Customer Story: The Vale Federation

The Vale Federation, composed of two special needs schools with 350 pupils and over 350 staff, was facing operational inefficiencies due to fragmented systems for managing HR, payroll, and finance. Steve Parkinson, the Business Director, made the strategic decision to transform operations by introducing the full suite of Access Education products.

“We needed a solution that streamlined our processes and saved us time, money, and effort. Access Education delivered all of that and more.”

Key takeaways

• Single integrated system for managing staff, payroll, finance, and recruitment.
• Significant savings in administrative time by automating processes and reducing manual entry.
• Efficient onboarding through Access Recruitment and Access Screening.
• No increase in HR and Finance staff headcount despite organisational growth.
  

The power of the full Access suite

The decision to adopt the full suite of Access Education products was not made lightly at the Vale Federation. Steve Parkinson highlights that the federation approached the transition strategically, seeking a comprehensive solution that could unify their central services. “One of our key objectives was to streamline all of our processes - everything from HR to payroll and budgets - so that they worked together seamlessly.”

The real strength of Access Education’s suite, according to Steve, is its ability to integrate all of the school’s operations. “We didn't want multiple systems for different functions, especially with the volume of staff and contractors we manage. With Access, everything is interconnected - data flows effortlessly from HR to finance, allowing us to save time, avoid costly errors, and respond more quickly and effectively in our strategic decisions.

Steve emphasised that the integration wasn’t just about efficiency; it also improved accuracy across the board. “When someone’s hired and entered into the system, all their details are immediately available to finance and payroll - there’s no need for manual re-entry or cross-checking between systems.”

Access Education Finance and Budgets: A seamless operation

Managing the finances of a federation of special needs schools can be challenging, but Access Finance and Budgets has simplified this process for the Vale Federation. Steve explains that like many schools 85% of their budget is tied to staffing costs, so having a system that automatically pulls data from HR has been invaluable. “As soon as someone is recruited, all their payroll data automatically feeds into our finance and budgeting system. We can now update the budget instantly when staff changes happen.”

One of the most powerful features of Access Budgets, according to Steve, is the ability to quickly run different financial scenarios. “You can overlay different pay scales or staffing models without committing to a change. That’s crucial for us because in education, staffing costs can vary widely based on the experience level of teachers. We need to know what impact those variables will have on our budget immediately.”

Steve recalls a time when the federation advertised for new teaching positions, aiming to hire staff on the lower pay scale, but only received applications from more senior, higher-paid teachers. With Access Budgets, they were able to quickly run different financial scenarios to assess the impact. “We needed to see the budgetary effect of hiring teachers on the upper pay scale instead of the main pay scale, and we could do it instantly. We simply overlaid the new figures onto our current scenario and saw the financial impact straight away. It meant we could react quickly and make an informed decision without delay.”

Additionally, the federation has streamlined its financial approval processes. “In the past, we had a manual system for approving requisitions and purchase orders. It was inefficient and time-consuming, but now we can do it all online. We can now verify a purchase order with just a click, and the entire process is tracked and logged.”

Access Education HR & Payroll: Streamlining staff management

For a federation managing over 350 staff, including contractors, Access HR and Payroll have been transformative. The federation needed a system that would handle everything from onboarding to payroll, and Access delivered just that. “We don’t just have staff records sitting in filing cabinets anymore,” Steve says. “Now, all HR information - contracts, appraisals, background checks - are in one place, and everything is up to date in real-time.”

Steve recalls how the recruitment process used to rely on paper applications, with staff spending hours re-entering data into the system. “It was a laborious process,” he explains. “Candidates would submit paper forms, and our HR team had to manually input all the details, which wasted valuable time and opened up the potential for errors.” Now, with Access, the entire process is handled online. Candidates fill in their details directly into the system, and all the relevant information is automatically fed into HR. “No staff time is wasted re-entering data, and everything is accurate from the start. It’s made recruitment far more efficient and professional.”

The biggest efficiency gains have been in payroll. Steve points out that before Access, payroll processes involved a lot of manual input and room for error. “Now, we’ve eliminated duplicate data entry. All overtime and payment requests are automatically verified and processed through the system. It’s saved us hours of administrative work each month.”

The school’s HR processes have also become more streamlined. “Staff can now log into their own portal to submit overtime, request leave, and check their payslips, all from their phones. It's reduced the time spent chasing paperwork and ensured that nothing gets lost in the shuffle.”

Access Education Screening

Compliance was a critical area for the Vale Federation, and Access Screening simplified it. “We just push a button to run a DBS check, and the results feed directly into the HR system. It’s a huge time saver,” Steve explains.

Access Education Recruitment

The federation also saw major improvements in its recruitment processes. Access Recruitment allows job applicants to enter their details directly into the system, which then integrates with the HR platform, but still based upon a set application form, ensuring every element of safer recruitment remains intact and comprehensive. “We’ve reduced manual input drastically, and the process is now much more efficient.”

Expanding without increasing headcount

One of the most remarkable benefits of Access Education’s suite has been the ability for the Vale Federation to grow without increasing central services staff. Despite a significant increase in both student and staff numbers, Steve is proud to report that the HR and finance departments have not needed to expand.

 “We’ve seen the greatest growth in staff numbers over the past four years, but we haven’t had to add a single person to our HR or finance teams. The efficiency savings from Access have been so significant that we’ve maintained our capacity and still have room to grow.”

This efficiency gives the federation the flexibility to continue expanding without the usual concerns of adding administrative burden. “We’re confident that with Access, we can take on more staff, more students, and even more contractors without worrying about needing extra admin support. The software grows with us.”

Improved staff satisfaction and efficiency

Another standout benefit since introducing Access Education suite has been the positive impact on staff across the federation. Steve highlights that new staff often arrive with prior experience using Access software, which makes onboarding much smoother.

“We’ve had staff join us who have used Access at their previous schools, and they immediately know what to do. They’re familiar with the system, and it’s easy for them to get started,” Steve explains. “Even those who haven’t used Access before quickly realise how much better it is compared to other systems. We’ve had staff tell us, ‘This is the best system I’ve ever used - so much easier than what we had at my last school.’”

With Access HR and Payroll, staff can handle routine tasks - such as submitting overtime, requesting holiday, and reporting sickness - quickly and easily through a self-service portal. “The fact that everything is done in one place and with just one point of entry ensures that nothing is missed. Staff know their requests will be processed in time for payroll, and that peace of mind makes a huge difference,” Steve adds.

This streamlined system has made a noticeable difference in staff satisfaction. “People aren’t worrying about forms getting lost or missing payroll cut-offs. It’s all done digitally, and notifications keep everyone updated at each stage of the process. As a result, our staff are much happier, and it’s one less thing for them to worry about.”

Tips for other schools

Steve’s advice to other schools is to look for software that is designed specifically for business operations, rather than educational management systems that only touch finance or HR. “You need professional-grade solutions for HR, payroll, and finance - software that handles the complexities of business functions in schools. Don’t settle for MIS educational software that dabbles in HR or finance - get dedicated, professional systems like Access Education.”

Why Steve recommends Access Education

“The software has exceeded every one of our expectations,” says Steve. “We knew we’d see improvements, but the benefits have far surpassed what we imagined.” Steve is an enthusiastic advocate of Access Education and has even hosted visits from other schools interested in seeing how the software works in practice.