What a school platform costs beyond the licence

Why look past the licence price of a school platform?

Look past the licence price because it is only one line of what a school platform, or any school management system, costs. Setting it up, moving records in, connecting it to the school's other systems, training staff, support, renewals and finally leaving all cost money or staff time, and UK buying guidance for schools asks for the cost across the whole lifetime of the contract. Cost is one part of evaluating a school platform before you buy.

The buying guidance asks for the lifetime figure. The UK Department for Education's Buying for schools manual says that, to choose a buying process and help with budgeting, a school “should estimate the total cost of the contract across its lifetime”.

Short-term buying has a price. The Department's digital leadership and governance standards warn that without a clear focus, “the use of technology will only meet short-term needs that could potentially lead to additional unplanned costs”, and that technology may not be compatible with what the school already uses.

These UK sources are written for schools in England and are not Malaysian rules; they are used here as a checklist that any school can apply. This guide gives no price figures: costs depend on the vendor and the school, and nothing here describes the price of any product.

Which costs make up the whole-life cost of a school platform?

The whole-life cost of a school platform is the price plus everything it takes to start, run and end it. The buying guidance for schools lists the price, VAT, delivery charges, ongoing maintenance, running costs and the cost of removing the service when it is no longer needed. For a school platform, those lines become the licence, tax, set-up, support, renewals and add-ons, and leaving.

The guidance's list. The Buying for schools manual says the estimate should include “the price of the goods, works or services”, VAT, delivery charges, “ongoing maintenance costs”, “running costs” and “the cost of removing and disposing of an item or service once you no longer need it”.

Which extra charges should a school ask about?

Ask about the charges that sit outside the licence price of any school software: how the price is counted (per school, per pupil or per user) and what happens when numbers grow; add-on modules or a higher tier; connecting the platform to the school's existing systems and sign-in; usage charges, such as messages to parents or fees for collecting payments; and any devices or connectivity the platform needs. Ask each vendor which apply, in writing.

Connecting systems belongs on the list because the Department's digital leadership and governance standards warn that without a clear technology plan, “new digital technology will not be compatible with existing technology used by the school or college”.

What does setting up a school platform cost?

Setting up a school platform can cost money and staff time before anyone uses it: installation or configuration, moving existing records in, and someone to run the project. Ask each vendor which of these its price covers, which are charged separately, and how much of the work falls on the school's own staff.

Set-up is sold as a service. A software framework listed on the Department's Get help buying for schools service, provided by Procurement Services, says that alongside software and hardware, schools can access “installation, training, end user support, and project management helping ensure smooth implementation and ongoing use”. Installation, training, support and project management are the services a platform quote may or may not include.

Moving records takes time. Ask who moves the existing records, who checks them afterwards, and whether the vendor charges for a second attempt if the first import fails. The steps are in how to move school records into a new platform, and the first weeks are in the school software onboarding checklist.

Who pays for training and support?

Training and support are paid for either in the vendor's price or separately, and the school should know which before it signs. Ask how much training is included, for which staff, whether new staff joining later are covered, and how support is reached, at what hours and at what cost once any included period ends.

Training is part of making it work. The Department's cloud solution standards say that training users “will make sure that they are confident in using the solutions correctly”. The cloud solution standards add: “Free training and refresher training options may be available online. Your cloud solution provider may also be able to provide system specific training and support.”

Someone should own the training need. The digital leadership and governance standards make a senior leader accountable for “identifying and acting on digital technology training needs for staff and students”. Count the staff who will need training in the first year and in each later year, and ask for the cost of both.

What happens to the cost at renewal?

At renewal the price can change, so the later years belong in the whole-life cost as much as the first. Ask how the renewal price is worked out, what makes it change (more pupils, more users or new modules), how much notice the school gets of a change, and how the contract can be ended. Record the renewal date where the budget holder will see it.

The later years are part of the total. The Buying for schools manual asks schools to estimate “the total cost of the contract across its lifetime”, and its list includes “ongoing maintenance costs” and “running costs” as well as the price.

Check use before paying again. UNESCO's 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report notes: “In the United States, an average of 67% of education software licences were unused and 98% were not used intensively.” Before a renewal, check how much of the platform the school actually uses; the school platform usage review sets out how. The renewal terms themselves belong in the contract checklist.

What does leaving a school platform cost?

Leaving a school platform costs the work of getting the school's data back in a usable form, moving it to the next system and confirming the old vendor has deleted the rest. Ask at the start how a full export is taken, in what format, whether it is charged, and how long the vendor keeps data after the contract ends.

The guidance counts the end as a cost. The Buying for schools manual includes “the cost of removing and disposing of an item or service once you no longer need it” in the whole-life cost.

Plan the exit before signing. The Department's guidance on procuring educational technology says: “Ensure that clear timescales are agreed for data transfer and deletion, including how backups and archives will be handled.” It adds that planning this at the start “helps reduce the risk of a data loss”. What a full export should contain is in school data ownership, export and deletion questions.

How should a school compare the total cost across vendors?

Compare vendors on the same cost lines over the same number of years, not on the first-year price. Put each vendor's answers in one table, add the lines for each year of the contract, and mark any line the vendor would not price in writing. Then put the total in a short business case for whoever approves the purchase.

Swipe sideways to see every column

A business case with the estimated cost. The Buying for schools manual suggests writing a business case that includes a draft of the specification and “the estimated cost”, and says “You should check there is available budget.” The manual also suggests identifying everyone who should be involved, which might include the governing board, trustees and technical experts.

Plan beyond one year. The digital leadership and governance standards ask for “a minimum 2-year strategy” for school technology, revisited and reviewed “annually (at a minimum)”. Compare platforms over the same period as that plan, and run a school platform pilot before committing, so the staff-time costs are seen in a real school week.