Every school in Northern Ireland to move to new real-time digital system by 2027 with new app for parents

EA’s Chief Education Officer, Eve Bremner is pictured with Shane O’Neil, EdIS Lead; Nettlefield

Primary School Principal, Simon McLean; and St. Comgall’s Primary School Principal, Jim

Matthews.

Schools across Northern Ireland are set for one of the biggest digital overhauls in years as a new cloud-based management system begins rolling out across every school sector, promising faster communication with parents, improved pupil safeguarding and less administrative pressure on teachers.

The Education Authority has officially launched the new Bromcom School Management System (SMS), with all schools expected to transition to the platform by March 2027.

The system is designed to modernise how schools manage pupil information, attendance, assessments, medical records and communication with families, replacing older processes with a connected real-time digital platform accessible across Northern Ireland.

For parents, the changes are expected to be particularly noticeable through the dedicated “My Child at School” app, which will allow families to stay updated on attendance, school information and other pupil-related updates more directly.

EA’s Chief Education Officer, Eve Bremner is pictured with Shane O’Neil, EdIS Lead; Nettlefield

Primary School Principal, Simon McLean; and St. Comgall’s Primary School Principal, Jim

Matthews alongside Bromcom’s Chris Wordie, Executive Head of EANI Programme and Chief

Growth Officer, Ross Anderson

The new technology will also introduce smarter attendance monitoring capable of alerting parents when absences are unexplained — a move aimed at strengthening pupil welfare and safeguarding measures.

Major shift for schools across Northern Ireland

The Bromcom SMS is being introduced through the Education Authority’s Education Information Solutions (EdIS) programme in partnership with Bromcom and has been developed alongside schools in Northern Ireland to reflect local educational needs.

Primary schools are currently beginning the transition, while post-primary and special schools are expected to move onto the new system during the next academic year.

Once fully implemented, the platform will operate across all school sectors in Northern Ireland.

Education Authority officials say the system has been specifically tailored to align with the Northern Ireland Curriculum and the professional responsibilities of teachers.

Among the key changes schools can expect are:

• Faster access to pupil information in real time

• Easier attendance tracking and reporting

• Streamlined recording of assessments

• Access to medical information through a centralised system

• Reduced administrative workload for teachers and office staff

• Improved communication with parents through the app

• Enhanced support for pupils with additional needs through streamlined Personal Learning Plans

The system has been co-designed with schools, with pilot programmes already operating in selected schools including Nettlefield Primary School in Belfast and St Comgall’s Primary School in Antrim.

Schools report faster access to information

Bromcom Chief Growth Officer, Ross Anderson and Chris Wordie, Bromcom Executive Head

of EANI Programme are pictured with Nettlefield Primary School Principal, Simon McLean

and SMS Lead Judith Fullerton; alongside St. Comgall’s Primary School Principal, Jim

Matthews and SMS Lead, Kathleen Mallon.

Staff involved in the pilot programme said the transition has already improved access to reliable information and reduced time spent on administration.

EdIS Programme Director Frances Meehan described the project as a significant step towards creating a more connected education system across Northern Ireland.

She said:

“The new Bromcom SMS creates a connected and consistent Northern Ireland-wide system that supports collaboration, data-informed improvement to support better outcomes for children.

“The strong partnership between EA, Bromcom and our pilot schools has been central to reaching this stage and we look forward to bringing these benefits to all schools.”

St Comgall’s Primary School principal Jim Matthews said staff adapted quickly to the new platform and were already seeing practical benefits in day-to-day school operations.

He said:

“Our experience transitioning to Bromcom has been extremely positive.

“Staff have adapted quickly to the new system with the immediate benefit of faster access to reliable, real-time data.

“This is already helping us plan more effectively, spend less time on administrative tasks and devote more time to supporting pupils.”

‘Landmark moment’ for education technology rollout

EA’s EdIS SMS Lead, Shane O’Neill officially launches the new system.

Bromcom Executive Chairman Ali Guryel described the Northern Ireland rollout as a major milestone for the company and said the project represented the first time its cloud-based Management Information System had been scaled nationally.

He said:

“Working with the team at EANI has been a real pleasure, and the commitment and enthusiasm we have seen from schools throughout the pilot has been just as inspiring.

“We are proud of what this partnership is achieving and the positive difference it is already making for schools across Northern Ireland.

“This project also represents a landmark moment for Bromcom as we are now the UK’s first cloud Management Information System provider to operate and scale up to a country-wide level.

“We are pleased to be part of this drive to enhance education across NI.”

Support and guidance for schools and families

The Education Authority said schools will continue to receive support throughout the phased transition process through training, guidance and a dedicated support hub.

The full rollout is expected to continue over the coming academic years, with schools across Ballymena, Antrim and the wider Northern Ireland education system gradually moving onto the new platform before the March 2027 deadline.

Further information about the Bromcom School Management System, including guidance, preparation information and frequently asked questions, is available through the Education Authority website at:

Bromcom School Management System

The transition marks a major change in how schools across Northern Ireland manage daily operations, with education leaders hoping the move will free up more staff time for pupil support while improving communication and safeguarding across the system.