Communication is the cornerstone of any school day. Whether it’s contacting parents, implementing hybrid or online learning, or coordinating between different campuses, being able to reach the right person at the right time is crucial to keep everything running and everyone safe. But too many schools are still relying on old, on-site phone systems that have been gathering dust in a cupboard for years. While they might have done the job a decade ago, today they are unreliable, expensive to maintain, and simply not built for how schools operate now.
And here’s the reality I often share with schools: What happens if your phone system goes down tomorrow? If the answer is, “We’d have to wait for an engineer,” that’s already too risky. Frankly, waiting days for help isn’t an option when protecting your staff and pupils depends on instant communication.
I’ve spent years working with schools and colleges across the UK, helping them modernise their communication systems. The challenge goes beyond the technology: it’s about resilience, safeguarding, and supporting the people who keep schools running. That’s exactly why more education providers are now moving to cloud-based communication.
In this article, I’ll take you through how Babble’s partnership with Evolve is helping schools replace outdated systems with smarter, safer, and more flexible solutions that keep staff connected and students protected — no matter what the day brings.
Despite the technology advancements made in the unified communications space, many schools continue to hold on to their legacy phone systems. I completely understand why, because it usually comes down to two things: cost and fear of disruption.
There’s this perception that keeping something on-site is cheaper, or that moving to the cloud will be complicated and disruptive. But in reality, it’s the opposite. Every time a handset fails, you call an engineer, or your PBX needs a patch or part replaced, you have to pay additional costs. These can quickly add up as your system becomes more and more outdated. Additionally, when something breaks, it can bring your entire system down for days.
Beyond frequent maintenance requirements and hidden costs, these systems are inflexible. For example, when the school office is closed or there’s a spike in calls (say, during drop-off chaos or a school closure), parents can’t get through. Staff get stressed, families get frustrated, and safeguarding response times suffer.
Put simply, a failing communication system is not just inconvenient – it has a domino effect on safety measures, parental trust and staff wellbeing. Your educators shouldn’t waste hours trying to work around a system that should just work, and the parents who are entrusting you with their children should always be able to reach you, especially when there is an emergency.
Honestly, if we were having this conversation a few years ago, I’d hesitate to migrate to the cloud too. Cloud systems weren’t as mature as they are today, and costs were higher. But that has changed: prices have come down, and reliability has gone up.
Moreover, the Department for Education is actively encouraging schools to strengthen their digital resilience, and cloud communication is a key part of that. Whether it’s a snow day, a safeguarding incident, or an unexpected closure, schools need systems that keep them securely and seamlessly connected.
That has made many of the schools I speak to stop and think, “Maybe now is the time.” They are realising that this isn’t about buying “nice-to-have” solutions — it’s about being ready for anything. What happens if the phone system or the internet goes down? Are you prepared for a lockdown scenario? What about cyber attacks?
These are all instances where our partnership with Evolve really makes a difference. Moving to the cloud goes beyond simply replacing phones: you’re effectively modernising how your entire school communicates.
Here’s how I usually explain cloud communication when I speak to schools:
Cloud communication improves:
I’ve seen this in action myself: schools that made the switch have told me their stress levels dropped almost overnight — not because the technology is flashy, but because it works, and seamlessly integrates with their learning and administrative systems.
One of the first questions schools ask me is: “If we move to the cloud, aren’t we more at risk of a cyber attack?” This is more than a fair concern because cyber threats and school data breaches are on the rise and becoming more advanced as we speak. But the truth is, cloud systems are actually more secure than on-site ones.
Cloud providers like Evolve IP invest far more in cyber security than any individual school ever could:
In other words, cloud systems reduce risk because they eliminate the vulnerabilities of outdated, unpatched on-site hardware. And because support is UK-based, if something ever needs attention, help is immediate — so you won’t be waiting for an engineer to eventually show up.
There are plenty of cloud communication platforms out there. But Evolve is different because it has been shaped around the real challenges schools face. This isn’t a generic VoIP solution: it’s a unified communication platform built with education in mind.
Here’s some of what you can expect:
Evolve also scales perfectly with multi-academy trusts, where multiple sites need to stay connected under one consistent platform — without having to maintain separate systems at each campus.
The move to cloud communication doesn’t have to be as complicated or costly as it may seem. In fact, it’s one of the smartest investments a school can make. By acting now, you’re not just upgrading technology: you’re strengthening security and reducing risk, improving reliability, and saving money.
Remember, staying on an outdated system doesn’t just come with hardware issues, but introduces new risks. Every missed call, system failure, and delay in communication can impact your ability to safeguard, inform, and connect.
I’ve spent over a decade working with schools and colleges across the UK to help them build smarter, safer, more resilient communication systems. I’ve seen firsthand how the right tools make a real difference — not just to IT teams, but to teachers, parents, and students too.
If you’re ready to leave the uncertainty of on-site systems behind, now’s the time to get in touch with me and explore what cloud communication can do for your school.