We’ve identified Payroll Providers (PP) and Multi academy Trusts (MATs) that are sending in their service submissions with incorrect school numbers.

We’re finding that members’ data is being returned against a lead school rather than the school they work in, which means member data is incorrect. This creates missing service as we can’t identify which particular school they’re working at, resulting in additional work for the MAT, Employer or PP. 

MAT’s and Payroll Providers can now be set up with their own reference number and can submit the schools they manage under the one data centre, as opposed to submitting each file under the schools’ reference. However, it’s important that a member’s service is always recorded under the school they work at. 

If you want to provide all data under one submission (data centre) then you’ll need to apply for MAT access or Payroll Provider access.  In both circumstances you’ll be provided with a unique establishment number (---/----) which you can use to send one submission for all of the employers you manage. 

An example of a MAT that manages 4 schools would be:-

A MAT’s data centre number is 751/0001 and they manage 4 schools

• School A – 123/0001
• School B – 123/0002
• School C – 123/0003
• School D – 123/0004

The MAT could submit information for all the schools on one file (i.e a Monthly Data Collection file) under the MAT data centre of 751/0001 but the service lines would have to be recorded as being under the individual school number as opposed to under the MAT number.

Please note that if a payroll provider is administering for a maintained school that has decided to outsource from the Local Authority (LA), the information must be sent to the LA for them to submit, it cannot be submitted by the provider unless the provider is delegated by the LA to act on their behalf of them for ALL schools

To apply for MAT or Payroll Provider access you need to complete the delegation form.