Financing the future of learning: a flexible device strategy for The Manchester Grammar School

Customer background

Introducing Manchester Grammar School

The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) is one of the UK’s leading independent day schools, with a heritage dating back to 1515. Based in Manchester, the school educates around 1,600 pupils supported by approximately 300 staff and is widely recognised for its academic excellence, strong traditions, and long-standing commitment to opportunity and ambition.

As a large and high-performing institution, MGS is committed to providing staff and students with the tools they need to succeed the matches the quality of its educational offer. That means investing in technology that enhances teaching and learning, while balancing the realities of budget planning, operational demands, and a historic estate.

Challenges

Delivering a large-scale device rollout within operational and financial constraints

When MGS set out to roll out Microsoft Surface devices across the school, it needed a solution that could support teaching and learning at scale while addressing a complex mix of operational, financial, and sustainability requirements:

Infrastructure limitations With historic buildings and limited electrical capacity across parts of the estate, the school could not rely on continuous charging. Devices needed to deliver dependable battery performance throughout the school day.

Complex budgeting and procurement The school required a financing model aligned to the academic year, with clear predictable costs and a structure that could be fully funded by the school.

Large-scale deployment logistics Approximately 1,600 devices, representing an investment of around £1.3 million, needed to be delivered in July for summer configuration, despite suppliers requiring payment on delivery. This created a significant cashflow timing challenge.

Device protection and repair Previous manufacturer-led repair processes resulted in long turnaround times, increased carbon impact, and added complexity following Brexit-related import requirements.

Sustainability expectations The school sought a partner capable of supporting its ESG ambitions with credible, measurable solutions.

The solution

A flexible, education-focused financing and lifecycle model

MGS selected CHG-MERIDIAN following a competitive process, recognising its ability to combine financial flexibility with specialist expertise in the education sector.

Education-led approach

CHG-MERIDIAN worked closely with the school to understand different student cohorts, device refresh cycles, academic-year timing, and the budget and procurement structures unique to education. Site visits with the school’s IT leadership helped ensure the solution reflected real classroom conditions rather than a standard corporate model.

Deferred start financing aligned to the academic year

CHG-MERIDIAN structured a deferred start agreement that allowed devices to be delivered in July for staging and configuration, while the finance agreement was set to begin in September in line with the new academic year and the school’s budget cycle.

This approach removed cashflow pressure at the point of delivery, enabled a smooth start of term rollout, and created a clear September-to-September lifecycle that simplified refresh planning and returns.

From protection to lifecycle repair optimisation

To provide confidence at the outset, MGS initially implemented a full protection package. As the programme matured, however, the school and CHG-MERIDIAN moved to a lifecycle repair fund in response to the limitations of the manufacturer led repair model. This approach provided greater flexibility, faster issue resolution, and a model better aligned with the school’s operational needs.

It also demonstrates CHG-MERIDIAN’s ability to adapt the solution in line with real-world performance and changing school requirements as opposed to fixed assumptions.

Full visibility with tesma

MGS uses tesma, CHG-MERIDIAN’s asset management platform, to track devices and associated costs, forecast budgets several years ahead, and access contracts, invoices, and asset data in one place. This gives the school greater transparency, stronger governance, and more confident long-term planning across its technology estate.

The results

Improved learning experience, financial efficiency, and operational control

By partnering with CHG-MERIDIAN, The Manchester Grammar School has achieved a more sustainable, financially controlled, and operationally effective approach to device procurement:

Improved access to modern learning technology

Students benefit from high-performance devices with dependable battery life, helping to support uninterrupted learning throughout the school day.

Closer alignment between technology investment and academic planning

The deferred start structure ensures devices are ready for the new term while maintaining budget discipline and improving planning certainty.

Meaningful cost savings

Approximately £250,000 saved compared with outright purchase
Additional savings achieved through optimisation of the repair model

Stronger sustainability outcomes

Reduced environmental impact through a more efficient repair and lifecycle approach

Greater visibility and long-term control

Centralised asset management through tesma supports stronger forecasting, governance, and reporting across the school’s technology estate.

“CHG-MERIDIAN took the time to understand how our school operates. From the realities of a historic estate and limited power in classrooms to the structure of our academic year and budgeting cycles. Their flexible financing and lifecycle approach has enabled us to equip staff and students with modern devices in a way that is both financially responsible and environmentally sustainable.”

Richard Wilcock, Strategic Director of ICT, The Manchester Grammar School

Why this story matters

A model for education-focused technology financing

This project demonstrates how CHG-MERIDIAN supports educational institutions with solutions tailored to their own unique needs, from academic cycles and funding structures to infrastructure limitations and sustainability goals.

By combining flexible financing, lifecycle management, and practical sector expertise, CHG-MERIDIAN enabled The Manchester Grammar School to deliver a large scale technology transformation in a way that is financially sustainable, operationally practical, and aligned with its long-term strategy.