As Multi-Academy Trusts grow, the differences between schools naturally widen. Systems evolve independently, processes diverge and each academy finds its own way of managing HR and payroll. Over time, this creates a level of variation that becomes harder for trusts to oversee. It’s one of the reasons many now see centralisation as a practical way to bring greater clarity and consistency to their foundations. According to the 2025 Kreston Academies Benchmark Report, almost 80 percent of trusts now describe themselves as operating with a largely centralised model.
Centralisation is not about reducing autonomy. It is about giving academy leaders the freedom to focus on their core responsibilities, supported by trust-wide systems and processes that remove unnecessary complexity.
Why trusts move towards centralisation
Several factors are driving this shift. The 2025 MAT Report by the British Education Suppliers Association shows that although the overall number of trusts has dipped slightly, the number of larger MATs continues to grow. Many smaller trusts have merged or joined established groups to create more sustainable operating models. Larger structures naturally require clearer ways of working.
Variation also increases risk. Differences in policies, contracts, data and payroll structures make it harder to maintain accuracy or meet governance requirements. Centralisation helps trusts establish shared standards so they can operate with far greater confidence.
Financial pressure is another influence. Benchmarking data drawn from more than 260 trusts and almost 2,300 schools for the Krestron Academies Benchmark Report shows that reserves are tightening across the sector, with smaller trusts “just about balancing the books”. When resources are stretched, shared services and pooled budgets become more attractive as a way to reduce duplication and protect core functions.
How centralisation changes day-to-day working
Centralisation brings much more predictability into routine HR and payroll activity. Onboarding, contract changes, approvals and payroll deadlines follow the same process across every academy. Leaders gain clearer visibility of what is happening across their trust, which helps them make quicker, better-informed decisions.
The financial shift is also notable. More than 40 percent of medium and large MATs now pool some level of funding, and top-slice contributions typically sit between 5.5 and 8.8 percent of GAG income. These mechanisms are becoming part of everyday trust operations, helping central teams provide stronger support.
Throughout this, the important human work remains with academy leaders. Centralisation does not remove local responsibility. It simply gives teams a firmer structure to work within.
The benefits of centralisation when executed well
When trusts centralise with clear intent, they benefit from smoother workflows, cleaner data and a more consistent experience across academies. This can lead to improvements in accountability, audit readiness and decision-making speed.
Centralised approaches reduce administrative overheads, lower software costs and improve data accuracy by removing multiple entry points.
There is also a broader pattern in national data. Government statistics for 2023–24 show that larger MATs tend to display relatively stable performance outcomes. While academic results are influenced by many factors, consistent structures and shared practices can support improvement across a trust.
What centralisation means for HR and payroll
Centralisation has the biggest operational impact on HR and payroll teams. Bringing policies, contracts and pay elements together into a single framework makes processes far easier to manage. Payroll cut-offs become fixed, rather than academy-specific. Exceptions are handled consistently. Data becomes cleaner and more reliable.
Technology underpins this shift. Tools such as those from Zellis support trust-wide workflows, remove duplication and provide a single source of truth while still allowing controlled local variation.
These systems help ensure that centralisation strengthens operations instead of creating more work.
Centralisation works best when responsibilities are clear and communication is open. There are, of course, risks associated with centralising decisions that depend on local context, merging broken processes without redesigning them, or relying on technology that still requires rekeying or spreadsheets.
The financial pressures highlighted in the 2025 benchmarking data only increase the need for thoughtful implementation. Trusts cannot afford inefficiency or confusion. Centralisation should make life easier, not harder.
What to centralise and what to keep local
A simple principle runs throughout effective changes. Centralise the areas where consistency and compliance matter most. Keep local the areas where relationships and day-to-day judgement are essential.
Shared policies, core HR data and payroll processing sit naturally at trust level. Staff wellbeing, pastoral decisions and daily management remain firmly in the hands of academy leaders. When these boundaries are respected, centralisation enhances autonomy rather than reducing it.
Choosing the right HR technology for a centralised trust
When it comes to choosing the right HR software for a centralised MAT, systems need to manage multi-entity structures, support role-based permissions, enable reliable HR-to-payroll integration, offer trust-wide reporting, and include intuitive self-service that staff will actually use. They also need strong implementation and change management support.
These principles underpin the Zellis platform, which has been designed to help MATs manage complexity while remaining flexible enough to grow and adapt.
Supporting MATs as they move towards what comes next
Centralisation represents a significant step in a trust’s development. It removes avoidable complexity and gives people clearer, more dependable ways of working. With trusts becoming larger, pooling more resources and feeling increased financial pressure, operating models that are consistent and well-supported are becoming essential.
When designed with care and supported by the right tools, centralisation gives staff across every academy the confidence and clarity they need. It helps trusts strengthen their foundations and move towards what comes next with fewer barriers in the way.
