Why the accounting is different here
Schools bill three times a year but spend every day. Weak fees collection or a late payroll run damages trust with parents and staff. Independent schools also need to satisfy the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on governance.
- Fees arrears growing every term
- Payroll of 30–150 staff to run on the same day, every month
- Levies (building, sports, exam) tracked separately from tuition
- Boarding vs day-scholar cost allocation
- Board reporting and governance
- Ministry of Primary & Secondary Education
- ZIMRA — PAYE, PBO status where applicable
- NSSA — staff cover
- Registrar of Companies / Deeds Office for trusts
How we help
Fees ledgers per learner with statements each term
Payroll with allowances, deductions and pension
Departmental accounts (tuition, boarding, transport)
Board and PTA finance packs
Annual accounts and independent audit
KPIs we track
Playbook modules that matter most
A real example
A private school ended each term with an overdraft and blamed 'the economy'. In reality, 22% of fees were unpaid after 60 days and no one had a systematic follow-up.
We produced per-learner statements weekly and a simple escalation script for the bursar. Arrears dropped to 6% within two terms and the overdraft was cleared by the start of the next academic year.