Empower Multi-Academy Trust comprises eight primary schools and a central team, with over 400 employees across the organisation. The trust has outsourced its payroll to the local authority since 2022 – a service that, on the surface, was ticking along without serious problems. But with the contract coming up for renewal and a nagging sense that the technology was falling behind, it felt like the right moment to take stock.
Tricia Slater, Chief Operating Officer at Empower MAT, saw Quarry Payroll Consulting’s payroll review service as an opportunity to get an objective view. “It was a good opportunity for us to get an oversight on where we were and what we were looking at,” she explains.
The Trust had explored the market before. Three years earlier, they had run a full tender exercise and invited commercial providers to bid alongside the local authority. On that occasion, the local authority retained the contract. But with the payroll landscape continuing to evolve, Tricia was keen to understand whether the picture had changed.
What the review found
Technology left behind
The Trust’s local authority uses a legacy platform where the experience has not kept pace with what the education payroll market now offers as standard. Staff found it clunky and difficult to navigate, and crucially, there was no self-service portal for employees, so there was lots of re-keying of data.
The review confirmed what the Trust already suspected. “When you’re so used to the system, and you’ve had it for so long, you just kind of carry on and use it,” says Tricia. “But when you hear about what the alternatives are, you think – that could be a lot better. More efficient and user-friendly.”
Specialist education payroll providers now routinely offer mobile applications for overtime, expenses and absence management, automated approval workflows that feed directly into payroll without manual intervention, and employee self-service portals that give staff real-time access to their own payroll information. None of these was available through the Trust’s current provision.
The cost of double-keying
One of the clearest risks identified in the review was around data entry. New starters were being entered into the Trust’s MIS, but because there was no integration between that and the payroll system, those same records then had to be manually keyed into the payroll portal as well.
Over time, data was also entered manually, creating duplicate work and an unnecessary risk of errors making it through to payment. In addition, before payroll data could be imported into the Trust’s finance system, it often had to be manually manipulated, and nominal codes did not always pull through correctly. Many specialist providers can generate a GL file to a client’s exact specification, removing that step entirely.
The Trust also had an early cut-off date each month for starters, leavers and overtime that was significantly earlier than many providers in the current market. Where late changes were needed, they had to be handled carefully – and in some cases, reconciled in the following month’s payroll instead.
Pricing that looks good on paper
The audit also established that the Trust was receiving its payroll service from the Local Authority at a low price. In fact, it was a price that was well below the market rate.
But the review helped frame the real question – was the low headline price actually translating into value, once the cost of manual workarounds, staff time and the absence of self-service functionality was factored in?
As the report clearly notes, moving to a specialist provider would cost more, but the decision, ultimately, is whether a modern, user-friendly system that significantly reduces manual effort and improves the experience for employees and
HR alike is worth paying for.
Gaps in service and communication
Beyond the technology, the review highlighted a couple of service gaps worth noting. The local authority did not provide regular updates on changes to payroll legislation or upcoming compliance requirements, or regular review meetings.
There were also inconsistencies and gaps in the management information that was available to Empower’s Head of People and Culture. This lack of sight of some of the valuable payroll data hindered strategic decision-making.
None of these niggles were critical failures, but they represent areas where specialist providers typically deliver a noticeably more proactive experience.
The outcome
The review validated what Tricia and the team had already suspected – and gave them the framework to act on it properly. “It verified for us what we were already thinking of ourselves,” she explained. “It was almost like somebody was rubber-stamping the fact that this is something we need to look at, and what the alternatives out there are. That reassurance that yes, we’re looking at the right thing, and we’re on the right lines.”
The Trust now has a timeline for review of their payroll provision that gives them the space to conduct a thorough review of the options in the marketplace and find a provider that fits with their needs.
As Tricia commented, “We want to take our time and make sure we’ve got the right system and the right contractor.”
And, when they do go to tender, they will be doing so with a clear understanding of the market, a shortlist of credible providers, and a much better set of questions to ask.
A useful start to the process
With regards to the review experience with Quarry, Tricia was particularly positive about how quickly the process moved, “It was a really positive experience. Ian was great to work with – very quick, very efficient.
“If schools and trusts are starting to look at HR and payroll, as a starting point, it’s definitely good.”
Not every payroll review ends with an immediate switch. Sometimes the most valuable outcome is simply knowing where you stand – having an independent view of your current provision, a realistic picture of the alternatives, and the confidence that when the time comes to move, you will know exactly what you are looking for.
That is precisely what Empower MAT took from this process.
At Quarry Payroll Consulting, our focus is on getting you to the right outcome, on your timeline. Whether that means renegotiating with your current provider, improving processes, or planning a well-informed move to a specialist service, we have no affiliations and no sales targets. The only agenda we have is yours.