Paul Rastall, Senior Project Manager Double First Ltd, has just returned from a Fact Finding tour of the UK, dedicated to meeting Engage Schools and their users.
‘In my former role I was Software Development Manager,’ said Paul, ‘I was now keen to find out if Engage was doing what it was designed to do, and whether users were aware of its full capabilities.’
One Fortnight, 11 Schools and 2000 miles
‘I had 11 schools to visit in a fortnight. Each school had agreed its agenda with me before the tour, and I knew it would be exhausting. It was! But it was so encouraging to see the years the Engage Team spent designing and developing has not been wasted,’ added Paul.
Encouraging and Enthusiastic Feedback
‘The tour was an unmitigated success,’ said Jeff Elliott, Managing Director. ‘The feedback was excellent and really useful.
‘Most schools were not using Engage anywhere near its full potential. Even so, users were enthusiastic, especially after Paul had demonstrated how much more could be achieved. More training is the key.
‘In particular, Timetable, Exams and Assessments all received much praise. Some of the schools had really dug deep with the software, spent time being trained and learning, and were extracting significant benefits time-wise as well as financially, from using the Management Information System to its full.
What Next?
‘There were some areas where improvements could be made,’ said Carole Denman, Operations Manager. ‘Some were already in development, and most of the others will certainly be added in due time.
‘Probably the most exciting is the anticipation of the Web Portal roll-out.’