4 of the Best Tools for Remote and Flexible Working in Schools

Why is remote and flexible working important in schools?

Flexible working in education can take many forms. Depending on the role, it might include working from home for part of the week, attending meetings remotely, completing administrative work away from school or collaborating with colleagues across different sites.

For School Business Managers, office teams, senior leaders and staff working across a multi-academy trust, having the right digital tools can make these arrangements much easier to manage.

In England, the Department for Education recognises that flexible working can support teacher recruitment and retention, staff wellbeing and equality within the workforce. However, schools also need to consider what is practical for individual roles and how staff will communicate and access information securely.

Technology should support the way a school works rather than create another layer of administration. The aim is to make collaboration simpler, clearer and more consistent.

What challenges do schools face when working remotely?

Remote working becomes difficult when information is spread across emails, personal folders, different messaging platforms and disconnected systems.

A simple task can quickly become complicated if one colleague is looking for an attachment in an email, another has saved the latest version in cloud storage and somebody else is waiting for an update in a group chat.

Schools also handle sensitive information, which means convenience cannot come at the expense of security. Staff should use school-approved systems and accounts, with appropriate access controls and permissions rather than moving information into personal accounts simply because they are easier to access.

The Department for Education’s digital and technology standards emphasise clear digital leadership, secure user accounts, appropriate cloud solutions and strong cyber security processes.

Before introducing another platform, ask what problem it will solve and whether an existing school system can already do the job.

What should schools know before choosing remote working tools?

Start with what your school already uses.

A school working mainly within Microsoft 365 may find Microsoft Teams the most straightforward choice for communication, meetings and document collaboration. A school using Google Workspace for Education may naturally rely more heavily on Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Adding more software is not automatically an improvement. Every additional platform creates another account for staff to manage, another place to look for information and another system that may need oversight from your IT team.

Schools should also think about the practical equipment staff need. Appropriate laptops, headsets, webcams, keyboards and mice, monitor stands, cables and chargers and other ergonomic office equipment can make regular remote working much more comfortable and effective.

The DfE recommends that schools consider devices, cloud solutions, cyber security and digital governance as part of their wider technology strategy rather than making technology decisions in isolation.

What are the best tools for remote working in schools?

There is no single platform that will suit every school. These four tools cover some of the most common requirements for staff working across different locations.

Trello: for project management

Trello is a visual project management tool based around boards, lists and cards.

A school team could create a board for a project such as organising an open evening, preparing for an audit or coordinating a premises improvement. Individual tasks can then be added as cards and moved through stages such as ‘To Do’, ‘In Progress’ and ‘Complete’.

Cards can contain information about a task, helping colleagues see who is responsible and what still needs doing without relying on long email chains. Trello continues to use the boards, lists and cards structure highlighted in the original GLS article.

For remote teams, the biggest benefit is visibility. Everyone can see the status of a project without needing another meeting simply to ask for an update.

Slack: for team communication

Slack organises conversations into channels, which can be created around teams, projects or topics.

Instead of every discussion becoming another email chain, colleagues can keep relevant conversations together. For example, a school or MAT could have separate spaces for premises, procurement, events or a specific cross-school project.

Slack also supports file sharing and integrations with other workplace tools.

However, schools already using Microsoft Teams for everyday communication should consider whether adding Slack would genuinely make things simpler. Running two separate messaging platforms can easily lead to important information being split between them.

Whichever platform you use, agree clear expectations around where different types of communication should take place.

Microsoft Teams: for meetings and collaboration

Microsoft Teams can bring video meetings, messaging and file sharing together in one platform.

For schools already using Microsoft 365, it can be particularly useful for one-to-one meetings, staff meetings, training sessions and collaboration between colleagues working at different sites.

Teams supports screen sharing during meetings, while documents can be shared through chats and channels. Microsoft also provides Teams features specifically for education environments.

Before a remote meeting, staff should still follow a few simple habits: prepare an agenda, check who needs to attend and avoid using a video call when a short message would do.

Technology can make meetings easier to arrange, but it cannot make an unnecessary meeting necessary.

Google Drive: for file sharing and collaboration

Google Drive provides cloud-based storage alongside tools including Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Its main advantage for collaborative working is that authorised colleagues can access and work on shared files without repeatedly emailing different versions of the same document.

For schools using Google Workspace for Education, sharing permissions can be managed through organisational accounts, and multiple users can collaborate on Drive files.

A clear folder structure is still essential. Agree naming conventions, decide where completed documents should be stored and regularly review who has access to shared files.

Cloud storage only saves time when everyone knows where to find the information they need.

What practical approaches work best?

The most effective remote-working setup is usually the simplest one.

Choose a clear purpose for each system. For example, your school might use Microsoft Teams for conversations and meetings, Trello for a particular project and a shared cloud drive for final documents. Staff should not have to guess where something has been saved.

Set up straightforward processes for common tasks and make them part of staff induction. This could cover where documents are stored, how projects are tracked, when instant messaging is appropriate and how colleagues should escalate urgent issues.

The physical setup matters too. Staff carrying out regular administrative work may need office stationery, notebooks, desk organisers, document wallets, filing and storage, whiteboards, printer paper or printer supplies alongside their digital tools.

Remote working works best when both the technology and the everyday practicalities have been considered.

What mistakes should schools avoid?

One of the easiest mistakes is adopting a tool because it is popular rather than because it solves a genuine problem.

Another is allowing every department or project to choose its own platform. Before long, staff can be checking email, Teams, Slack, shared drives and several project boards simply to understand what is happening.

Schools should also avoid using personal accounts for school information or sharing access more widely than necessary. The DfE’s cyber security standards place particular emphasis on controlling user accounts and access privileges, staff awareness and protecting school data.

Finally, do not assume everyone will immediately know how a new system works. Short guidance, agreed conventions and appropriate training can prevent small problems becoming frustrating habits.

What should teachers, leaders and School Business Managers consider?

Different roles will use remote-working tools differently.

Teachers may mainly need secure access to shared resources and meetings. Senior leaders may need effective communication across different sites. School Business Managers and office teams may be coordinating procurement, finance, suppliers, estates and administrative projects.

Think about what each group actually needs rather than giving everyone access to every system.

Accessibility should also be considered. Staff need tools and equipment that allow them to work comfortably and effectively, and schools should follow their own policies when making adjustments for individual needs.

Clear ownership is equally important. Someone should understand which digital systems the school uses, who manages them and how access is reviewed. The DfE identifies digital leadership and governance as a core part of effective technology management in schools and colleges.

Good remote working depends as much on clear processes and responsibilities as it does on software.

How can schools implement remote working successfully?

Start small.

Map the tasks staff regularly need to complete away from their usual workspace. This might include joining meetings, reviewing documents, communicating with colleagues or managing a project.

Next, identify which existing systems already support those activities. Avoid introducing another platform until you are confident there is a genuine gap.

Then agree simple rules covering where documents are stored, which communication channels should be used, how access is managed and what staff should do if something goes wrong.

Schools should also include remote and cloud-based systems within their wider approach to cyber security, digital governance and business continuity. The DfE’s current digital and technology standards provide a useful framework for reviewing these areas.

Finally, ask staff for feedback. A process that appears straightforward on paper may work very differently during a busy school week.

How does GLS support schools in this area?

The tools above are designed to help schools manage communication, collaboration and digital working. But they form only one part of running a busy school efficiently.

At GLS, we understand that School Business Managers and administrative teams are often balancing budgets, procurement, staffing, estates, compliance and day-to-day requests at the same time.

That is why we also focus on reducing unnecessary administration around school purchasing. Digital tools such as My Account, Share Basket and Quick Order can help schools keep purchasing information together, manage requests and make repeat ordering more straightforward.

The principle is the same whether you are managing a remote project or placing a school order: technology should make routine work easier, not create more work.

Schools. We get you.

Conclusion

Remote and flexible working does not need a complicated collection of apps. Trello, Slack, Microsoft Teams and Google Drive each solve different collaboration problems, but the most important thing is choosing tools that suit your school.

Keep systems simple, manage access carefully, give staff clear guidance and regularly review whether each platform is genuinely saving time. When technology supports good processes rather than replacing them, teams can work effectively wherever they happen to be.