23rd November 2020: Juniper Education has today announced the acquisition of SISRA Limited, which provides more than 1,650 secondary schools, academies and trusts with sophisticated data analytics tools that evaluate high stakes exam performance and manage staff development.
The move will mean Juniper Education can better support secondary schools through data analytics at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. This will enable schools to benchmark exam results against key education performance measures, such as Attainment 8, Progress 8 and EBacc Standard, and make comparisons with other schools and the national picture.
The addition of SISRA complements Juniper’s investment programme to establish an integrated suite of subscription-based software and services that support schools and multi-academy trusts in the delivery of education.
Gavin Freed, chairman of Juniper Education, said: “There is no time to lose when it comes to helping our children catch up after the disruption caused by the pandemic. The acquisition of SISRA bolsters our ability to help schools predict their student’s performance strengths and weaknesses so that they can make sound decisions and take quick action to provide the right support.”
Juniper will also consolidate the group’s staff performance and HR offering by bringing the SISRA Observe product into the fold. The software, which was featured in the prestigious EdTech 50 list in 2020, helps schools track staff teaching performance and delivers support tailored to each staff member’s needs in both primary and secondary schools.
“The ability to spot and fill gaps in teachers’ professional development needs is the additional piece required to complete the whole picture of the school improvement challenge, ensuring teachers can make the most of any time they have in front of their pupils,” says Gavin Freed.
Terry Graham, managing director and founder of SISRA, who will remain at the firm during the transition, said: “With the rise of academies and multi-academy trusts there is a constant and significant change in the education sector and this change shows no sign of slowing down. Both schools and academy trusts need next generation technology and service partners like Juniper Education who can help them assemble the essential information they need as effectively as possible. This is a very exciting step for SISRA.”
Simon Hitchcock, managing partner at Horizon Capital, investor in Juniper Education, said: “Developing a timely and accurate picture for teachers and school leaders is at the core of school improvement. The SISRA acquisition will ensure that Juniper Education can deliver the exact information schools need across both the primary and secondary school phases, establishing the business as the school improvement partner of choice for any school or academy group.”
For further information and to arrange interviews, please contact:
Louise Everett, The Influence Crowd (on behalf of Juniper Education). louise@theinfluencecrowd.co.uk
Tel: 07855 257927
Ends.
Notes to the Editor:
- For more information about Juniper Education and its broad range of support services for schools, visit https://junipereducation.org/
- For more information about the services offered by SISRA, visit https://www.sisra.com/
- For more information on Horizon Capital, investor in Juniper Education, visit https://www.horizonpe.co.uk/
- Terms of the acquisition will remain undisclosed
Juniper Education
Juniper Education’s aim is to increase the effectiveness of schools, improve outcomes for learners and give teachers back more child-time. The organisation provides primary and secondary schools with software to bring pupil assessment, attendance and behaviour data together into one system. Juniper Education also offers services to support schools with their financial management, teacher training, HR, governance and school visits planning. The company is backed by Horizon Capital, a leading investor in high-growth technology and business service companies.
