Sevenoaks Preparatory School Case Study | SchoolBase & FeeMaster
The Challenges
Security is paramount for Sevenoaks Prep, so all Furlong software includes 2FA, and secure cloud access.
A lack of external access was also limiting the team before adopting our software as most tasks could only be completed when on school property. However, with SchoolBase and FeeMaster, remote working is possible which suits the modern way of working that the school has adopted in recent years.
A solution was also required which was easy to host and manage by the IT team and for which our software ticks the boxes.
Enjoying the Benefits of Feature Rich Software for Schools
Located near the scenic setting of the Kent Downs National Landscape, Sevenoaks Prep School is a renowned private school offering co-educational opportunities. The day school offers lessons for those aged between 2 and 13 in their nurturing environment. Recently, the school was announced as the winner of a Muddy Stiletto School Award for their outstanding pastoral care. This highlights the elevated experience the school offers and its commitment to ensuring each student is given only the best opportunities.
We recently spoke with the school’s knowledgeable IT Network Manager, Liam Rogers, who was tasked with sourcing an upgrade to the existing MIS as one of his first tasks in position. When asked why Furlong software was selected, Liam commented, “I was asked to look for a cloud solution that provided more functionality than the existing software. Changing software is not a simple task, so I made sure to take a good amount of time assessing what was best for our school.
I chose SchoolBase because the MIS is a one-stop shop for everything we need and more. The feature set is rich and elevated compared to others, as most of the teams’ tasks can be carried out via one system. Also, we were looking for a solution that would allow an integration between the MIS and billing processes. FeeMaster is perfect for this, and the team is thrilled to have reliable software that speeds up even complex tasks.”
SchoolBase for Sevenoaks Prep School
“There are so many standout features for SchoolBase, it’s hard to choose one as we’ve solved so many problems with the software!
Our teams use the activities and registration modules daily, which offers a much quicker way to undertake essential tasks. Staff HR is also something we appreciate, as before adopting SchoolBase, we had no format system for managing aspects like holidays and hours.
Room bookings are also handy, plus the medical module is brilliant for our nursing team as they can now easily update parents when any treatment is required. The pupil finder and timetable planner are also frequently used to manage students and keep all relevant stakeholders informed of updates.
I personally love the report designer feature because it’s incredibly easy to configure and use custom reports. The export builder also stands out from what is available from your Furlong competitors as it’s so quick to pull out information into a CSV format. This is also one of the features which saves everyone so much time. The customisable nature of SchoolBase is also brilliant, as having control to make our own required edits and selecting different levels of access to data is vital for us. The Furlong team are also helpful if we need anything else concerning how we use the platform. Being able to do multiple edits simultaneously is also unique to MIS solutions and another great example of how SchoolBase can help reduce time spent on administrative tasks.
I can honestly say that SchoolBase is the best MIS I have seen in a long time!”
FeeMaster for Sevenoaks Prep School
Sevenoaks Prep School also decided to select FeeMaster software to support generating invoices and to connect SchoolBase with their chosen accounting package. Here are some quickfire questions Liam answered about this software:
Is FeeMaster easy to configure or edit when you want to make changes?
“The software is easy to use and allows checks to be run prior to completing invoice batches. This means we can see if students are correctly configured, which is important for us due to the wide selection of billing needs we manage. Also, lots of time is saved being able to configure the system and run checks before reconciling payments.”
What feature are you most excited to use during your first invoice run during this academic year?
“Being able to edit invoices for sure. Also having the option to customise our invoices is perfect for helping us with the requirements that our international students have due to the various banks we deal with.”
Can you give us one example of how FeeMaster has improved the process?
“We offer paid teas, which parents can sign up for at any point during the term. Previously, we recorded these manually via Excel, but now we can digitally log all activity and transfer it to invoices via FeeMaster.”
Has FeeMaster improved your parents’ experiences?
“Being able to publish invoices straight to the parent portal is a game changer. Also, we find it helpful to have the option of easily splitting fees between parents via the definition of a payment split. This means parents can receive information correctly and rapidly.”
