Case Studies
Transforming Cross-Trust Collaboration: How Resilience Multi Academy Trust Streamlined Communication and Resource Sharing with Cloud Design Box
Resilience Multi Academy Trust (then known as Rodillian MAT) partnered with Cloud Design Box in mid-2023 to enhance collaboration and communication across its six schools. With over 4,500 students and nearly 500 staff members, the Trust sought a unified platform to facilitate resource sharing, streamline processes, and improve engagement among its diverse educational community.
This case study highlights how Cloud Design Box tailored Microsoft Teams and SharePoint to create a powerful, education-focused solution for the Trust.
About the Organisation
Resilience Multi Academy Trust has its roots in Rothwell Grammar School, founded in 1933 in Leeds. Today, the Trust oversees five secondary schools and a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), as well as the University Technical College Leeds.
Committed to innovation, Resilience Multi Academy Trust transforms academies across Yorkshire by fostering schools that students want to attend and where teachers want to work.
"Cloud Design Box is the icing on the cake, the bit that adds a huge amount of value to the underlying Microsoft systems."
-Mark Newman, Director for ICT & Data
Challenges
Before adopting Cloud Design Box, Resilience Multi Academy Trust faced challenges in managing its digital infrastructure:
- Staff relied on locally deployed storage, creating inefficiencies in resource access and sharing.
- Communication across schools lacked cohesion, with limited collaboration capabilities.
- Microsoft Teams and SharePoint were under-utilised, requiring a solution to make these platforms more user-friendly and education-focused.
Mark Newman, Director for ICT & Data, noted: “We needed a wrapper that makes Microsoft tools work well for everyone in education. Cloud Design Box is the only solution that meets this need.”
Solution
Cloud Design Box provided a customised implementation of SharePoint and Teams tailored to the Trust’s needs:
- Centralised Hub: Consolidating learning resources and data into the cloud, with a consistent look and feel across individual school sites while allowing unique branding.
- Training and Support: Cloud Design Box delivered webinars and bite-sized training videos, ensuring all staff could navigate the platform effectively. These resources remain available for refresher sessions or onboarding new staff.
- Efficient Implementation: The roll-out process was seamless, leveraging the Trust’s existing Microsoft tenancy and templates for a uniform user experience.
Mark Newman praised the solution: “Cloud Design Box bridges the gap between Microsoft’s business tools and the specific needs of schools. It’s straightforward, user-friendly, and tailored for education.”
Results
Resilience Multi Academy Trust has seen significant improvements since adopting Cloud Design Box:
- Enhanced Collaboration: Staff across the Trust can now share resources effortlessly, improving communication and teamwork.
- Streamlined Resource Management: Moving resources to the cloud has reduced inefficiencies and made information easily accessible.
- Increased Engagement: The intuitive platform design and focused training have encouraged widespread adoption among staff.
The training videos, available in bite-sized formats, have been particularly impactful in addressing specific needs: “They’ve been an extremely useful tool for staff who need step-by-step guidance,” Newman shared.
The Future
Resilience Multi Academy Trust continues to benefit from its partnership with Cloud Design Box. The solution’s adaptability ensures that the Trust can scale and evolve its digital infrastructure as needed.
Reflecting on the impact, Newman concluded: “We could have achieved something similar with SharePoint and Teams alone, but it would have taken much longer. Cloud Design Box made everything straightforward and significantly improved engagement.”
Cloud Design Box has enabled Resilience Multi Academy Trust to revolutionise cross-trust collaboration and communication, creating a unified, user-friendly platform tailored for education. The Trust now enjoys a more efficient, connected, and collaborative environment, ensuring staff and students can thrive.
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