Rawlins Academy is a secondary school of approximately 1600 students and a sixth form of around 300 students. Based in Loughborough, Leicestershire Rawlins is one of ten constituent academies in the Embrace Multi Academy Trust. The Rawlins belief is that dedication, effort and perseverance turn potential into achievement.
For years, Rawlins School had a brilliant in-house payroll team, and it ran like clockwork. However, colleagues moved on and weren't replaced. Before long, payroll rested on too few shoulders, and that's a risk no school business manager wants to carry.
It was time to find a managed payroll provider.
Our reputation with schools in Nottinghamshire got to Rawlins before we did. Their principal had already heard good things.
Even so, Rawlins looked at a selection of managed payroll providers before deciding. We came out on top because of how we engaged from day one: with honesty, integrity and security at the heart of it.
For Gill Bertinat, Business Manager at Rawlins, it came down to something refreshingly simple:
"It isn't just about cost, it's about how we can work together. One thing I have always valued, and continue to value, is the open dialogue we have. I can pick up a phone, and somebody will answer it. I can send an email, and I will get a response."
Anyone who's run a school payroll knows it's really two payrolls at once. Clear communication isn't a nice-to-have; it's what keeps it all on track. SAAF continues to keep communication at the heart of the service promise, the team will always be just a phone call away and your emails will be answered efficiently.
"If something is not right or doesn't make sense, I get an answer pretty sharpish," says Gill. "Any queries I raise, I get a clear explanation and breakdown of why."
"Even when the payroll requires 87 changes in one month, no drama!"
In September 2026, Gill had 87 changes for processing in a single month. Her verdict: "It just worked so smoothly. The move from draft to draft was really slick."
Gill’s verdict: “I would recommend your payroll services to anybody who asked.”
Want payroll that just works? Discover how SAAF can transform your school, academy or trust’s financial management and payroll.
Case study developed: October 2026