27th March and confirmed that the only information incorrectly shared between schools was the school name and school logo, which is not personally identifiable information so no further action needs to be taken. I apologise for any undue alarm this has caused. A separate issue for a small handful of schools meant there was the potential for information to be shared between authorised users within the school. These schools have been contacted directly just in case, and as data processors we reported it to the ICO for prudence.

Hi there, Just to chip in and try to add some context. Whatever new MIS provider you go with, someone will have to continue to pay for your SIMS license as it's contractual. Arbor are committing to cover your SIMS license cost for upto 3 years by offering equivalent functionality for free, so net there should be no difference to you switching now vs waiting until your contract expires. Indeed you should be able to make a saving by consolidating some of your system spend. Link to the pay for one offer which explains more is here. Industry standard MIS contract terms for Arbor, ScholarPack, IRIS/iSAMS, Horizons/Pupil Asset, Compass, Schoolpod and Integris are 3 years then annual rolling (do correct me if I'm wrong!)

I thought I'd share my thoughts since like many of you I've been at the sharp end of all of these break clauses. - Here’s the link to the application form and the guidance - You don’t have long to decide, the deadline for submission of the form is 10th February. - There is no downside to taking the break clause, you can always change your mind and do nothing - You’ll be told whether you are successful by 31st March 2023 - You then have 12 months to choose a new supplier, giving you time to switch by March 2024 (or you could use our Pay for One Promise to move anytime that suited you without double paying) In terms of the form, you need to write a max of 600 words on why you didn't have time to switch, and there is guidance on what information to include here (pp.4-5). It shouldn't be onerous. If you're curious whether Arbor is right for you we have a series of webinars starting on w/c 23rd Jan here, or you can get an online ticket to our customer conference called ArborFest to meet our schools, ask questions and meet the leadership team by booking an online ticket here Shout if you have any questions and i'll do my best to explain!

Hi @saggu You have a choice with FMS. You can either keep using it (as many of our schools do), or switch to an alternative finance system, many of whom have similar deals to us. You would always only pay Arbor only for MIS and your finance provider for your finance system. We are a big believer that schools should choose the best MIS and finance system that is right for them, and want to offer choice. The integration between the two is minimal. Happy to advise on systems we work with if you send a message to james at arbor-education.com

Hi David, Very sorry to hear you’re struggling with Arbor, I just saw this post so thought I’d respond to see if I can help. I’d start out by saying the survey you reference above is accurate, it’s from 1,482 schools and The Key ran the same survey last year with the same result, which is true across primaries and secondaries. However, even though on average we have happy customers, that doesn’t mean we always get it right, and it can also be tough particularly at the start when you’re in implementation. This is often due to a mix of training gaps in knowledge, staff having to adapt existing processes to a new (and hopefully better) way of working, and also some product gaps compared to some specialist solutions. I’ll be upfront and hold my hands up that we aren’t trying to replicate SIMS like-for-like, as otherwise there would be little point in you switching, and we also aren’t trying to replicate all the functionality in all of the systems you currently use. Our philosophy is to work well with the systems you love so you have choice in what you deploy in your school. To respond to your specific points: Timetabling: we are aware of an issue with the Edval integration and are working hard to fix. We have an agreed solution, this requires work by both parties to fix, and should be in place this term. Parent app & comms: the benefit is having comms tagged to the student/parent/staff profile for easy searching and logging, as well as being able to integrate data into comms to stakeholders to personalise and automate messages. Fully accept there are some drawbacks compared to specialist solutions; ultimately it depends how sophisticated your use cases are, so I’d need to know a bit more to point you to the best solution Payments: would be keen to hear more here so I can understand better. We aren’t authorised to store card details, but are releasing Google/Apple pay so anyone can pay in one click without having to re-enter details I understand you have a call booked with your Account Manager for 14th at 2:30. I can’t make that time but if you could switch I’d be happy to join? Alternatively I’ll get a download from them and will be CC’d into future comms. I’ll pop you an email so you have my details and can come to me direct if you have other questions (I appreciate I'm not the quickest to respond on forums!). I’m confident we can work with you to resolve your issues. I won’t pretend it will be all plain sailing, but you have my commitment we’ll work hard to ensure your staff are happy in the end and you feel the decision to switch was justified.

A new school year, a new break clause! I just wanted to reach out if you’re a SIMS school looking to switch MIS systems as you may not be aware that over the summer holidays ESS released a new set of break clauses that gives you from 9-12 months to find a new provider. It’s a bit confusing, so I thought I’d try to help schools understand what their options are: You can have up to 12 months to get out of your SIMS contract if you can provide “objective evidence” that you wanted to switch MIS, but felt you didn’t have enough time (read more here) You can have up to 9 months to get out of your SIMS contract if you requested a break clause previously but SIMS rejected you as you failed to meet one of their terms (read more here) Or better yet, you can use Arbor’s Pay-for-One Promise to switch MIS anytime without double-paying (even if you’re stuck in a contract)! We won’t charge you for your core license until your SIMS contract expires If you want a break clause you have to request it by 30th September 2022, so you only have just over a week! If that feels like too little time given the start of term, then just pick option 3 and we can help you migrate at a time that suits you. Over 2,000 schools switched to Arbor last year, we’re consistently voted industry favourite by primary, secondary and special schools, with more MATs and schools using our MIS than any other cloud-based provider. If you have any questions or just want an informal chat just email me at james @ arbor-education.com (I do check edugeek or linkedin messages frequently but not every day!)

Worth noting that SIMS have published yet another update to their break clause here https://www.ess-sims.co.uk/sims-break-clause-update In brief there are 3 offers (my paraphrasing): 1. Schools who have used the break-clause but for reasons out of their control could not migrate in time (4 month extension) 2. Schools who wanted to use the break clause but have 'objective evidence' they could not switch in time (12 month extension) 3. Schools who tried to use the break clause but were refused by SIMS because they failed to sign their Annual Entitlement or apply for the break clause in time (9 months extension)

Hi everyone, James from Arbor here. Just in case you missed it, I wrote an open letter in Schoolsweek on Friday addressed to all schools who felt that they had been locked into 3 year contracts and didn’t have time to switch to an alternative MIS. https://arbor-education.com/blog-arbor-pay-for-one-promise/ To any schools, trusts or LAs who that applies to, I have good news! I don’t believe anyone should be prevented from switching MIS by your supplier, so as a result, we’ve launched our Pay-for-One Promise. This is our commitment that a school should only pay for one MIS at a time. Put simply, if you’re locked into paying for SIMS, we won’t ask you to pay for your equivalent Arbor MIS license until that contract ends. This means you can switch immediately to start enjoying some of the benefits Arbor can bring without being out of pocket! This stems from our belief that switching MIS is a real opportunity to help your staff work more flexibly, communicate better with your school community and better understand how your pupils are progressing. To find out more, you can visit our page here: https://bit.ly/arbor-pay-for-one-promise Or feel free to contact me personally - [email protected]

Always open to a pub chat! If you're at BETT this year then swing by our stand or indeed our Tapas bar and I'll be there. For what it's worth I think the information schools have been given has been incredibly confusing, with a set of dates and terms that keep on changing. Even I find it hard to keep up and I'm an MIS supplier!

Hi @dbluston I'm very sorry to hear about your experience, it doesn't represent us at our best and I'll have a look into what happened. Admittedly we've been busy dealing with enquiries but that's no excuse (especially for me).

Hi everyone, I’m the co-founder and CEO of Arbor and I thought I’d pop down a few of my thoughts about the SIMS break clause as many schools have been in touch saying that they’d like to switch MIS, but didn’t feel they had enough time. If you can switch at Easter you should. We’re running a fast-track programme for primary and special schools that allows you to take a look at Arbor and see if we’re a good fit for your school. Primary school fast-track programme Special school fast-track programme If you need more time, take the break clause and switch by September 1st. Particularly for secondary schools who need more time to implement, and primary or special schools who feel rushed, this is the best option available to you right now. We’re running fast-track programmes for primary, secondary and special schools where you can see why switching will eliminate repetitive admin, give you total insight into your school and help you engage with your community in real-time. Primary school fast-track programme Special school fast-track programme Secondary school fast-track programme MAT fast-track programme If you feel unfairly backed into a corner by this situation, then tell someone about it! The regulator empowered to act is the Competition and Markets Authority who have been contacting schools with a survey to ask their views. You can respond to their survey or contact them with a quick email on [email protected] along with: Your contact details The name of the business you’re concerned about A description of the issue Any supporting evidence and Details of other organisations you’ve contacted about this. Happy to answer any questions about the above, just reply to this thread

DfE advice is now in the schoolsweek link above and in the print edition below. They "encourage all schools to pause before agreeing to this contract whilst we investigate"

It's James (CEO Arbor) again! Just to clarify, your MIS system doesn't need to talk to FMS - most of our schools use FMS and run it alongside Arbor. As others have mentioned, you should see if FMS is tied into your 3 year renewal, and if it is then use it as an opportunity to look around to comply with procurement guidance. There are lots of good alternative finance systems out there (that are also cloud-based) like Access Education Finance etc and switching isn't as hard as you think. If you want to see what your options are as a school regarding renewal then read my blog here which provides a quick overview, or The Key have produced a helpful guide on how to procure your MIS here

Hi there, I'm the CEO & cofounder of Arbor and this post was about our offer. I can confirm that this is available for ALL schools. It's meant to reduce the timing to switch only when you're contract expires and gives you more time to pick a time that suits you. I'll be putting a blog live on the Arbor website & linkedin today to explain my views on what's going on and what school's options are!

I'm James, the CEO and co-founder of Arbor. I'm sarting to get up-to-speed on the forums, so do ask me any questions you have, happy to help. Just to give some insight from what we see in the market. Over 20% of the schools who chose Arbor this year have used the government's G-Cloud framework. https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM1557.12 This allows you to procure safely, quickly and compliantly (as well as fend off any challenges). My strong hunch is that it's going to become the mainstream way for Trusts and schools to tender, not only for MIS but for any tech/services over a procurement threshold. You still need to know what your requirements are but I'd say it cuts down the work involved in preparing any tender by >50%, and reduces risk. It also makes pricing completely transparent and gives you a strong set of T&Cs to protect you.

Will be interested to hear how you find it @gh5000 - we've built up a lot of integrations out the box, have a PowerBI connector to get you up-and-runinng, and have some SDKs if you're interested in building something yourself.

Hi @Ditto, I'm James, the co-founder and CEO of Arbor, great to meet you! I'll be keeping an eye on this forum and posts from now on so if you or anyone else has any questions at all about Arbor or MIS just shout, I'm super happy to help! Unfortunately on your particular question I can't say much - I respect the legal process and don't think it's right to comment on my personal feelings publicly. I believe you can catchup with what others think online, in the press and via the court documents if you're interested. I can however clarify a few facts about Arbor: - We're an incredibly mission-driven company who want to transform the way schools work for the better. I hope this came accross in your interactions with us! - We have never brought legal action against any school, Trust or Local Authority and I have no intention of doing so - We lose some tenders, and when we do, we learn and work hard to improve our product and service to be the very best it can be - A lot of people don't know that we have 198 secondary schools and 180 MATs who have deployed Arbor across all their schools. Our fastest growth area is secondary schools and mixed-phase MATs like the 70+ MAT you mention, who despite the difficulties you've read about, are happy customers (you can ask them). - The MIS market is really opaque, with everyone claiming they do a great job. It's really hard to sift through this as a customer. The ultimate metric I watch most closely is our net promoter/satisfaction score. If it's high, presumably we've done a good job for you! I'm happy to say that the data shows our Net promoter/satisfaction is very high across primary AND secondary Let me know if you have any other questions, unsurprisingly I can talk about Arbor endlessly!