Kerikeri High School is a state secondary school in Northland, New Zealand, serving over 1,650 students. When they chose their school management system in 2006, they had one clear priority: finance had to be built in, not added on. Twenty years later, that single decision shapes how every student record, transaction, and financial report flows through their school. Here is what running a school management system with built in finance actually looks like in practice, and what it could mean for yours.
When Everyone Else Was Stitching Two Systems Together, Kerikeri Chose One
In 2006, most schools were assembling their operations from separate parts. Student management in one system, finances in another, and a significant amount of manual work holding the two together. Kerikeri High School looked at that model and chose differently.
FACTS was the only school management system at the time with finance genuinely built in from the ground up. Not connected through an integration, not managed through a third party tool, but part of the same database as every student record, every caregiver detail, and every enrolment.
Guy Ellingham, who has supported Kerikeri’s technology infrastructure since the school’s very first day on FACTS, recalls what made the decision clear.
Having finance built in as part of the system was one of the reasons we chose FACTS in the first place.
Everyone else was using a separate finance package, but we had it all in one. FACTS is built for schools by people who used to work at schools. The platform has progressively got better and better over the years and it saves us a huge amount of time.
Enter Data Once. Let FACTS Do the Rest.
For Susan Manning, Kerikeri’s Finance and HR Manager who also joined the school in 2006, the value of a single system shows up in the details every day.
Student billing from Co-Curriculum tag sets, debtor management, caregiver payments, and financial reporting all run from within FACTS. When a student’s address changes, it is immediately available across the system and flows through to all modules. Bulk billing a group of students for a sports trip takes minutes.
When you are managing finances across a school of over 1,650 students, that makes a real difference.
Guy adds: “Having FACTS as the single source of truth removes an entire category of error. It eliminates a lot of unnecessary friction compared to integrating a separate finance system with your school management system.”
How FACTS Gave Kerikeri's Finance Manager Full Control of School Accounts
What began as an enrolments and administration role for Susan has grown, over nearly two decades, into full ownership of the school’s management accounts. Monthly visits to the external accountant are a thing of the past. With FACTS, end of year accounts are sent to the accountant in near complete condition and allow for full checks to be done on final end-of-year audited reports.
“The system allows us to take things right through from the day-to-day transactional work to having a well-prepared set of accounts at the end of the year. Management accounts that used to involve the accountant regularly are now done entirely in house. Timeliness is also much better. There’s no waiting” says Guy.
The financial benefit is real. Reduced reliance on external accounting support, combined with a single software subscription covering both student management and finance, means the total cost of running Kerikeri’s systems is considerably lower than a two-tool approach would be.
What Cloud Hosted School Management Looks Like When It Is Done Properly
In recent years, FACTS moved fully to the cloud. For Guy, who spent two decades managing the school’s on-site server infrastructure, that transition has been a significant improvement. He applies careful scrutiny to any cloud migration.
“I look quite hard when staff say they want to sign up for a cloud product. When you look into it, you often realise the platform has not been set up as robustly as required. From everything I have seen of the way the FACTS team has implemented their cloud solution, it has absolutely been done properly. If you go with FACTS, you are going with a cloud product that is as safe, secure, and stable as it could be,” says Guy.
The move to cloud has also removed the cost and overhead of managing on-site server infrastructure entirely, freeing the team to focus on what matters most.
A 20 Year Partnership That Still Delivers
Over the years, FACTS has given Kerikeri High School a trusted view of student, financial and operational information. Leaders can make decisions with confidence; the finance team can manage accounts, invoices, and reporting with less manual follow up; and the IT team has reduced the burden of on-site infrastructure while maintaining a stable, secure platform that continues to grow with the school.
When asked what he would say to schools considering FACTS as their school management system, Guy said: “Absolutely consider it. One database, fully integrated, and cloud done properly. That is the difference. Every system has its strengths, but with FACTS, the integrated approach and the direction they are heading in give you confidence that you are in good hands. No system is perfect. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, but FACTS are prepared to listen and make changes. That counts for a lot.”
For Kerikeri High School, the choice made in 2006 still makes sense today. One system, built for schools, managing every student, every transaction, and every report without ever needing to go elsewhere.
If you are managing student data and school finances across more than one system, there is a better way. Talk to the FACTS team today.
