Get ahead with school IT ready for September 

This guide is here to help you plan ahead, reduce last-minute stress and make sure everything runs smoothly from day one of the new academic term.

Let’s be honest, starting a new school year can be a scramble.

Between student rollovers, staff changes, timetable updates and log-in requests, it’s a busy time for IT teams and network managers.

And, if you’re a one-person department (very common in UK schools) or managing multiple schools in a trust, it can feel overwhelming, fast.

Getting ahead of the admin, putting systems and processes in place and embracing automation can help ease some of the stress of rollover.

But, last year, we surveyed schools and found that almost half of respondents do not prepare for rollover early as part of their digital strategy.

That’s why we’ve created this guide, to help you start early and avoid last-minute panic.

How to get ahead before September

This guide is here to help you plan ahead, reduce last-minute stress and make sure everything runs smoothly from day one.

Take stock of what you’re running

Begin with a quick audit.

What systems are you using? Is your MIS working for you? Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace? Any older tools you need to phase out?

Checklist:

• Are Licenses up-to-date?
• Any upcoming renewal dates?
• Are devices still working or due for replacement?

Prep for staff and student changes early

This one is simple, but crucial. And you’d be surprised at how many schools slip up here.

Make sure your MIS data is accurate.

Your Management Information System (MIS) is the single source of truth for your school’s data. It’s where everything starts – pupil enrolment, staff records, timetables, class groupings, you name it.

If your MIS data is out of date, it impacts every connected system.

Ask HR, admin or SLT for student intake numbers, a list of leavers and new starters and any known timetable or structure changes.

Of course, things change rapidly in education and you may not get the final list until late summer, but there are some things you can do to prepare early:

• Get early access to provisional intake and leaver lists
• Chase missing information or inconsistencies now
• Ask for key deadlines from HR, admissions, and admin teams
• Keep MIS data as current as possible

Automate what you can

As anyone who works in IT in education knows, manual account set ups take forever. And doing the same job for all the schools in your trust? No thanks.

If you haven’t already, look into automating your most tedious manual tasks:

• Staff and student account creation
• Group permissions and class memberships
• Timetable syncing
• Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom setup

With Salamander, all of this is handled for you – customised to your set up, synced from your MIS.

Document your rollover tasks

Documentation is essential for running a reliable, consistent and less stressful academic year transition. By documenting your process once, you create a repeatable playbook for future rollovers. Instead of reinventing the wheel each summer, you simply follow and refine what worked last year, saving hours of prep and rework. People working in IT already know the benefits of documenting processes, but we found that 45% of school IT teams we surveyed in 2024 did not properly document rollover tasks. Taking some time to document your rollover tasks is one of the simplest things you can do to make your job easier next year, protect your school’s data and reduce stress during one of the busiest times of the year.

Strengthen your security

New academic year can mean new risks.

Nows the time to review password policies and MFA settings, ensure leavers are fully removed from systems, check firewall, antivirus and backups and consider building access automation via systems like Paxton Net2.

Again, secure access begins with accurate user data.

Salamander handles school leavers automatically and securely, ensuring they are removed from all connected systems without manual intervention. If someone leaves the school, their accounts and permissions are removed. That applies to everything, from email access to building entry via our Paxton Net2 integration.

Support learning from day one

Hours of lesson time can be lost due to login and access issues.

Teachers and students shouldn’t have to start the term chasing passwords or missing access to digital classrooms.

This is where automation becomes a lifesaver. With Salamander handling provisioning and permissions in the background, staff accounts, teaching tools, and class memberships are all ready to go, automatically.

By the time they walk into their classroom, they have:

• Access to their shared drives and teaching resources
• Their classes correctly provisioned in Microsoft Teams or Google Classroom
• Their timetables synced with their calendars
• Their student groups aligned with the MIS data

Have a plan for the first two weeks of term

The first couple of weeks will always be busy. Late admissions come through, staff realise they’re missing access and timetable tweaks are still settling.

Create a clear plan to avoid being swamped:

• Use a shared form or helpdesk system for access issues

• Prioritise logins and teaching resource access Communicate who to contact for what type of issue (e.g., local school contact vs. trust-level support)

• If you’re with Salamander, we’ll help with any sync or config issues.

Have any questions or concerns about the new academic year rollover? Get in touch with our team today, whether you’re already with SalamanderSoft or you’ve never used us before. We’re always happy to help and advise.