UK Education Sector Payment Practices in 2025: Well Above Average, But Stark Disparities Persist

The Numbers

Companies Analysed: 179
Average PaymentCheck Score: 80.3/100
UK Average (all sectors): 50.0/100
Education Sector Advantage: 30.3 points above UK average
Top Score: 99.6/100 (achieved by three companies)
Bottom Score: 18.7/100

What Stands Out

The UK education sector is, on average, paying its suppliers significantly faster than the rest of the UK economy. While this sector clearly leads the way, the significant gulf between the best and worst payers shows that not all suppliers benefit from these improved payment practices.

Best Payers

OAKHAM SCHOOL - 99.6/100
CRONER GROUP LIMITED - 99.6/100
PEREGRINE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED - 99.6/100
TRANSFORM TRUST - 99.4/100
CYGNUS ACADEMIES TRUST - 98.9/100

Worst Payers

DRUCK LIMITED - 18.7/100
ERIKS INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LIMITED - 33.2/100
LRQA GROUP LIMITED - 38.4/100
ARCO LIMITED - 39.9/100
CHURCHES FIRE SECURITY LTD. - 46.9/100

Regional Patterns

The data reveals striking regional disparities, but the limited number of companies analysed per region means we should take them with a pinch of salt. Wales, with only one company assessed, leads the way at 94.9, while the South East, with the largest sample size of 37 companies, scores a respectable but lower 81.1. The East of England, with 13 companies, scored 87.3. Yorkshire and The Humber (17 companies) landed at 83.8, and the South West (12 companies) averaged 84.1. This could indicate regional differences in payment culture, but more data is needed to draw definitive conclusions.

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While the sector's average PaymentCheck score of 80.3 is encouraging, suppliers dealing with companies like Druck Limited (18.7) are experiencing vastly different realities compared to those working with Oakham School (99.6).