Study of Management Information Systems in Birmingham Primary Schools

All primary schools in Birmingham, at the time of the§research (1999-2002), used the Capita SIMS MIS as§their management system. Each school had a network of§at least three computers with access to this system.§Analysis was from data collected through a§questionnaire in May 1999 and semi structured§interviews conducted amongst a mixture of staff at 20§schools September 1999 until September 2001. The data§collected above was coded into areas of significance§based on the broad generic categories of:§infrastructure, external influences, usability of the§software, training and support, people and module§usage. The findings indicate that despite an§overwhelming acceptance of the value of such systems,§they are generally being used to provide specific§statutory returns and administrative type functions.§This is as opposed to use as a constant monitoring§tool for self-evaluation, performance management,§alerting and feedback, which is then used to inform§the teaching and learning process. The research also§looked at the whole process of data transfer in the§city, training and support, accessibility and§national standards and their effects upon the way§that the MIS is used and perceived.