Compass Eko Trust

London and South East 12th October 2026

“Customer service has been second to none. You feel like you’ve got somebody there with you.”

- Jo Daniels, Chief Financial Officer, Compass Eko Trust

Two trusts, two payroll systems and one merger. For a 28-school trust paying more than 1,700 staff each month, moving every school onto Neo brought a common pay date, clear cut-off dates and reporting the finance team can rely on.

Compass Eko Trust at a glance:

28 schools across seven local authority areas in London and the South East
More than 1,700 staff and an £80 million annual staff wage bill
Formed in April 2026 through the merger of Eko Trust and Compass Partnership of Schools
Eko Trust has used Neo’s payroll service since 2023; all Compass schools moved to Neo in 2026

When Eko Trust and Compass Partnership of Schools merged in April 2026, each brought its own payroll arrangement with it. Eko had been using Neo’s payroll service since 2023. Compass relied on a local authority payroll service, and during the merger Chief Financial Officer Jo Daniels saw its limits clearly.

“We were finding local authority payroll really stretched to actually meet our needs,” she says. “Sometimes we didn’t know our final payrolls before we got to the end of the month – we got our reports and that was what was going out.”

All Compass schools moved onto Neo around Easter, when many staff were away. At the same time, the trust moved every employee onto a common pay date of the 25th. Neo sent a schedule of what needed doing and when, and held fortnightly meetings to work through any issues. “I think it went as smoothly as any payroll change could go,” says Jo. Minor pension administration issues from merging two systems were resolved quickly. Training sessions, including recorded demonstrations staff could go back to, helped schools settle in.

Support is where the difference shows most. Queries go through Neo’s ticketing system and get a reply within 24 hours. Before, Jo says, “we might get a response 20 days later.”

Then there’s visibility. Staff use Neo’s self-service portal to update their own pay and employment details instead of filling in forms. Soft and hard cut-off dates give every school time to check payroll, spot missing starters or leavers and make final changes before it’s processed. “The reporting that comes out of Neo is fabulous,” says Jo. “To have that confidence when you are dealing with 1,700 payslips each month is valuable.”

Her schools agree. “They feel as if they know what’s going on and they’re much more likely to pick up on any anomalies than previously.” For Jo, the verdict is simple: “I’m very happy that we moved. I certainly wouldn’t go back to our old service.”

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