Competition watchdog ends SIMS probe as break clause confirmed

The Competition and Markets Authority has closed its investigation into England’s largest school management information system (MIS) provider after it agreed to let eligible schools leave long-term contracts a year early.

But the watchdog will not rule on whether the company breached competition law when it scrapped normal one-year rolling contracts in favour of three-year deals.

Education Software Solutions (ESS) SIMS has given “legally binding” commitments to a break clause for eligible schools as part of the probe launched last April, and the CMA has now accepted these following a consultation with schools.

It means schools that “genuinely considered” switching providers before ESS SIMS scrapped one-year rolling contracts will now be able to apply to an independent adjudicator to exit their current three-year contracts on March 31 2024.