Bromcom and MCAS FAQs

Hailsham Academy is moving to a new, modern cloud-based Management Information System (MIS) called Bromcom. This system is widely used by schools and multi-academy trusts across the UK and will improve how we manage student information and communicate with families.

To ensure our families feel fully informed and confident about accessing their child’s information and communicating with the school, we have provided answers to some frequently asked questions about what is changing and what will remain the same.

Useful resources

You can find additional guidance here:

FAQs

What is a Management Information System (MIS)?

A Management Information System (MIS) is a secure, centralised digital database that stores key information about a student’s journey through school in one place. This includes attendance, assessment data, behaviour, personal details and medical information.

When is this change happening?

Hailsham Academy will move to Bromcom on Tuesday 1 September 2026.

Why is the school moving to Bromcom?

We are moving from Arbor to Bromcom to take advantage of a more modern, flexible, cloud-based system. Bromcom offers improved tools for staff, enhanced communication features, and better long-term sustainability for our school.

What benefits will Bromcom bring?

Bromcom will help our school to:

Work more efficiently using a fully cloud-based system
Improve data management and reporting
Provide better tools for managing attendance, assessment and communication
Enhance engagement with parents and carers through MCAS
Support long-term sustainability across the trust

What impact will this have on me as a parent or carer?

You will need to use a new app called My Child at School (MCAS).
This will be the main portal for:

Viewing your child’s information (attendance, timetable, behaviour, reports)
Receiving messages from the school
Updating certain personal and contact information
Communicating with the school

Will I need new login details?

Yes. Before or on Tuesday 1 September, you will receive an email with:

MCAS app download details
Your MCAS login details
A temporary password

You will be prompted to set your own password when you first log in.

Do I need to download a new app?

Yes. MCAS is a different system to Arbor, so you will need to:

Download the My Child At School (MCAS) app (available on iOS and Android), or
Access it via a web browser

Will the system look different?

Yes. MCAS has a different layout and interface compared to Arbor. However, it is designed to be user-friendly and we will provide guidance to help you get familiar with it.

How will I communicate with the school after the transition?

All communication will move to MCAS, alongside email where appropriate.

There will be no change to how you contact the school directly via phone or email.

Will I still be able to report absences through MCAS?

Yes. Absences will need to be reported through the MCAS app from Tuesday 1 September 2026. Further instructions will be shared before the system goes live.

Will there be any downtime during the transition?

We do not anticipate any service downtime. We are safely transferring data from Arbor to Bromcom.

You can continue using Arbor until the end of the summer term.

We do not anticipate any Arbor downtime during term 6 or over the summer. Parents and carers will begin using MCAS from Tuesday 1 September.

During our migration, you will be able to access:

Attendance records
Homework details
Messages
Reports
Other parent portal features

From 1 September, information relating to these areas will be available through MCAS only.

Is my child’s data safe during the transition?

Yes. All data will be securely transferred in line with UK data protection regulations.

Both Arbor and Bromcom meet strict national standards for data security and safeguarding.

Will all my child’s information transfer across?

Key information will transfer, including:

Attendance
Behaviour
Timetable
Assessment
Personal and contact details

However, some historical information may not transfer, such as:

Old messages or notifications
Past homework records

We recommend saving anything you may wish to keep.

Praise and Behaviour Recording Systems

In the Primary Phase, behaviour information will be recorded and shared using Bromcom.

In the Secondary Phase, ClassCharts will continue to be used for monitoring and communicating behaviour.

Do I need to do anything as a parent or carer?

Yes. Before September, please:

Save or screenshot any information from Arbor that you may need in the future

From September:

Activate your MCAS account when you receive your login details
Set your own secure password
Once using MCAS in September, ensure your child’s details (medical information, emergency contacts, address) is up to date

Will my child notice any changes?

Students may notice differences depending on how systems are used in school, but the transition will be managed to minimise disruption to their daily experience.

What happens to information currently stored in Arbor?

Core data will transfer to Bromcom.

However, some historical items such as messages or older notifications may not be available after the transition. We recommend saving anything important in advance.

What happens with the payment system?

Primary Phase: As payments were linked to the Arbor app, it is neccessary for the payment system to change. We will separately write to parents/carers of children in the primary phase with new account details for meal payments, wraparound care and educational visits.

Secondary Phase: ParentPay will continue in the secondary phase and be used for:

School meals
Trips
Clubs

Who can I contact if I have any questions?

If you have any questions, please contact the school office in the first instance:

Email:

Phone: (01323) 841468

We are happy to support you throughout the process.

Will support be available?

Yes. We will provide:

Guidance on using MCAS
Instructions for logging in
Ongoing updates during the transition

Our aim is to ensure the process is as smooth and straightforward as possible. This system is used by many schools and multi-academy trusts across the country.