Furlong’s 2025 Round Up
As 2025 ends, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the last 12 months for Furlong.
This year has proved challenging to independent educators, with VAT impacts causing financial ripples for everyone. As an MIS that has been around for more than two decades, this meant we have been required to look at things a bit differently to ensure we are still meeting the needs of our customers.
From key milestones and attendance at events to the lessons that shaped our direction, 2025 has been a year of measurable progress and renewed purpose.
Join us as we reflect on what we achieved and set the stage for an even more ambitious year ahead.
Listening and Learning
With change and adaptation shaping every corner of the education sector, we’ve made it a priority not just to keep pace, but to truly listen. Throughout the year, we actively sought feedback from our customers to understand what’s working well, where challenges remain, and how we can evolve to better support their needs.
We’ve also broadened our approach to include valuable insights from non-customers, recognising that the most meaningful improvements come from a diverse range of voices. This has included running dedicated user groups to explore real-world experiences, listening closely to conversations across social media, and engaging in wider sector discussions with educators, leaders, and industry partners.
By combining these perspectives, we’re building a clearer picture of an ever-changing landscape, and ensuring our future developments, products, and support are guided by genuine insight rather than assumptions. This has also helped us to strengthen and futureproof our mission, which is:
Out on the Road
One of the standout moments of our year has been the opportunity to attend a variety of insightful and informative events. From thought-provoking talks to hands-on workshops, each experience broadened our perspective and sparked meaningful conversations.
CISC 2025
We were proud to be a supporting sponsor at the CISC event. It was inspiring to see how schools are leveraging software to integrate education with faith and ethics. Attending provided valuable insights into the innovative ways technology can enhance learning while supporting core values. We are also already signed up to attend again in 2026.
Society of Heads Conference
Attending the Society of Heads Conference was a fantastic opportunity to engage directly with school senior leadership teams. Our software is designed to support education leaders by streamlining processes, enhancing collaboration, and providing actionable insights. The conference gave us valuable perspectives on the challenges and priorities facing schools today, helping us better tailor our solutions to meet their needs.
Girls’ School Association Conference 2025
We were also thrilled to attend the GSA Conference for Deputy Heads and Senior Leaders as an exhibitor. With our experience supporting all-girls schools, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with leading these institutions. The conference offered an invaluable platform for collaboration, discussion, and innovation, and we greatly enjoyed connecting with the dedicated school leaders shaping the future of girls’ education.
Independent School Bursars Association Annual Event 2025
Finally, our team enjoyed attending ISBA 2025, connecting with school leaders and finance professionals to explore the unique financial needs of independent schools. Our finance solutions, TASS Finance and FeeMaster, are designed to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and provide full financial clarity. It was exciting to share how our tools can support budgeting, fee management, and reporting, and to see the enthusiasm for solutions that make a real difference in school finance departments.
Joining the ISBA Podcast
This year we also featured on the airways by being included in the ISBA Bursarcast not once but twice!
These conversations are important to us because they allow us to share insights, highlight emerging challenges, and contribute to the wider conversation about financial sustainability in independent schools. Taking part in the podcast aligns with our commitment to supporting school finance teams and helping leaders make informed, confident financial decisions.
The first episode we featured on was focused on VAT. We spoke about how our team has handled VAT in schools, which is important because understanding these challenges helps school leaders manage compliance and financial planning more effectively. More recently, Katie Saunders (TASS Finance Consultant), joined again to chat about another important financial topic for schools, ‘Beyond Cost-Cutting: Redefining Efficiency in Education’. This is important because addressing common pain points, conducting regular audits, and designing scalable processes helps schools reduce friction, unlock capacity, and future-proof their financial operations, rather than relying on temporary fixes for the current budget cycle.
Growth of TASS Finance in the UK
As well as working on the ISBA podcast, Katie has been focusing on developing our complete accounting tool for independent schools.
This has meant working closely with the TASS team in Australia to enhance the UK version of our complete finance tool. By combining their extensive experience with our deep understanding of UK independent schools, we’ve been able to refine features, streamline workflows, and ensure our solutions meet the unique financial needs of schools across the country. This ongoing collaboration helps us deliver a finance system that is powerful, efficient, and fully aligned with the demands of modern school management.
We’ve also signed up our first customers which has been exciting and rewarding. Dolphin School was one of the initial users and you can learn about their experience by clicking below:
Thank You for Your Support
We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our customers and supporters for making 2025 such a remarkable year.
Your trust, feedback, and collaboration have been invaluable in helping us grow, improve our solutions, and make a real difference for schools. We’re excited to continue this journey with you and look forward to achieving even more together in 2026.
Keen to start planning your successful new year? Get in touch to find out how we can support you.
We’re eager to learn more about your school and understand your unique needs. Our team is here to help you reach your goals with tailored solutions that make a real impact. Schedule a time to connect and let’s see how we can help.