Most Multi-Academy Trusts know, deep down, that they spend too much on IT. What they rarely have is a single, clear view of what they spend, where, and whether it represents value. Schools join trusts having each bought their own broadband, devices, software licences, support contracts and filtering — and that fragmentation is expensive.
A MAT IT spend analysis fixes that. It's one of the most reliable ways to free up money in a trust budget — not by cutting what schools need, but by cutting duplication, waste and overpayment. With consultants who have supplied technology to schools for over a decade and served as school governors, this is exactly where we can help.
Why it matters
Savings of 15–30% on technology budgets are common once spend is consolidated across a trust — money that goes straight back into teaching and learning, with no impact on the classroom.
Where the money leaks in a typical trust
When we review IT spend across a group of schools, the same issues come up again and again:
- Duplicated software — three schools paying three different prices for the same product.
- Licences for people who've left — paying per-user for accounts no longer in use.
- Auto-renewing contracts — support and maintenance quietly rolling over above market rate.
- Over-specified broadband — circuits far larger than actual usage requires.
- No device replacement cycle — hardware replaced reactively and inconsistently.
- Fragmented procurement — no trust-wide buying power being used.
How a MAT IT spend analysis works
The process is straightforward and designed to be light-touch for your team:
- Gather — we collect every IT-related contract and invoice across all schools in the trust.
- Map — these are built into a single spend register, set against pupil numbers and actual need.
- Benchmark — unit costs are compared against the wider market to flag overpayment.
- Identify — duplication, redundant licences, auto-renewals and over-provisioning are surfaced.
- Plan — you receive a prioritised savings plan: consolidate, renegotiate at trust scale, align renewal dates.
- Govern — a simple process is put in place so future IT spend stays visible and controlled.
What you end up with
A clear, board-ready picture of trust-wide technology spend, a prioritised list of savings with pound values attached, and — importantly — visibility and governance so the problem doesn't quietly creep back. For most trusts, the savings comfortably outweigh the cost of the review itself.
This isn't about spending less on children. It's about spending less on duplication, so more reaches the classroom.
Why an independent reviewer?
Your existing IT suppliers have an understandable interest in the status quo. An independent review — from someone who understands both how school technology is actually bought and how a trust balance sheet works — gives the board an objective view it can act on. We're not selling you hardware or licences; we're helping you spend wisely on them.