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We're a strategic partner to over 1,000 schools, academies and trusts...

Education Payroll Services

Say goodbye to time-consuming processes and the administrative burden of payroll. Say hello to SAAF’s flexible, accurate, and responsive payroll bureau!

We offer a fully outsourced service to effectively meet the needs of schools, academies, and trusts - ensuring your staff are paid accurately and on-time each month.

  • Phoneline support 8am - 8pm, 7 days a week
  • Flexibility to accommodate ad-hoc changes
  • Swift responses from your dedicated contact
  • Full pensions coverage included, backed by our specialist pensions team
  • Comprehensive & tailored reports
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Offering a fully outsourced payroll service with full pension coverage. We complete all monthly and annual pension submissions on your behalf and minimise the administrative burden.

We can take the administrative burden away by producing contracts of employment, requesting DBS checks, and processing maternity leave.

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Access swift and actionable advice from our CIPD-qualified education-HR specialists, at a fixed annual rate.

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We can produce new starter documentation on your behalf including Right to Work, police checks, and health questionnaires, as well as advise on recruitment best practices. 

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Our core payroll offering

Our core offering includes everything you need to ensure your staff are paid accurately & on-time each month. This includes:

  • Calculation of employee salaries
  • Comprehensive & tailored reports
  • Full pensions coverage, backed by our specialist pensions team
  • Calculation of leave & statutory entitlements
  • Coordination of absence schemes & reporting
  • Month-end costings reports ready for import into your finance system
  • Third-party payments
  • Support from 8am - 8pm, 7 days a week
  • Starters, leavers & arrears calculations
  • Sickness & absence management
  • LGPS & TPS monthly & annual returns
  • Seamless HMRC submissions & PAYE support
  • An easy-to-use client & employee portal
  • Production of P45s & P60s via the employee portal
100% education focus
Approved supplier on the Everything FM framework
CIPP-accredited

Key features

Swift responses from your dedicated contact

Phoneline open 8am-8 pm, 7 days a week

 

Secure & easy-to-use school & employee portal

 

Streamlined onboarding & in-year migration

Experts in education payroll

Full pensions coverage

No charge for nil payslips

 

Always compliant

 

Full suite of reports

 

Working in partnership with you

We work closely with our clients to ensure seamless and efficient payroll management, from onboarding through to monthly processing.

Our partnership commitment: 

  • Enhanced accuracy, helping to reduce the burden of payroll
  • Education-focused, with in-depth and expert knowledge of the nuances of education payroll
  • Always compliant, staying up-to-date with the latest statutory requirements
  • Flexibility for ad-hoc changes, accommodating unexpected needs
  • Comprehensive, tailored reports, at no extra cost - for quick data analysis
  • A streamlined data entry system, to simplify the payroll process
  • An easy-to-use payroll system, for easy management and analysis of employee data in one place 
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Add-on features to make payroll a breeze!

Complement our core payroll package with these add-ons:  

Personal details self-service

Annual leave functionality 

Timesheet input self-service

DBS checks

What our payroll clients say about us

The payroll team is responsive to our needs and always helpful in resolving issues as and when they arise. We have an excellent working relationship with them.

Director of Finance, The de Ferrers Trust

We’ve had an outstanding experience with SAAF’s payroll team. They go above and beyond and are always there to answer our queries. The payroll service is highly efficient and cost-effective for our trust.

CFO, One Academy Trust

It has been a smooth and efficient transition from our old payroll provider in a limited timeframe. We are very happy with our move

Bursar, Wrangle Primary School

Our school has worked with SAAF for the past 10 years for Financial support and 8 years for Payroll support. In all this time we have found them to be very efficient, helpful and supportive. All staff have great knowledge of their area of expertise and are very personable. We would highly recommend the SAAF team.

Business Manager, Glade Hill Primary School

Having had a poor experience with a previous external payroll provider, we entered into a new SLA with SAAF. From the initial presentation through to the diligence shown throughout the transfer the experience has been so different to what we have experienced before. Queries are answered quickly and diligently and nothing seems to be too much trouble. We are very much looking forward to a long-term relationship with SAAF.

School Business Manager , Allestree Woodlands School

Education HR Solutions

Tailored advice & support – with a focus on more compliant outcomes

SCHOOL & MAT HR

HR Administration

With our automated HR Administration service, we help you streamline the administrative process. We produce employment contracts, request DBS checks, and process maternity leave – so you don’t have to. 

SCHOOL & MAT HR

HR Advisory

Effective HR is vital to the effective operation of your school, academy, or trust. Benefit from tailored advice and recommendations that will enhance your HR function, ensuring policies are fit-for-purpose and outcomes remain compliant. 

 

SCHOOL & MAT HR

HR Compliance

Ensuring you're compliant and consistent with HR best practice is a must. We produce new starter documentation on your behalf including Right to Work, police checks, and health questionnaires, as well as advise on recruitment best practices.

 

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of outsourcing payroll for schools, academies, or trusts?
Does your core payroll service include everything I need?
Is your team certified by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP)?
How secure is my data?
Do you only provide payroll to the education sector?

Keep up to date with our expert payroll resources

CASE STUDY

How SAAF supported ONE Academy Trust’s seamless merge and sustained growth

RESOURCE

Payroll fact card 2024/25

BLOG

SAAF joins the Everything FM framework

Cover all bases

Save time, money and resources with our range of cost-effective school business support services

Internal Scrutiny 

Our specialists work independently with trusts to provide comprehensive assurance that internal controls and risk management procedures are operating effectively and efficiently.  

School & Academy Finance Support

Strategy. Planning. Growth. We can support you with everything from day-to-day transactions to financial planning.

School Recruitment Support

How many recruitment agencies can say they’ve never charged a temp-to-perm recruitment fee? We understand that recruitment costs can be expensive, that’s why we also offer fixed margins.

Let's talk

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