The Educator Magazine U.K. September - December 2025 issue. - Magazine - Page 12
How the Lighthouse
Federation found
big savings in small
changes
When you’re growing quickly, adding schools, sta昀昀
and systems, fragmentation can quietly drain time
and energy. That’s the situation the Lighthouse
Federation faced: nine schools, over 3,000 pupils
and 600 sta昀昀 across the West Midlands.
They were operating like a multi-academy trust,
but without the systems to support it. Each school
had its own way of working, its own contracts, its
own processes. Leaders were spending valuable
time chasing spreadsheets, re-entering data and
negotiating multiple supplier agreements, when
what they really wanted was to focus on delivering
the best education possible.
This is a familiar story across the sector. With
budgets tighter than ever, schools and trusts
can’t always invest in large-scale transformation.
But they still need to 昀椀nd ways to save money,
reduce workload and support their sta昀昀. For the
Lighthouse Federation, the answer wasn’t a single
sweeping change, but a series of small, targeted
improvements that added up to something far
bigger.
The challenge: operating like a trust without
the infrastructure
This meant they weren’t left to 昀椀gure things out
alone, but had a partner to guide them through
the change.
“We didn’t want to be managing di昀昀erent suppliers
and stitching systems together. We needed one
contract, one platform and one trusted partner.”
– Paul Drew
Real savings, smoother processes
1.
2.
3.
“We were operating like a trust, but without the
infrastructure,” recalls Paul Drew, the Federation’s
COO. Each school managed its own systems
and contracts. That meant no shared visibility,
no consistent processes and no way to free up
resources for what mattered most: teaching and
learning.
The Federation wanted more control and
oversight, but without adding to sta昀昀 workload
or layering on yet another system. They needed
something simple, joined-up and sustainable.
Choosing unity over silos
4.
30% savings reinvested in pupils
By consolidating procurement and aligning
operations, the Federation saved around
30% on everything from stationery to heating
systems. Those savings weren’t just numbers
on a spreadsheet, they were reinvested
directly into supporting pupils.
Fewer systems to manage
Sta昀昀 no longer had to switch between
disconnected platforms or re-enter the
same data multiple times. Payroll, budgeting
and 昀椀nance now talk to each other, making
everyday work faster and less stressful.
Sta昀昀 who feel supported, not
overwhelmed
With one consistent system, sta昀昀 found it
easier to learn and quicker to get things
done. New users could pick it up without
feeling daunted, and existing sta昀昀 no longer
felt like they were 昀椀ghting against clunky
tools. “Our sta昀昀 love it. They feel supported,
not overwhelmed. And we know the system
is built to grow with us.”
A support relationship that feels like part
of the team
The Premier Customer Success Plan gave the
Federation a dedicated contact who didn’t
just solve problems, but shared ideas and
examples from other schools. As Paul puts it,
“Our Customer Success Manager genuinely
feels like part of our central leadership team.
They bring insights we wouldn’t have seen on
our own.”
The Federation chose the Access Education
Freedom Package, which brings together 昀椀nance,
HR, payroll, budgeting and more in one connected
platform. Instead of juggling di昀昀erent suppliers
and contracts, everything could run through one
system.
The power of small gains
Alongside this, they opted for the Premier
Customer Success Plan, which gave them ongoing
support and advice rather than just technical 昀椀xes.
The Lighthouse Federation’s story isn’t about
overnight transformation. It’s about small,
practical changes that add up to something
theacccessgroup.com/education
meaningful. A single platform reduces complexity.
Cost savings free up resources. Sta昀昀 feel more
con昀椀dent. And ultimately, pupils bene昀椀t from
schools that can spend less time on admin and
more time on teaching.
It shows that you don’t always need a major
overhaul to see improvement. By focusing on
small but important e昀케ciencies, the Federation
was able to achieve lasting gains that will continue
to bene昀椀t sta昀昀 and pupils for years to come.
What others can learn
If you’re running a trust or federation, the lessons
are clear:
•
One integrated system saves time and
reduces errors
•
Real savings can be redirected where they
matter most
•
Support that stays with you helps build
con昀椀dence and capacity
•
Small operational improvements stack up
into long-term resilience
Every trust faces di昀昀erent pressures, whether
that’s budgets, sta昀케ng or compliance. But what
the Lighthouse Federation shows is that progress
is possible without disruption. By taking a marginal
gains approach, schools can make changes that
are realistic, achievable and immediately useful.
Download your guide today
and see how small changes
can make a big impact.