Cloud technology has been part of business life for years, but it’s increasingly becoming a practical and cost-effective choice for schools and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs). This isn’t about swapping out your trusted ICT partner or overhauling everything at once—it’s about introducing additional expertise where it makes sense, and unlocking benefits that traditional on-site systems can’t always deliver as easily.
Through our Department for Education (DfE)-approved framework, schools and Trusts can access vetted suppliers who understand how to integrate Cloud solutions with the IT support you already have in place. The result? Access to the advantages of cloud migration without unnecessary disruption or risk.
Here are five reasons schools are making the move:
1. Lower operational and hardware costs
Maintaining on-site servers can be expensive. There are upfront purchase costs, energy bills, maintenance contracts, and eventual hardware replacements to consider. By shifting certain systems into the Cloud, schools can reduce those capital costs and move to more predictable subscription-based models.
Our framework gives you access to suppliers who can advise on which areas to migrate first, helping schools gain the savings without unnecessary complexity or wasted investment.
2. Greater flexibility for remote work and learning
Staff and pupils increasingly need reliable access to resources, whether in the classroom, working from home, or across multiple sites. Cloud services make this possible by allowing secure access to files and applications from almost any device.
Suppliers on our framework can help schools introduce this flexibility in a way that complements your existing ICT arrangements, ensuring accessibility doesn’t come at the expense of security or stability.
3. Improved disaster recovery and data protection
Unexpected events—whether a power outage, hardware failure, or cyber incident—can quickly disrupt learning and operations. Cloud systems typically offer stronger resilience through built-in redundancy and regular backups, meaning schools can recover faster and with less risk of data loss.
4. Easier scalability for growing schools and MATs
As Trusts expand or schools grow, ICT demands can escalate quickly. Adding new users, storage, or applications to an on-premise system often means significant investment in hardware. Cloud platforms, by contrast, are designed to scale up (or down) with ease. Our framework supports MATs in planning this growth, with suppliers who can design Cloud strategies that evolve in step with your Trust’s expansion.
5. Simplified IT management for overstretched teams
ICT teams in schools often face more demands than they have hours in the day. Moving some systems into the Cloud can reduce the need for constant on-site server maintenance, freeing up time to focus on supporting staff and students directly.
Cloud providers accessed via our framework work collaboratively with your existing ICT support service—adding capacity rather than replacing it.
“Every time we use Everything ICT they are so helpful and advise us of the best options for us as a school. communication and customer service is second to none! Mark is brilliant nothing is to much trouble!“
Gareth T – Brookhaven School
Supporting your school’s cloud migration journey
For schools and Trusts, the Cloud represents a chance to reduce costs, improve resilience, and provide staff and pupils with greater flexibility—all while keeping existing ICT support firmly at the centre of operations.
Our DfE-approved ICT procurement framework makes it simple to explore these opportunities. With trusted, pre-approved suppliers who understand education, schools can make the move to the Cloud confidently, securely, and without disruption.
