Engagement on Data Insight, Data Standards, and Digital Support Solutions

Purpose:

The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking to work with multiple suppliers of pupil and school facing educational software in England. This is an opportunity to inform policy development relating to proposed SEND reforms, interoperability standards to improve the flow of data, and analysis to develop meaningful insights into pupil learning and progress.

Suppliers who meet the criteria set out will be able to get directly involved in projects developed by DfE and its authorised partners, sharing knowledge, insights and supplier-side perspectives. This will help DfE build collaboration with the EdTech market.

Areas of focus include SEND, key stage 3, and core pupil information and opportunities are set out under several lots described below.

Long-term benefits:

Suppliers:

This work will create clearer, more consistent routes for data exchange and strengthen collaboration between suppliers, schools, trusts, local authorities and DfE.

For suppliers, this provides an opportunity to better evidence the impact of their products in real-world settings, helping to build credibility with customers and differentiate in a competitive market.

Greater consistency in data standards will support product improvement, enable more meaningful insights for users, and create opportunities for new and innovative services.

By participating, suppliers will be contributing to a more evidence-led, high-quality EdTech market that is with DfE's ambition to support innovative providers and help those with proven products grow and scale.

Schools sector:

Schools, trusts and local authorities will benefit from consistent and standardised data across EdTech systems. This will help minimise manual reconciliation and improve data quality. Greater consistency in data will make it easier for schools to use information effectively within their existing systems while supporting improved pupil outcomes while reducing workload and duplication. This work will support the aims of the Every child achieving and thriving policy paper, including harnessing data to provide fast, accurate insights to improve children's outcomes and put insights directly into the hands of teachers, leaders and parents.

The Department for Education:

Access to near real-time school data will enable more timely and better-informed policy decisions and interventions. We'll combine datasets to strengthen insights to enable better evaluation while increasing efficiencies in data collection adhering to better standards and quality.

Scope:

This notice comprises of three Lots. The information requested will not be shared beyond DfE or its delivery partners and will be subject to a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

Lot 1: DfE invites suppliers of pupil-facing teaching and learning software operating in state-funded schools in England to participate in this proof of concept.

As part of this proof of concept, the aforementioned suppliers will be asked to:

• Provide information around data flows between suppliers and schools.
• Share test data (including table column headers) for all data collected in CSV format. A secure transfer method will be provided by DfE.
• Share stipulated live data which adhere to our data compliance and subject to appropriate data access consent and feasibility. A secure transfer method will be provided by DfE.
• Share data model, schema and data dictionary information to support data analysis.

This will enable DfE to:

• Assess the structure and quality of available data.
• Identify where data and interoperability standards may be required to support consistent, privacy‑respecting data exchange.
• Explore opportunities to generate high‑level, non‑comparative insights within agreed data domains, initially with a small number of schools or trusts, with an emphasis on learning and feedback rather than comparison.
• Conduct user research with suppliers to inform the development of data standards and adoption considerations.

Lot 2: DfE invites suppliers providing capture and tracking software for children and young people with SEND support in state-funded settings in England to participate in user research and engagement activities to inform the delivery of SEND Reform.

This engagement will focus on understanding how SEND-related information is currently:

• captured
• managed
• and shared across different systems and settings

As part of Lot 2, suppliers will be invited to:

• Share insights into how information is currently captured, managed and shared within their systems and between systems used by schools and other organisations
• Provide illustrative examples of how data is structured within their products (e.g. high-level views), where appropriate
• Describe their current approach to enabling data exchange or integration with other systems

This will enable DfE to:

• Understand current approaches across the sector, including variation in how SEND information is recorded and used
• Identify challenges and opportunities in how information is shared and used to support children and young people
• Explore practical approaches to improving consistency, reducing duplication, and supporting effective information sharing
• Test potential approaches with different user groups, including schools, trusts and local authorities
• Support settings to meet future legislative requirements, including those arising from SEND Reform

DfE is particularly interested in learning from existing supplier solutions and approaches, and this engagement is intended to inform implementation considerations.

This will include understanding what information needs to be accessible at different points in a child or young person's journey, particularly where information needs to be shared between settings or services.

Lot 3: DfE invites suppliers of digital apps and systems to state-funded schools and trusts in England to participate in user research and project working groups. Systems of interest include but are not limited to:

• Safeguarding information systems
• Staff …