The Problem: Too Much Time Producing, Not Enough Time Improving
If you walk into almost any school or MAT, the data picture looks the same:
- Friday afternoons filled with Excel collation
- Leaders waiting on updated spreadsheets
- Conflicting versions of the same numbers
- SLT spending hours cleaning data before they can discuss it
- Governors and Ofsted expecting clarity schools struggle to produce quickly
It isn’t that schools lack data. It’s that they spend too much time producing it, and not enough time using it.
“80% effort goes into admin — leaving only 20% for insight and action.”
And because so much time is spent assembling the picture, very little is left for understanding the story behind it — the why, the so what, and the what now.
Why the 80/20 Imbalance Exists in Schools
Schools didn’t choose this imbalance — it evolved over time. There are a few consistent reasons behind it:
1. Data lives in too many places
MIS · spreadsheets · behaviour systems · safeguarding tools · finance software. None of it connects naturally. Someone has to stitch it together manually.
2. Every school (and every person) has their own method
Different exports. Different definitions. Different cohort filters. Different interpretations of what “the right number” actually is. This leads to conflicting versions of the truth.
3. Data prep has become the job, not the starting point
You can’t discuss performance if you’re still validating whether the numbers are even correct.
4. Leaders are forced to be technicians
Senior leaders who should be focusing on strategy end up becoming:
- Excel troubleshooters
- formula checkers
- data chasers
- spreadsheet-cleaners
And that’s before they get anywhere near meaningful analysis.
5. The sector rewards description, not diagnosis
Most reports explain what happened (attainment dropped, absence rose). Very few show why — and that is the part leaders actually need.
What Happens When You Flip the 80/20
Schools that reverse the balance — spending more time thinking and less time producing — see a dramatic shift in:
- Clarity — leaders stop debating numbers and start discussing causes.
- Consistency — everyone sees the same definitions, cohorts, and calculations.
- Confidence — data stops feeling like a burden.
- Speed — issues are spotted earlier, interventions improve.
Because when the balance flips, time goes back to where it matters — students, teaching, and improvement.
The Three Shifts That Transform School Data
Flipping the 80/20 balance doesn’t require new meetings or new spreadsheets — it requires changing the way data is designed, connected, and used.
1. Automate the data work — so humans can focus on insight
This means:
- no more manual exports
- no more chasing schools for updates
- no more late spreadsheets
- no more hand-built collation
What could your leaders do with the time they get back?
2. Bring context to every number
A number on its own tells you nothing. Leaders need:
- national benchmarks
- trust averages
- contextual groups
- year-on-year comparison
- significance testing
“When context arrives, conversations shift from ‘What is the number?’ to ‘What does it mean?’”
3. Design dashboards that guide, not overwhelm
A well-designed dashboard works like good teaching. It:
- starts with the headline
- leads you to the next question
- reveals deeper insight naturally
- helps users find the root cause without technical skill
This takes data out of the hands of the few and gives it to the many.
Teachers, pastoral leads, middle leaders — everyone can access insight without fear or confusion.
The Impact: Data That Finally Drives Improvement
When schools shift from producing data to understanding data, something important happens:
- Leaders make quicker, more confident decisions
- SLT meetings move from describing problems to solving them
- Governors and Ofsted conversations feel clearer
- Staff workload drops noticeably
- Students benefit from faster, more informed intervention
This is the purpose of school data. Not bureaucracy. Not compliance. Impact.
Final Thought: Data Should Give You Time Back — Not Take It Away
The 80/20 problem isn’t a technology issue. It’s a design issue. A culture issue. A clarity issue.
Schools don’t need more spreadsheets, more reports, or more systems. They need better flow, better context, and better structure.
Flip the 80/20 — and everything else follows.