This article is for MATs and Central Teams who are supporting their schools transition to Arbor.
Moving to a new MIS is a significant undertaking for your schools, and we understand it can be a stressful time for staff, especially those who've used their previous system for a long time.
To help you manage this change effectively within your trust, we've created communication templates (see below). These resources are designed to help you support your teams and keep them informed about your initiatives and priorities throughout the transition!
Central teams - Guidance & Best Practice on Change Management
We will go through our full guidance on change management in your discovery session (if you have purchased Programme Management). You can also access our guidance here.
A short overview to get you started:
What do our most successful MATs have in place to manage change effectively?
Defined roles & responsibilities
Ensure staff who have been nominated Project Leads are clear on their role and what is expected of them through onboarding
Strong Leadership & Clear Vision
Leading MATs clearly articulate why the change is happening and how it aligns with the trust's overarching vision and strategic goals. This compelling reason for change is communicated consistently to all stakeholders
Communication Strategies
- Early Involvement: Key stakeholders, including school leaders, staff are involved in the planning and decision-making process from the outset. This fosters ownership and reduces resistance.
- Continuous and transparent communications, using various channels for this. e.g Setup a regular call with schools to ensure they are on track with the onboarding tasks and training they need to complete.
- Use various channels (e.g. dedicated meetings, emails, newsletters, webinars, Q&A sessions) to reach different audiences effectively (staff, parents, students).
- Use/create a shared area e.g sharepoint/teams where you can share useful guides/information/key dates and encourage knowledge sharing across your teams.
- Clear messaging on what areas of Arbor will be used when
Communication Examples
Primary School Communication Example: Welcome to Arbor!
This is an introduction that you can send to your primary schools before we reach out to them. This informs them of timelines, what will happen next, and what they can start to read up on.
Hi all,
Welcome to Arbor! We are really looking forward to getting started with your move to Arbor and working with you to make this a successful experience.
Over the coming weeks, we are going to be here to support you through the key stages of your implementation.
Take a look at the following links to prepare for what will be expected through this time:
We also offer many FAQs on our Help Centre which are completely free - you can get started here: Arbor FAQs
We want to reassure you that we're on hand to provide your staff with support throughout your exciting journey with Arbor - from data migration, to the day Arbor goes live, to driving success over a longer period of time!
Secondary School Communication Example: Welcome to Arbor!
This is an introduction that you can send to your secondary schools before we reach out to them. This informs them of timelines, what will happen next, and what they can start to read up on.
Hi all,
Welcome to Arbor! We are really looking forward to getting started with your move to Arbor and working with you to make this a successful experience.
Over the coming weeks, we are going to be here to support you through the key stages of your implementation.
Take a look at the following links to prepare for what will be expected through this time:
We also offer many FAQs on our Help Centre which are completely free - you can get started here: Arbor FAQs
We want to reassure you that we're on hand to provide your staff with support throughout your exciting journey with Arbor - from data migration, to the day Arbor goes live, to driving success over a longer period of time!
Quick Guides to getting Started with Arbor (Role based)
There are also our introductory guides. When a new user logs in for the first time, we send them an email that includes a link to one of these Introduction to Arbor guides for new users tailored to their Business Role:
- Guide for new Teachers
- Guide for new Admins, Data Managers and Back-office Staff
- Guide for new Attendance Officers
- Guide for new Exams Officers
- Guide for new MAT MIS Staff
If you'd like to offer further training for your staff, such as New User training, please contact our Partnership Team (customersales@arbor-education.com) if supported by Arbor, or your Support Partner if not supported by Arbor.
Arbor Support Pack - Preparing your schools for their journey
Using the Help Centre and Support
These articles take you through everything schools need to know before you get started: Using the Help Centre and Support.
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