A multi-academy trust or independent school signing a multi-year contract with a school management information system vendor is making a decision that is expensive and disruptive to reverse. A short list of direct questions, asked before signature rather than after, reduces the risk of discovering a gap once the school is committed.

Support deserves its own line. Clarify what is included as standard, what a premium tier costs, the response times you can expect and where the support team is based. When a system is central to daily admin, slow or costly support is a real expense measured in staff time, even if it never appears on an invoice.

Start with licensing itself. Ask how it is calculated: per pupil, per module, per site, or a flat fee. Confirm what happens as pupil numbers change and how the price behaves at renewal. A figure that looks fine this year can move sharply once a discount lapses, so ask for the standard renewal price in writing, not only the introductory one.

Finally, look past the launch. An MIS is a multi-year commitment, so weigh the roadmap, the support model and the cost of adding modules later. The right checklist turns a subjective sales process into a decision you can defend to governors and business managers alike. Score honestly, keep your notes, and let the totals guide the shortlist rather than the slickest presentation.

Fourth, ask about price increases over the life of the contract. Is any annual increase capped, and is it tied to a transparent measure such as inflation, or left at the vendor's discretion? An uncapped renewal clause is one of the more common sources of budget surprise for school business managers a few years into a contract.

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