Unifying 17 Schools: Manor Hall Academy Trust’s Cloud Migration Journey

The Challenge

How can you unify your schools while taking the next step in technology? 

Manor Hall Academy Trust was operating across several specialist schools that were effectively working in isolation. Each school had its own SLA and ran on separate Microsoft 365 tenancies, leaving the Trust without a centralised digital environment or a unified way for staff to collaborate. This fragmentation made communication slow, inconsistent and overly dependent on lengthy email chains, hindering the Trust’s ability to work as a single organisation. 

The reliance on inbox-based working was evident in day-to-day activity. In November, Trust-wide communication volumes sat at 318.4k emails compared to 4.8k Microsoft Teams communications – roughly 66 emails for every one Teams message. The issue was a structural one. Without a shared platform and consistent ways of working, staff defaulted to email, even when collaboration would have been quicker and clearer elsewhere.

With teams spread across a large geographical footprint, the lack of shared systems meant staff struggled to access documents quickly, share information or connect efficiently with colleagues across the Trust. As the organisation grew, the limitations of this setup became more pronounced. There was no streamlined platform to support remote working, cross-school collaboration or consistent access to internal resources. 

The Trust also needed to future-proof its infrastructure. Without modern, cloud-based systems, they faced ongoing server replacement cycles, rising costs and operational inefficiencies – all of which were barriers to delivering a cohesive digital strategy at scale.

The Solution

Migrate all schools into one Trust Cloud-based Microsoft 365 tenancy 

To overcome its fragmented digital infrastructure, Manor Hall Academy Trust partnered with Computeam to deliver an ambitious multisite cloud transformation. Computeam was selected for its deep understanding of the Trust’s goals, its experience in education and its proven capability to deliver complex ICT projects at scale. 

The solution centred on migrating all schools from their isolated, on-premise systems into a single, unified Microsoft 365 tenancy. The consolidation created one digital home for the Trust, enabling seamless collaboration, simplified communication and consistent access to shared resources.

The project involved accelerating what was originally an 18-month migration plan into a more condensed timeline – an approach jointly agreed upon by Computeam and the Trust’s central team. 

A structured project framework underpinned the entire rollout. Computeam delivered clear scoping documents for each migration phase, supported by a well-defined project pathway that was applied consistently across all sites. Even as the team moved through repeated migrations, no steps were skipped, and lessons learned from early incidents were quickly applied to improve later stages. 

The human element was also critical. Computeam embedded its technicians and project manager directly into the Trust’s project team, working alongside the operations officer. The approach blurred the lines between supplier and client, creating a single, unified project team with shared ownership and a shared vision. Staff were supported hands-on during migration days, with technicians sitting beside users to assist with logins and reduce the anxiety often associated with major IT changes. 

In delivering a unified tenancy, enhanced infrastructure and a strong collaborative culture, the solution laid the groundwork for long-term digital transformation and future strategic projects across the Trust.

The Result

An easy-to-use, feature-rich digital cloud platform

The cloud migration project delivered a transformative shift across Manor Hall Academy Trust, fundamentally improving how its schools communicate, collaborate and operate day-to-day.

One of the most immediate outcomes was a dramatic increase in connection and communication across the Trust. Staff who previously worked in digital silos could now reach one another instantly, without long email chains or delays. A bursar, for example, could simply see a colleague’s online availability and make a quick call – removing barriers that once slowed routine decision making. 

The shift was measurable. Between November and March, overall digital communication increased, but the balance changed significantly: Teams communications grew 217%, while emails increased by 66%. Crucially, the email-to-Teams ratio almost halved, moving from around 66 emails per Teams communication in November to ~35 by March. In other words, Teams adoption grew over three times faster than email, showing a meaningful move towards faster, more collaborative working.

The unified tenancy also enabled a richer culture of cross-school collaboration. Despite being geographically dispersed – some schools located over 100 miles apart – staff reported that it now felt as though the Trust was operating as “one family,” with shared access to the same documents, intranet, and resources, regardless of location.

The collaborative behaviour was reflected in how staff stored and created files too: between November and March, OneDrive usage increased by 82%, while SharePoint grew 99%. With SharePoint adoption growing faster and the OneDrive-to-SharePoint usage ratio narrowing (from ~1.57:1 to ~1.44:1), staff were clearly becoming more confident working in shared spaces – building team-based workflows rather than relying on personal storage.

Another major measurable outcome was the surge in engagement with the Trust’s intranet. Where only two or three people accessed wellbeing updates and newsletters each day before the migration, that number soared to approximately 200 daily engagements postmigration. This indicated not only easier access to resources but a more connected and informed workforce. 

The project also created a strong platform for sustainability and financial efficiency. With on-premise servers retired, the Trust now anticipates reduced energy consumption, lower operational costs, and the removal of recurring server replacement expenses – previously costing between £8,000 and £15,000 every five years. Although detailed sustainability metrics will be formalised in the next carbon report, early expectations are extremely positive. 

Beyond the technical wins, the partnership approach delivered meaningful human outcomes. Staff felt supported throughout the process thanks to clear documentation and hands-on assistance from Computeam technicians who sat with users during transition days to help with logins and reduce anxiety. This helped even the least confident staff adapt quickly and comfortably to new systems. 

Importantly, the Trust now has a future-proof digital foundation. With all schools operating within a single tenancy, future IT improvements – once 17 separate projects – can now be delivered once, consistently and efficiently across the entire organisation. 

Collectively, these outcomes represent the beginning of a new, streamlined, collaborative era for Manor Hall Academy.

Client Statement

“As part of our project, it didn’t matter who was working for Manor Hall and who was working for Computeam. It was like a one vision, one project team. It was still the same service we were receiving in cloud migration number 17 that we did in number one… that’s quite impressive to do that project that many times and still deliver the same quality.

I would recommend Computeam because I think that you care about the work that you do. I think that you get education… and you go the extra mile."

Kate Staples – COO, Manor Hall Academy Trust

Computeam Statement

"It’s been a pleasure working with Manor Hall Trust on this challenging and groundbreaking project. Hearing the positive impact our solution has already had in unifying the schools and bringing immediate improvement to communication and collaboration is exactly what we aim for. Computeam’s cloud-first, partnership approach was a perfect match for this project."

Alex Williams – Programme Manager, Computeam