Cheney School is a comprehensive secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in Headington, Oxford. The school, which has over 1,700 pupils, approached EVOLVE with a clear goal: to streamline the entire process of managing school trips and visits, from planning and approvals to payments and communication. Their existing systems were fragmented, time‑consuming and required significant manual effort. EVOLVE Premium provided the unified solution they needed.
Challenges Before EVOLVE
- Visits Management
Before adopting EVOLVE, Cheney School relied on a patchwork of online forms, spreadsheets and email chains. These systems operated independently, creating duplication, confusion and a heavy administrative burden. Because nothing “talked to each other,” staff spent unnecessary time reconciling information and ensuring accuracy.
- Payments
Payments were handled through a standalone system that didn’t integrate with the school’s MIS. Although student data existed in both places, there was no way to communicate with families through the payment platform. This meant staff were constantly matching records manually and chasing payments through the MIS, a frustrating and inefficient process.
Why Cheney School Chose EVOLVE
After reviewing a range of software solutions, Cheney School selected EVOLVE Premium for its broad functionality, intuitive design and cost‑effectiveness. The platform offered exactly what they needed: a complete end‑to‑end system that manages every stage of a trip, including payments and parent communication, all in one place.
Advantages of EVOLVE Premium
While the school initially sought a solution solely for trip management, EVOLVE Premium delivered even more value. The subscription included EVOLVEclubs, a powerful tool that has enabled Cheney School to streamline club management alongside trips, an unexpected but highly beneficial addition.
Key Strengths
- True end‑to‑end process: Every element of trip planning, approval, communication and payment is centralised.
- One unified system: Staff no longer juggle multiple platforms or duplicate information.
- Ease of use: The interface is simple, clear and accessible for all staff involved.
Impact and Problem Solving
EVOLVE has significantly reduced the time spent:
- Communicating with parents
- Chasing payments
- Coordinating with staff to organise trips
The school reports that the time savings have been extraordinary, freeing staff to focus on delivering high‑quality experiences rather than administration.
Implementation and Roll‑Out
Cheney School adopted a structured and supportive roll‑out approach:
- A small group of key staff were trained as internal ‘trainers’.
- Trip leaders initially created trips alongside a trainer to build confidence.
- Faculty Heads and regular trip leaders received dedicated training sessions.
- The admin team continued to offer hands‑on support during the transition.
This phased approach ensured staff felt supported and capable from day one.
Staff Feedback
Feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive. They describe EVOLVE as:
- Simple
- Far easier than previous systems
- Reassuring, because everything is visible in one place
The clarity and consolidation of information have been especially appreciated.
EVOLVEpay
EVOLVEpay has transformed the school’s payment process:
- Reminders are easier to send
- Time spent chasing payments has dropped dramatically
- Parents find the payment process much simpler
This has improved both administrative efficiency and the parent experience.
Customer Support Experience
From the very first enquiry, Cheney School has been impressed by the outstanding customer support provided by EVOLVE. The initial meetings and training were comprehensive and confidence‑building. Since going live, the school has continued to receive responsive, high‑quality support that has exceeded expectations.
Recommendation
Cheney School is extremely happy with their decision to adopt EVOLVE Premium. The system has delivered exactly what they needed and more. They now regularly host colleagues from other schools who want to see the system in action.
“We would highly recommend EVOLVE. It has transformed how we manage trips and payments.”