As budgets tighten and expectations around sustainability grow, schools are starting to rethink how long classroom technology should last.
We spoke to Ali Hayward, Managing Director of PanelWise, about why more schools are moving away from fixed replacement cycles, and what a more practical approach looks like.
Ali has over 25 years’ experience in education technology, including senior roles at Promethean, RM and Granada Learning. Having worked closely with schools on large-scale technology rollouts, his focus today is on what happens after those devices are in place.
What made you start PanelWise?
The idea came from seeing the same pattern repeat itself.
Classroom displays are now everywhere. Most schools are fully equipped, and the pace of innovation has slowed. These are no longer “new” technologies, they’re embedded infrastructure.
But the way they’re managed hasn’t really changed.
Schools are still operating on a replace-or-repair mindset once warranty ends, and that doesn’t reflect the financial or operational reality they’re working in today.
PanelWise was created to offer a third option, a way to extend the life of existing screens in a structured, predictable way.
How is the role of classroom screens changing in schools today?
They’ve become fundamental.
If a screen isn’t working, teaching is disrupted. It affects consistency of delivery, which sits at the heart of most school improvement plans.
That’s why they’re now treated less as a one-off purchase, and more as infrastructure that needs to be supported properly over time.
What are schools struggling with most?
It’s not that schools are getting it wrong.
They’re balancing tighter budgets, operational risk, and long-term planning, all at the same time.
There’s more pressure to demonstrate value for money, and a growing expectation to extend the life of assets rather than replace them at the first point of failure.
That’s created a gap between how technology has traditionally been managed, and what schools now need.
What typically happens when a screen fails after warranty?
There are around 450,000 screens in UK classrooms, most with a five-year manufacturer warranty.
After that, schools are often forced into a decision they haven’t planned for.
Replace the screen, which is a significant cost.
Try to repair it, which many aren’t set up to do.
Or take the risk and hope nothing else fails.
None of those options are particularly attractive, especially when teaching is being disrupted.
How are budgets and sustainability shaping decisions?
They’re having a big impact.
We’re seeing a shift from a five-year replacement model to something closer to seven or eight years, supported by service contracts.
That helps schools smooth costs over time, rather than face large, unplanned spend.
At the same time, sustainability is becoming more important. There’s increasing awareness of the impact of replacing working technology too early.
Extending the life of devices, and handling recycling properly at end of life, is becoming part of that conversation.
What does PanelWise change in practical terms?
At its simplest, it removes uncertainty.
Instead of reacting to failure, schools have a plan in place.
Operationally, the biggest difference is that we don’t repair screens on site, we replace them. That swap-out model keeps classrooms running and disruption to a minimum.
Behind the scenes, we handle the triage, refurbishment and recycling. From a school’s perspective, it’s a straightforward process.
How is that different from traditional repair?
Traditional repair can be slow and unpredictable.
With PanelWise, the focus is on speed and continuity. A failed unit is swapped for a like-for-like or newer model, and the repair happens centrally.
Every replacement device goes through a structured quality check, and units are either refurbished back into stock or responsibly recycled.
It’s a more consistent way to manage this across a school estate.
Some schools might say, “we’ll just replace it when it breaks.” What would you say?
For some schools, that works, particularly if they have the internal resource and processes in place.
But for most, it’s not that simple.
There are practical considerations like installation, health and safety, disposal, and procurement. And there’s the financial side, where replacement often isn’t planned.
What PanelWise does is remove that pressure. It gives schools a way to manage those moments without making reactive decisions.
Why should schools trust PanelWise?
Because of the operational capability behind it.
We’re supported by Equinox Maintenance, with over 40 years’ experience in engineering, repair and lifecycle services.
That includes national coverage, specialist facilities, and the ability to deliver at scale.
For schools, that means this is a proven service, not a theoretical one.
What do you want school leaders to feel once this is in place?
Relief.
This is one of those issues that sits in the background until something goes wrong.
What we want is for leaders to feel it’s handled. That they won’t be caught out by unexpected cost or disruption.
It’s about taking something off their desk.
In one sentence, what is PanelWise?
PanelWise gives schools a predictable, practical way to extend the life of their classroom screens, without the cost and disruption of replacing them too early.