Fractional CIO Support for Multi-Academy Trusts

Governance-grade clarity on digital standards, risk, and investment. Senior technology leadership without the full-time headcount.

What We Solve
No full-time CIO/CTO? Get board-level digital leadership on a retainer
DfE Digital Standards? Clear RAG baseline, evidence pack, and roadmap
Digital risk unclear? Practical controls, ownership, and board-ready reporting
IT team stretched? Strategic direction without judging performance
25+
Years Experience
14
Sites as CIO
9,000+
Users Supported
15+
M365 Tenancies
20
Years in Education

Why Cloudalyte

Cloudalyte supports MAT CEOs, COOs and CFOOs who need confident digital leadership but don't have the budget (or need) for a full-time CIO/CTO. We work alongside your IT team and suppliers to reduce risk, strengthen assurance, and create a practical roadmap aligned to DfE Digital Standards.

Not an IT Audit

This is strategic capacity and assurance designed to help leaders make the right decisions, with clear ownership and a deliverable plan. We support your IT function, not judge it.

Built for Education

20 years of hands-on education IT leadership across primaries, secondaries, and MATs. From technician to CIO. We understand how trusts actually work, not just the theory.

Outcomes, Not Hours

Fixed-scope engagements with clear deliverables. Board packs, RAG baselines, evidence maps, and roadmaps. You know what you are getting and what it costs before we start.

Microsoft Expertise

Deep experience across M365, Azure, Entra ID, Intune, Copilot AI, and Power Platform. Certified, practical, and focused on making your existing investment work harder.

Core Services

Two focused services designed for MAT leaders. Start with a fixed-scope assessment, then convert to a light retainer if ongoing support is valuable.

Fixed Scope

DfE Digital Standards Baseline & Board Pack

A fast, structured engagement that gives leaders a clear view of where the trust stands and what to do next.

What You Get

  • RAG assessment across DfE Digital Standards with plain-English commentary
  • Evidence and ownership map: what exists, where it sits, who owns it
  • 30/60/90-day improvement plan with 12-month roadmap and cost bands
  • Board-ready summary (2-3 pages) with risk register updates

How It Works

  • Kickoff call (60-90 mins) with CEO/COO and IT lead
  • Evidence upload using a simple Cloudalyte checklist
  • Desk-based review with short clarifications (mostly async)
  • Close-out call (60 mins) to confirm priorities and next steps
Monthly Retainer

Virtual CIO: Governance & Direction

Light-touch, leadership-level support to maintain momentum without adding senior headcount.

What's Included Monthly

  • Leadership call (60-90 mins) with CEO/COO/CFOO
  • Written monthly update (1-2 pages): priorities, risks, decisions needed
  • Async support on roadmap delivery, supplier governance, and controls
  • Annual roadmap refresh, reviewed quarterly

Typical Outcomes

  • Board-level visibility of digital and cyber risk
  • Structured DfE Digital Standards evidence and improvement cadence
  • Sharper vendor governance (MSP, MIS, telecoms)
  • IT team supported with clearer direction and priorities

Starter Bundles

Compliance Starter
DfE Standards Gap Check + Safeguarding Tech Assurance Pack
Call to discuss /school
Cyber Baseline
Minimum Viable Cyber Sprint + Incident Response Tabletop
Call to discuss /school
AI + Automation
AI Safe Adoption Starter Kit + 1 Power Platform Quick Win
Call to discuss /engagement

Additional Services

Beyond our core offers, Cloudalyte provides a range of fixed-price and retainer-based services tailored to the challenges MATs face today.

Safeguarding Tech Assurance

Annual review of filtering and monitoring. Roles, alert handling, evidence pack, and termly check template for DSLs and trustees.

Minimum Viable Cyber Sprint

Admin separation, MFA, patching cadence, backup posture, and incident response basics. Aligned to DfE and NCSC guidance.

M365 Security Baseline

Entra ID, Conditional Access, sharing controls, guest access, and device compliance. Safer defaults for your education tenant.

Backup & Restore Readiness

Options appraisal, retention review, restore testing with evidence, and a clear runbook for when recovery matters most.

AI Safe Adoption Kit

AI usage policy for staff and pupils, data handling rules, approved tools guidance, prompt playbook, and governor briefing.

Workload Automation Quick Wins

1-3 Power Platform automations: trip approvals, parental consent, absence chasing, asset tracking, or IT requests.

Licensing & Cost Optimisation

M365 licence right-sizing, duplicate tool removal, renewal calendar. Often self-funding from identified savings.

Incident Response Tabletop

90-minute exercise, first-60-minutes checklist, escalation map, comms templates, and improvement actions for SLT.

Platform Decision Sprint

Google vs Microsoft appraisal. Scoring matrix, 3-year TCO model, and phased roadmap for trusts with split estates.

How It Works

1

Scoping Call

20-minute conversation to understand your trust, priorities, and what would be most useful right now.

2

Kickoff & Evidence

60-90 minute kickoff with your leadership team. Evidence uploaded via a simple checklist template.

3

Review & Deliver

Desk-based analysis, short async clarifications, and your complete deliverable pack within 10 working days.

4

Close-out & Next Steps

60-minute session to walk through findings, confirm priorities, and decide if ongoing support would help.

Who This Is For

MATs Without a CIO/CTO

You need strategic digital leadership but can't justify (or fund) a permanent senior hire.

Trusts Facing DfE Standards

You want clarity on compliance, evidence gaps, and a realistic plan that trustees can see and support.

Stretched IT Teams

Your IT lead is doing great work day-to-day but needs clearer strategic direction and governance support.

Trusts with Outsourced IT

You rely on an MSP or managed service but want independent assurance and stronger supplier governance.

Working Alongside Your Team, Not Judging It

Cloudalyte is designed to support your existing IT leadership and suppliers. The goal is to give the trust leadership team clearer assurance, stronger control of risk, and a plan that is deliverable with the capacity you actually have.

About

Cloudalyte is led by Mark Braham, a technology leader with over 25 years of experience spanning education, NHS healthcare, and the Microsoft partner ecosystem.

Mark spent 20 years in education, progressing from IT technician to CIO of a 14-site multi-academy trust with 900 staff and 9,000 students. He has held responsibility for digital strategy, IT budgets running into multi-million pounds, GDPR compliance, and team leadership across primary, secondary, and trust-central functions.

More recently, Mark has worked as Solutions Director for Healthcare at Trustmarque (a Microsoft Partner), advising NHS CIOs and IT Directors on M365, Azure, Copilot AI, and digital transformation.

This combination of hands-on education leadership and commercial technology advisory is what makes Cloudalyte different: we understand how trusts actually operate, not just the technology.

Background CIO, Director of IT, Solutions Director
Education 20 years across primary, secondary, MAT
Microsoft AZ-900, MS-900, SC-900, Copilot
Specialisms M365, Azure, Entra, Intune, Power Platform
Governance GDPR, DPO, IT governance frameworks
Location Cornwall and Devon (remote-first)
Education
NHS Healthcare
Microsoft Partner
Public Sector

Let's Talk

If you'd like to explore whether Cloudalyte could help your trust this term, book a short call and I'll confirm the right scope, timings, and package.

Book a 20-Minute Scoping Call

No obligation, no sales pitch. We'll discuss your trust's position and I'll tell you honestly whether Cloudalyte can help.

  • Understand your current digital and IT landscape
  • Identify the most pressing priorities
  • Confirm the right service and price band
  • Agree timings that work for your term calendar
Request a Scoping Call

Or call directly: 01872 243022