PiXL’s Transformation Enables Scaled Support for School Leaders

The PiXL Club work with hundreds of schools across the UK (and some internationally) to improve life chances and outcomes for children by supporting school leaders. Their mission is to empower school leaders and help them serve their communities more effectively. 

Ambition bigger than capability 

PiXL had big ambitions to support school leaders but lacked the capacity and resources to realise its vision. Many ideas couldn’t be implemented due to manual processes and a limited budget. There was ongoing frustration about not being able to execute new ideas or improve services for school leaders. The vision for growth and impact was minimised due to manual processes through their own bespoke system. 

The PiXL team relied on manual workarounds and was being stretched too thin doing repetitive tasks that a system could have handled. Going the long way round meant they needed more people, effort, and energy. This made scaling and innovation difficult.  PiXL's impact was capped by geography and team availability, and meant that the advisors working with them were finding their own ways to meet schools online as well as in person, without a central system.  

The cost of this wasn't just operational inefficiency. Ideas that could have helped hundreds of school leaders sat in the backlog whilst they worked out how they could bring their vision into a technological reality. Capacity that could have gone to strategic development went instead to manual administration. PiXL's ambition was bigger than what their tools could deliver.  

Technology that matches ambition  

TSG and PiXL worked hand in hand to shape a clear and achievable vision. Through open conversations and a consultancy-led approach, TSG helped PiXL explore their ideas, asking clarifying questions and refining concepts along the way. PiXL were able to share their thoughts and aspirations freely, while TSG translated these into a structured plan that delivered the outcome PiXL wanted.  

PiXL needed a system that was reliable,  flexible, and not built from scratch. Their earlier experience with custom code made maintenance difficult when key people left. TSG took their ideas on board, and the solution that fitted PiXL’s needs was Microsoft Dynamics CRM.  

Dynamics CRM offered a “pick and mix” approach: tried and tested, customisable, and easy to maintain. The first solution was delivered on time and on budget, twice. The adoption of Dynamics CRM transformed PiXL’s operations, enabling them to scale their support for school leaders, automate manual processes, and foster innovation. 

Where PiXL were losing hours and money on travelling up and down the country for important meetings, we moved the process to a digital booking, online meeting experience. This meant that their experts were able to spend more time with the schools that needed it, and the schools could access support whenever they needed it, all tracked by a central system.  

The CRM enabled new capabilities, such as unlimited support via a portal, QR code check-ins, and better reporting and insights. School leaders could now book confidential sessions easily and access support anytime, not just during scheduled visits.  

There are now 50,000 contacts on the system, and that is growing rapidly each week. The platform improved engagement tracking and strategic decision-making. Staff became more confident with technology, sparking a cultural shift and growth mindset. 

What happens with shared ambition and drive 

Improved Support for Schools: PiXL moved from offering a few visits a year to providing unlimited support via a new portal. Thousands of School leaders and staff across their schools could access help anytime, which amazed their clients.  

Operational Efficiency: Manual workarounds were replaced with digital solutions such as QR code check-ins, saving time and effort.  

Team Adaptation & Confidence: The team adapted well, building confidence through involvement in scoping and testing. They were reassured by ongoing support from TSG and were no longer reliant on a single internal expert.  

Enhanced Engagement & Strategy: School leaders could book confidential sessions easily, leading to better engagement. The PiXL team gained improved reporting and insights, making it easier to direct strategy.  

Cultural Shift: People across PiXL began embracing the technology and speaking about it confidently, sparking creativity and a growth mindset. The success of the CRM project led to bigger ambitions for future initiatives. 

Ongoing support: We’re providing ongoing support and building our partnership. PiXL club’s team have access to additional resources like training to identify more ways to improve and utilise their technology.