Strategic Progress Reporting & MAT Census :: OAT

Background

Like most trusts, OAT encountered significant challenges in managing and utilising data across its extensive network of 42 academies and central office. The existing data landscape was characterised by core mandated information systems and additional disparate sources, including spreadsheets within academies and functions, leading to fragmentation and inefficiency in data management. This scattered data ecosystem made it difficult to aggregate and integrate crucial information, particularly the “hard to reach data” that often resided in non-standard formats or required manual validation.

Furthermore, the decentralised nature of data management posed hurdles in ensuring data accuracy, consistency, and timeliness. Without a unified system, OAT struggled to extract meaningful and timely insights from its data to inform strategic decision-making and operational improvements. The lack of streamlined data collection and reporting mechanisms hindered the trust’s ability to provide stakeholders with timely and accurate information, impacting areas such as safeguarding, pupil data management, attainment, and compliance.

Moreover, the replication of tasks across academies, rather than adopting a uniform and efficient approach, exacerbated inefficiencies and inconsistencies in data management practices. This duplication of efforts not only consumed valuable resources but also contributed to discrepancies in data quality and reporting standards across the trust.
Recognising the need for a holistic solution to address these challenges, OAT embarked on the OAT SPR & Census project. The project aimed to develop a centralised data capture and reporting system capable of managing and integrating hard-to-reach data from across the organisation, ensuring complete coverage of the 7 themes noted in the DfE’s “Understanding Your Data: A Guide for School Governors and Academy Trustees” document while reporting all OAT KPIs.

Implementation

This is a live project and is currently looking at Horizon 2 of the project roll out. The implementation of the OAT SPR & Census project has involved a comprehensive strategy to address the challenges outlined in the background section. Leveraging SharePoint and PowerApps platforms, OAT developed a customised solution designed to streamline data capture, aggregation, and reporting processes across the trust’s academies and central office.

Central to the implementation was the creation of user-friendly data capture systems using PowerApps. These systems were designed to minimise data entry requirements, reducing the burden on users while ensuring accuracy and consistency. By presenting users with previous entries during each half-term window for tweaking, the need for re-entry was eliminated, fostering efficiency and data integrity. This approach not only reduced the time and effort required for data input but also facilitated a smoother transition to the new system.

A key aspect of the implementation involved the establishment of a new role within academies – the Academy Information Owner (AIO). As part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the AIO was tasked with overseeing the quality of data entry and validation. Through automated email notifications and access to a dedicated reporting tool, AIOs can efficiently audit and sense-check data entries, ensuring data accuracy and adherence to standards. Additionally, the implementation included role-based access controls, ensuring that users only interacted with forms relevant to their responsibilities within the academies or trust.

The integration of data capture systems with the trust’s central repository has been a crucial milestone in the implementation process and one that will continue in Horizon 2. This integration enabled seamless data flow across systems, ensuring that data captured from hard-to-reach sources was accurately recorded and synchronised with trust-wide reporting mechanisms. The central repository served as a single source of truth, providing stakeholders with access to consistent and up-to-date information for informed decision-making.

The implementation includes the development of bespoke reports tailored to the needs of different stakeholders, including trustees, Local Governing Bodies (LGBs), and regional educational teams. These reports combined internal data with external sources to provide comprehensive insights into areas such as safeguarding, pupil data, attainment, and finance management. The adoption of a single source of data has begun to facilitate standardised reporting practices across the trust while allowing for flexibility in data presentation and analysis.

Overall, the implementation of the OAT SPR & Census project is a significant milestone in OAT’s journey towards data-driven decision-making and operational excellence. By leveraging innovative technologies and fostering collaboration between academies and central functions, OAT has begun to successfully streamline data management processes, enhanced data quality, and empower stakeholders with actionable insights.

Skills Development

To achieve the OAT Census project’s objectives, our team has recognised the need to enhance our skill set, focusing on developing proficiency in key areas crucial to project success. While we had existing expertise in Power BI, we identified gaps in our capabilities related to data warehousing, SharePoint, Power Automate, and Power Apps development.

Our skills development plan prioritised data warehousing to ensure efficient storage, retrieval, and management of diverse datasets. We engaged in targeted training to deepen our understanding of data warehousing principles, covering data modelling, ETL processes, and database management.

We also dedicated efforts to improve our SharePoint skills, aiming to leverage its collaborative features for seamless data integration and sharing. Comprehensive training sessions covered SharePoint architecture, document management, and workflow automation.

Developing Power Automate skills became imperative to automate repetitive tasks and streamline data entry processes. We invested time in mastering Power Automate’s capabilities to create efficient workflows for data validation, submission, and notifications.

In Power Apps development, we focused on creating customised solutions tailored to our data management needs. Through targeted training, we enhanced our ability to design and deploy Power Apps, providing tools to build user-friendly interfaces and optimise data capture processes.

Throughout this skills development journey, we fostered a collaborative learning environment, promoting knowledge sharing and peer support. Practical exercises reinforced theoretical learning, enabling team members to apply new skills directly to project challenges.

As a result of this intentional skills development initiative, our team met the technical demands of the OAT Census project while positioning ourselves for continued growth in data management and analysis. This commitment to skills development remains integral to our ongoing strategy, ensuring we stay at the forefront of emerging technologies and best practices in data analytics.

Impact

Whilst in its early stages, the implementation of the OAT SPR & Census project has begun to have a transformative impact on the trust, evolving its approach to data management and decision-making. As adoption becomes embedded in everyday practice, by addressing the challenges outlined previously, the project is ready to deliver tangible benefits across various dimensions, including efficiency, data accuracy, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning.

As the project embeds, one of the most significant impacts being realised by the OAT SPR & Census project will be a substantial increase in operational efficiency and productivity. By streamlining data capture processes and minimising data entry requirements, the project has freed up valuable time and resources that can now be redirected towards core educational activities. The automation of data validation and synchronisation tasks has further enhanced efficiency, reducing the risk of errors and improving overall data quality.

Moreover, the project has empowered stakeholders at all levels of the organisation with access to timely, accurate, and actionable data. Trustees, Local Governing Bodies (LGBs), regional educational teams, and academy leaders will have access to bespoke reports tailored to their specific needs and responsibilities. This enhanced visibility into key performance metrics, such as safeguarding, pupil data, and attainment, has facilitated more informed decision-making and strategic planning.

The implementation of role-based access controls and the establishment of the Academy Information Owner (AIO) role have also had a positive impact on data governance and accountability. By assigning clear responsibilities for data management and validation, the project has instilled a culture of data stewardship and ownership within academies, ensuring that data integrity is upheld across the trust.

Furthermore, the OAT Census project has laid the foundation for future innovation and continuous improvement in data management practices. The adoption of a single source of truth and standardised reporting practices will create a scalable framework that can adapt to evolving needs and technological advancements. This flexibility will enable OAT to leverage emerging technologies and analytical techniques to derive deeper insights and drive further improvements in educational outcomes and organisational performance.

Overall, the impact of the OAT SPR & Census project extends far beyond operational efficiency, empowering OAT to harness the full potential of its data assets to drive positive educational outcomes and achieve its strategic objectives.

Next Steps

Following the introduction of this project, OAT will continue to embark on a journey of continuous improvement, focusing on refining the dataset captured by the OAT SPR & Census system into Horizon 2. This iterative process will involve soliciting feedback from stakeholders and monitoring system performance to identify areas for enhancement. Additionally, OAT will work towards integrating new data sources directly into the system, ultimately bypassing hard-to-reach sources, to streamline data capture and ensure comprehensive coverage.

Furthermore, the trust will prioritise the further development of reporting capabilities, leveraging the single source of truth provided by the OAT SPR & Census to produce automated Principal reports which incorporate generative narratives utilising CoPilot. Moreover, OAT will continue to strengthen its data governance framework, ensuring compliance with unified standards and industry best practices. By fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing, OAT aims to facilitate cross-pollination of ideas and best practices among its academies and departments, driving innovation and continuous improvement. Aligning data management initiatives with broader strategic objectives, OAT will integrate further data-driven decision-making into strategic planning processes and monitor progress towards achieving key goals. Through these concerted efforts, OAT is poised to build upon the success of the OAT SPR & Census project and solidify its position as a data-driven organisation committed to delivering exceptional educational outcomes for its students.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the implementation of the OAT SPR & Census project represents a significant milestone in Ormiston Academies Trust’s journey towards becoming a highly data-driven organisation. By addressing the challenges associated with capturing and aggregating diverse datasets across its academies and head office function, OAT has laid a solid foundation for informed decision-making and improved operational efficiency. The project’s success underscores the importance of investing in robust data management systems and fostering a culture of data literacy and collaboration across the organisation. Moving forward, OAT is well-positioned to leverage the insights generated by the OAT Census system to drive innovation, enhance educational outcomes, and ensure the continued success of its students and staff. As OAT continues to refine its data management processes and embrace new technologies, it remains committed to delivering excellence in education and fulfilling its mission of empowering every student to reach their full potential.