Customer Story: Our Lady & All Saints Catholic Multi‑Academy Company

Our Lady & All Saints Catholic Multi‑Academy-Company is a Catholic MAC of 14 schools, 12 primary and 2 secondary, formed in April 2021. Dawn Price, now CFO (and with the trust for two and a half years), has worked with Access Education Finance & Budgets in her previous role for budgeting and, at OLAAS, across both finance and budgets. “We’ve had Access since the inception of the MAC,” she explains. “It’s what we’ve always known, and it works, which is what counts.”

A partnership you can trust

For Dawn, the defining difference with Access is the relationship: “With Access you get a partnership.” As part of Premier Customer Success, OLAAS has a single point of contact, who acts as a trusted adviser.

“Dave is absolutely excellent. In emergencies he steps in, knows our setup, and brings insights from what other trusts are doing.”

That one‑to‑one relationship matters in a sector where requirements evolve quickly. While Dawn is frank that no provider should rely on just one person, she values having someone who “sees across many similar trusts” and can share practical approaches that work.

A community of peers: networking that accelerates best practice

Access’s twice‑yearly networking meetings stand out as a major benefit:

“The ability to share ideas with other similar organisations, and how to get the right information out of the system, is really useful.”

These sessions help OLAAS validate reporting approaches, spotlight under‑used data, and surface common needs (e.g., regulatory or employment‑law driven changes) so Access can prioritise development where it has the biggest impact. “When we’re all together, Access can see what the vast majority require now,” Dawn notes.

Built for education: finance for non‑finance people

In schools, many colleagues raising purchase orders or invoices don’t come from an accountancy background. Dawn appreciates that Access is intuitive at the point of need:

“Once you’ve shown somebody, it’s simple to follow the steps. It doesn’t require lots of training.”

That usability reduces friction and keeps central teams focused on higher‑value work, while school staff can get on with core tasks confidently.

Everyday efficiencies that add up at MAT scale

While Dawn is clear about the capabilities of Access Finance and Budgets that save time and keep accounts clean as the trust grows:

• Central journals: “Definitely useful and a time saver, especially as we’ve grown.”
• Intercompany via central bank: Posting intercompany through the central bank function avoids messy intercompany balances - “it’s cleaner.”
• Centrally run BACS: “Being able to run BACS centrally is more efficient.”
• Journal templates for credit cards: Standardised templates streamline recurring postings.
• Centrally published pay scales (Budgets): Publish once at trust level and push out to schools, rather than inputting per school.
• Consolidated management reporting: Gives OLAAS a clear headline view across all schools for board and stakeholder reporting.
• Read‑only budget views in schools: Schools can see live data while the central team maintains control.

This consolidated lens also prompts value‑for‑money checks, like spotting outliers in water and energy costs (“Why is one one‑form‑entry school spending £13k on water when another is at £4k?”), enabling targeted follow‑up.

Why OLAAS has stayed with Access

Continuity matters: OLAAS has used Access since day one, and Dawn used it previously. That longevity “speaks volumes.” For her, the blend of partnership, peer community, and practical efficiencies makes the difference:

“It’s not just the software - it’s the people and the network around it.”

Advice for other trusts

Dawn’s guidance is straightforward:

“Check the level of support you’ll get, because even an all‑singing, all‑dancing package only helps if you know how to use it. And make sure your provider keeps up with sector and law changes.”

Why Access Financial Management is the trusted choice for MATs

Make finance simpler, faster and more connected across your trust.

• A true partnership: Premier Customer Success gives you a named, trusted adviser who understands your MAT and brings sector‑wide insight.
• Built for education: Usable by non‑finance teams in schools, while giving CFOs control and oversight.
• Efficiency at scale: Central journals, intercompany via central bank, central BACS, templates, consolidated reporting, and centrally published pay scales.
• A community that accelerates you: Regular networking events to share ideas and best practice with peers facing the same challenges.
• Continuous improvement: A roadmap shaped by MATs, focused on the features you need next.