Loughton Manor School sings from the rooftop for IRIS Payroll Services
A partnership built on trust
Employees always paid correctly and on time
A communication tool loved by parents
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Located in Milton Keynes, Loughton Manor First School is a primary school in Milton serving over 200 pupils. With the goal of ‘building a lifelong love of learning in a safe and happy school’, the school recognises the importance of an efficient back-office to foster a positive environment. After an unpleasant experience with a previous payroll provider, Loughton Manor formed a supportive partnership with IRIS Payroll Services in September 2024, bringing them closer to achieving their goals.
Improving payroll efficiency after a challenging experience
When moving from their previous payroll, pension, and HR supplier, Loughton Manor First School faced a challenging transition. “The previous company we used was absolutely terrible, there was no partnership, payroll was often wrong, the support was terrible, and our main contact changed all the time,” shares Kim Rodwell, the School Business Manager. Determined to improve the service, Kim and the Head of School looked at 5/6 different companies in the payroll and pensions space before narrowing down the options. “Having had such a rough time with our previous supplier, it was a bit of an emotional purchase, and I went with my gut and chose the company who made me feel reassured and like they would support me.”
From the very first presentation, Kim was impressed by the IRIS Payroll Services team. “The process of moving from our previous supplier to IRIS Payroll Services was very clearly explained, and they understood my concerns.” This partnership gave Kim the confidence that the school’s payroll needs would now be managed effectively and efficiently: “The gentleman who moved us over was fantastic, he handheld me through the process and he was very patient with me. I felt looked after, and that was what we needed after the experience we had.”
Building trust and solving problems together with IRIS
Since being assigned her payroll advisor, Kim Rodwell has experienced a significant improvement in service. “He has been absolutely fantastic from day one. He supported me through the early days when I was becoming familiar with the system, and his patience and understanding were a great comfort to me.” Over time, Kim and her advisor have developed a strong professional relationship. “He is always calm and tries to think of ways out of any problems. He has great knowledge but will be honest with me if he needs to speak to the team or his manager, and I love that we have that open communication and transparency.”
Kim emphasises that her payroll advisor’s focus is always on ensuring that employees are paid correctly and on time. “Most importantly, I trust him, and I think that’s the most important thing with a managed payroll service. I cannot tell you how different things are with IRIS Payroll Services – the weight that has been lifted from me is huge.” In contrast to her past experiences, where payroll errors were ignored or blamed on others, Kim appreciates the teamwork with IRIS Payroll Services: “If I do make any silly mistakes, he is quick to tell me, and we work it out as a team.”
Loughton Manor’s relief with IRIS Payroll Services
Kim Rodwell is very satisfied with the decision to switch to IRIS Payroll Services: “I am so glad we made the move. I honestly didn’t realise how a positive relationship with your payroll officer can alleviate so much pressure. He has given me the sense that I’m not alone in wanting my employees paid correctly and on time.”
In addition to payroll services, Loughton Manor First School also uses ParentMail for parent communications, a system they’ve relied on for years. “We really like it as a system, and so do our parents! We use it for messaging parents, booking parents’ evenings, and collecting payments for school dinners. It’s a great little system and works perfectly for our needs.”
Reflecting on the overall experience with IRIS Education, Kim says, “Our experience has been incredibly positive, particularly with payroll. We’ve been through such a difficult time and are now in such a good place. I have no problem shouting about IRIS Payroll Services from the rooftops for anyone who’ll listen!”
