From 1st April 2026, we’re launching Ascend.Education – our dedicated payroll and pension service for schools, academies and MATs.
Why we’re doing this
Education payrolls are notoriously complex. Pay scales, backdated pay awards, and staff juggling multiple roles with different contracts.
And then there’s the pension filing – Teachers’ Pensions, plus over 60 different Local Government Pension Schemes.
It’s enough to make most payroll providers run for the hills. And many have.
But schools need a decent payroll service more than ever. One that actually understands how education works and treats you like the professionals you are.
We’ve been here before
Our team has over 75 years of education payroll experience between us. We know what schools need – not just technically, but in terms of how they want to work.
Since we started Ascend a year ago, we’ve had schools approaching us about their payroll problems. Some of the stories we’ve heard have been genuinely shocking.
We knew if we were going to launch a specialist division into the education market, we had to do it properly. Dedicated systems. Different processes. Better technology. We’ve taken the time to get everything right.
Stewart Waddell, CEO explained, “From past experience in the sector, we know so much needs to be different when delivering an education payroll and pension service. We’ve taken our time to get it right, and I’m excited to be working with schools and Trusts again.”
What matters most
Yes, accuracy and compliance are non-negotiable. But what schools really need is peace of mind.
You need to know your payroll is being handled by people who understand the sector, who you can get hold of and who will answer your questions without the jargon, and who actually care about making the whole process as stress-free as possible.
Isn’t that the whole point of outsourcing in the first place?
What we’re offering
Our service covers schools, academies, independent schools, and Multi-Academy Trusts. It’s a complete package – payroll and all pension filing included.
If you are not getting the service you deserve, we’re now taking enquiries for clients starting in April 2026.
Get in touch and we’ll arrange a call to talk about what you need and how we can help.
