Education technology company Tes has partnered with accountancy firm Armstrong Watson to add two specialist payroll services to EduPay, its payroll service for schools, academies and multi-academy trusts in England. EduPay processes more than 130,000 payslips a month.
The new tiers sit above the two EduPay offers that remain available, Payroll, which gives access to the software, and Payroll Plus, which adds technical and pensions support. Payroll Advanced lets a school keep control of payroll while drawing on specialist help with complex calculations, pensions administration, compliance, validation and audit readiness, plus legislative updates, year-end support and technical assistance. Payroll Complete is a fully managed service that adds BACS processing and pensions administration to that support.
The timing reflects pension changes. Average Local Government Pension Scheme employer contribution rates fell from 21.5% to 16.5% in April 2026, though rates vary between employers, and LGPS savings are being counted towards funding the 3.5% teacher pay award for 2026-27. Employer contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme are due to fall from April 2027, accompanied by lower school funding, so finance leaders need to assess the effect on their own budgets.
Neil Robinson, Tes's Chief Revenue Officer, said: "We built this partnership with Armstrong Watson in response to those conversations, giving EduPay customers access to specialist support or a fully managed service, depending on where they need the help." Karen Thomson, Armstrong Watson's partner and head of payroll, said: "Payroll in the education sector is uniquely complex, driven by varied pay scales, term-time-only contracts, and the administrative intensity of TPS and LGPS."
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