Affordable Excellence Supported by SchoolBase and FeeMaster
As a user of both FeeMaster 3 and SchoolBase for the past couple of years, Holland House were happy to recently chat with us about their experiences of using the software solutions. Holland House School has a tagline which is offering ‘Affordable Excellence’. Within their local region, Holland House are proud to be one of the lowest cost fee-paying nursery and primary schools. Making excellent education accessible to students is of paramount importance to the school, which is reflected in their core values which are to wonder, achieve, work together and to be even better. We recently spoke with Hiren Shah (Bursar), to find out more about how these school software tools have made a difference.
Why did you start using software from Furlong?
“Having already used the software provided by Furlong, I felt confident in suggesting a move to the tools when I started my new role at Holland House. The existing MIS solution was not only unsuitable and clunky, but the team were not using it to its complete potential.
When using it at my previous school, I was nothing but thrilled with the support given by Katie and the team. Changing MIS is a tough task, but I knew that the SchoolBase and FeeMaster would be perfect for the school’s needs. Since then, we have never looked back with all users making the most of every feature available.”
What would you say the main benefit has been of using both SchoolBase and FeeMaster3?
“We love all the features, but I would say something that has been helpful is how easy it is for teachers to write reports. The process is smooth and termly reporting can now be completed much more easily which is something all our teaching staff see the value in.”
What features were missing from your previous school MIS that are used now?
“To be honest there were lots of features across the board missing but the main difference has come from using digital reporting, daybook and medical record management. The team at Holland House now use all the SchoolBase features which constantly improves outputs and efficiency in every area.”
Has your admissions process improved because of using SchoolBase?
“Yes, its 100% improved. Not only has it made the admissions team’s job easier from the moment a form is completed, but all details are securely captured and stored within the software. We couldn’t do this with our previous platform so the user-friendly approach of SchoolBase has made the world of difference.”
Which SchoolBase feature do you believe most greatly enhanced efficiency?
“Although we have noticed benefits in many areas, I would say the smoothness of how annual rollover is handled makes the biggest difference. The Furlong team guides you through all the steps and provides support that can be followed. We no longer find the period stressful thanks to the fluidity of the SchoolBase workflows.”
Do you think the experience of parents has improved since using the portal provided via FeeMaster3?
“I can confidently say that finance queries and tasks are now much easier to process which parents appreciate. FeeMaster3 has also integrated well with our accounting packaging Xero and other software. It’s simple to use and ensures that parents receive detailed and accurate invoicing information.”
What are the main benefits of using FeeMaster3 for your smaller school?
“The ease of doing bill runs and recharges means we can save time. Everything is very systematic, and the steps always run smoothly which means resources are never stretched.
I would also say the support from the Furlong finance professionals makes a big difference as they can operate seamlessly as an extension of our team.”
Do you find SchoolBase and FeeMaster3 work well together?
“Yes, the software works together seamlessly offering fluency in every task we need to complete. Not only is the software excellent, but the team are always so willing to help with support extending right up to the very top with input received from General Manager Miro at times. I would thoroughly recommend both platforms to any school.”
If you are thinking about choosing software from Furlong, I would say just go for it and don’t think twice!
