Education Payment Practices Report 2024

By PaymentCheckReports

UK Education Sector Blows Away National Payment Average, But Laggards Remain

The Numbers

  • 227 companies in the UK Education sector analysed.
  • Average PaymentCheck Score for the sector: 81.2/100.
  • UK national average PaymentCheck Score: 50.0/100.
  • Education sector average is 31.2 points higher than the UK average.
  • Top payer: CRONER GROUP LIMITED - 99.6/100.
  • Bottom payer: DRUCK LIMITED - 30.6/100.
  • Wales average: 92.5/100 (based on just 1 company).
  • East of England average: 87.5/100 (15 companies).

What Stands Out

The education sector is a clear leader in prompt payments compared to the broader UK economy, sporting an average PaymentCheck Score that's over 60% higher than the national figure. However, the gap between the best and worst payers within the sector is significant, suggesting inconsistent payment practices across different educational institutions and suppliers.

Best Payers

  1. CRONER GROUP LIMITED - 99.6/100
  2. PARADIGM TRUST - 99.4/100
  3. LION ACADEMY TRUST - 99.4/100
  4. GREATER MANCHESTER ACADEMIES TRUST - 99.4/100
  5. TRANSFORM TRUST - 99.4/100

Worst Payers

  1. DRUCK LIMITED - 30.6/100
  2. LRQA GROUP LIMITED - 32.1/100
  3. ERIKS INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LIMITED - 33.77/100
  4. CATERPILLAR (U.K.) LIMITED - 37.2/100
  5. FUTURE ACADEMIES - 40.5/100

Regional Patterns

While the sample size for Wales is too small to be conclusive, the East of England reports a strong average payment score of 87.5, suggesting relatively efficient payment practices among educational organizations in that region. The South East, with the largest sample size (48 companies) scores 82.8, just slightly above the sector average, indicating fairly standard performance there.

If you're worried about late payments, use our late payment calculator to determine what you are owed.

While the education sector excels with an 81.2/100 average, DRUCK LIMITED's 30.6/100 score proves payment performance isn't uniform, and some suppliers could face significant delays.