Decide who owns the rules
In a district, one administration usually sets calendars, fees and reporting for every school. In a group, each school often keeps its own leadership, brand and fee structure while owners want a combined view. Settle this first; the software choice follows from it.
Separate the data even when you share the setup
Every school’s records should live in that school’s own space, with access granted by role, not by a shared password. One campus must never be able to see another campus’s students or balances.
Plan the shared services
Payroll, procurement, transport and central admissions are the usual shared functions. List which ones run once for the whole group and which stay with each campus, then check the system supports both.
Keep a combined view for owners
Group owners need totals across campuses — enrolment, collections, outstanding balances — without logging into each school separately. Ask which reports are consolidated and how fresh the numbers are.
Pilot in one school before the rollout
Move one campus through a full term first. Its migration list, timetable and fee cycle become the template for the rest, and the problems surface while they are still small.