Customer Story: St Bernard’s School

Managing school finances efficiently is a challenge when different systems don’t communicate properly. That was the issue facing St Bernard’s School in Southend, supported by Paul Sedgwick, Business Services Manager at Rickard Luckin. With finance software that was disjointed, outdated, and frustrating to manage, the school needed a solution that streamlined everything into one seamless platform.

The challenge: disjointed systems and inefficient reporting

Before switching to Access Education’s Financial Focus Bundle, St Bernard’s School was using a different software provider for accounts and Access Education for budgeting, but the budgeting tool was purchased via a third party supplier.

"We were using one provider for finance, but it was clunky, and even though we had Access Education for budgeting, it was through a third party – making everything feel disjointed. Having worked with many schools that use Access Education software directly, I knew that bringing everything into one system would be a game-changer – streamlining processes, enhancing reporting, and making financial management far more efficient."

This meant time-consuming manual processes, clunky reporting, and an out-of-date chart of accounts. Frustrated with inefficiencies, Paul decided it was time to find a better, more integrated solution.

Why the Access Education Financial Focus Bundle?

Paul had worked with multiple financial systems in schools, including PS Financials, FMS, Sage, and Access, and found Access the best fit. The key factor in the decision? Integration and ease of use.

“I’ve used several finance systems, and Access just felt right for what we needed. It’s simple to use, has strong reporting, and everything just works together.”

One contract, one supplier: a game-changer

One of the biggest frustrations before bundling was dealing with multiple suppliers and contracts. The school thought they were purchasing Access budgeting software directly from Access, only to find out it was through a third party - causing confusion and delays in support.

“We assumed we were buying from Access, but we were actually getting it via another supplier. That meant we had to go through them for support, which wasn’t ideal.”

With the Financial Focus Bundle, St Bernard’s now benefits from:

• One supplier, one contract – no more confusion over who to contact
• Direct access to the Access Education expert customer support team
• All financial tools under one system for seamless reporting
• Future investment in new features and AI capabilities

The impact: better reporting, less paperwork, and more efficiency

Now that both budgets and finance are in one system, St Bernard’s expects significant time savings and improved accuracy. The biggest win? Reporting is now far easier.

“It’s very easy to move a budget from the budgeting software into the finance system, profile it, and produce reports that show real-time variances.”

Another major improvement is document management. With our old system, invoices couldn’t be attached digitally, leading to shelves full of paper files. Now, everything can be stored online, accessible at the click of a button.

“We’ve got shelves full of files from previous years. Now, we can move everything online, making it easier to access and saving loads of space.”

Advice to other schools: “It just works”

For Paul, bundling all the school's financial software with Access was the right decision. His advice to other schools?

“The synergy between everything makes it all so much quicker. The reporting is simple, the system is easy to use, and everything just works together.”

By choosing the Access Financial Focus Bundle, St Bernard’s School has set itself up for better financial control, improved efficiency, and long-term sustainability—all with the simplicity of one supplier and one predictable price.

Find out how you can transform your school’s finances

Join over 9,000 schools and 42 local authorities that trust Access Education to simplify, streamline, and modernise their budgeting and finance processes. With seamless integration across finance, HR, payroll, and reporting, you’ll gain total financial clarity –eliminating inefficiencies, reducing manual work, and ensuring your data flows effortlessly across all systems.

The Access Education bundles provide a streamlined and cost-effective way for schools to manage their essential operations through a single, integrated platform. Whether your priority is financial management, staff engagement, or a complete software experience, our Financial Focus, Thriving People, and Freedom bundles offer the flexibility to grow with your school’s needs. Each bundle includes key core components and can be expanded with additional features, ensuring you get the most from your investment.

By choosing a bundle, you’re not just selecting software—you’re buying into the full Access Education Suite, with the option to customise and scale as your school evolves. With one contract, one platform, and one predictable price, you can focus on what really matters: delivering outstanding education.