There was a palpable shift in the conversation at Bett 2026 this year. If you listened closely to the discussions among EdTech leaders—from Carl Martin, the CTO of TES Global to the heads of major MIS and learning platforms—you would have heard a common theme: simply connecting software "pipes" isn’t enough anymore.
For years, integration has been the industry's main goal. We celebrated when system A could finally talk to system B. We relied on robust APIs and middleware to ensure data flowed securely. This technical foundation is critical, and the sector has made huge strides here—our own work connecting with major partners proves how vital robust APIs are.
But as the discussions at Bett highlighted, technical integration is just the starting line.
The challenge we face now isn't about moving data; it's about moving people. Real life is messy. A parent’s "user journey" isn't a straight line on a flowchart; it involves rushing from work, coordinating childcare, and navigating traffic.
When we focus solely on software integration, we miss the human context.
The industry needs to stop looking at endpoints and start looking at these fragmented, human moments. The goal should be to stitch them into a seamless flow that delivers the right answer, at the right time, before the user even has to ask.
Of course, Artificial Intelligence was the buzzword of the show. And while AI can certainly help predict these needs (e.g., "It’s raining, suggest the covered car park"), it is not a magic wand that solves engagement overnight. We need to look outside EdTech to see how this is done effectively.
Look at Disney’s MagicBand. It didn’t just digitise a ticket; it removed the friction of a family holiday. It combined hotel keys, park entry, payments, and photo storage into one wearable device. They realised that a stressed parent is a disengaged parent. By removing the "messy" logistics, they allowed families to focus on the experience. EdTech needs its own "MagicBand moment"—where the logistics of school life (payments, forms, bookings, life shares) become invisible, allowing parents to focus on their child.
The ultimate goal of parent engagement isn't just "happy parents"; it is pupil attainment. For a roadmap, we should look to digital health.
Take Livongo (a diabetes management platform). They didn't just show patients a graph of their blood sugar. They combined Data (glucose readings) with AI Nudges ("Your sugar is low, eat a snack") and Human Coaching.
Finally, there is an even deeper layer to this: Community.
When we get the user journey right, we do more than just save time; we build trust. And when parents trust the school’s digital ecosystem, they start to trust each other.
Imagine a platform that doesn't just broadcast information from school to home, but facilitates safe collaboration between parents. When parents feel they "belong," the pressure comes off the school office because the community becomes self-supporting.
The winners in 2026 won’t just be the platforms with the best APIs. They will be the ones who understand that the ultimate goal of EdTech isn't just to manage data, but to nurture the complex, messy, and wonderful web of people that makes up a school.
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The Author Susan Burton is the CEO and founder of Classlist