What's new in SIMS
The September release brings new features and improvements to SIMS. See what’s new, what’s changed, and what it means for your school or trust.
SIMS Next Gen – September updates
Class View
Report card indicator
Teachers can now see a clear indicator on each pupil card in Class View showing who currently has an active report card.
Why it matters
Get instant visibility of which pupils need support or monitoring, helping them act quickly and keep classroom management smooth and calm.
No extra clicks. No switching screens. Just clearer insight, exactly when it’s needed.
Group Hub MIS
MAT-level data, insights and user management
Group Hub gives trust leaders a single view of what’s happening across their schools – all from one login. It replaces spreadsheets, manual updates and disconnected systems with a single source of truth for MAT-wide performance.
What’s new
- Single login across the trust
Access every school using one SIMS ID account – no need to access separate MIS’ multiple times.
- Trust-wide headlines
See key pupil and staff trends at a glance to spot risks early and offer support sooner.
- School comparison tables
Compare schools side-by-side on attendance, pupil numbers, staffing, Ofsted ratings and more, with the option to drill further into any school.
- MAT user access management
Create MAT-level users, assign roles and control permissions centrally.
- Custom clusters
Group schools by region, phase or performance to analyse patterns more meaningfully.
- Trust-wide staff list
Search and filter staff across the MAT, then jump straight into the school MIS for more detail.
- Reporting & Insights dashboards
Access MAT-level views instantly, including:
- MAT overview
- Four attendance dashboards
- Persistent absence summaries
- Visual trend charts
Why it matters
Trust leaders can make faster, evidence-based decisions and support schools proactively, without chasing updates or piecing together multiple data sources.
Conduct Dashboards
The new Conduct Dashboard gives staff a single, easy-to-read view of behaviour trends across their classes or groups.
What’s new
- Filter by pupil, group, date, event type or severity.
- View individual patterns or wider group trends.
- Spot changes early and act sooner.
- Access insights without relying on admin teams or spreadsheets.
- Seamless links to Class View and other Next Gen modules.
Why it matters
It’s a significant step forward from SIMS7 – faster, clearer and designed to help teachers and middle leaders intervene early and support pupils more effectively.
Conduct Detentions
Detentions have been reimagined in SIMS Next Gen to reduce admin and make the process fair, fast and fully trackable.
What’s new
- Guided setup for quick, simple configuration.
- Auto-assignment based on predefined behaviours.
- Built-in attendance tracking.
- Clear visibility of who is due, who attended and who didn’t.
- More consistent processes across the school.
Why it matters
Detentions are easier to manage, more consistent to apply and require less manual effort – giving staff more time to focus on pupils.