In short
Buffalo Payroll runs payroll for nurseries and childcare settings, including apprentice minimum wage changes, term-time and part-time contracts, multi-site payrolls and pension auto-enrolment, from £5.50 + VAT per payslip.
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Why nursery payroll is different
Nurseries and childcare settings tend to have young teams, lots of apprentices, part-time and term-time contracts, and tight margins. That combination makes payroll easy to get wrong. Underpaying an apprentice who has moved into their second year, or miscalculating holiday for a term-time practitioner, can quickly become a minimum wage or tribunal problem.
What we take care of
- Apprentice pay: tracking when apprentices move from the £8.00 apprentice rate to their age rate after their first year, using the April 2026 minimum wage rates.
- Employer NI relief: applying the correct category letters for under-21s and apprentices under 25 so you don't overpay employer National Insurance.
- Term-time and irregular hours: holiday pay calculated correctly for staff who don't work all year round.
- Multi-site nurseries: reports split by setting or cost centre so you can see staffing costs per site.
- Day-one SSP: since April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay applies from the first day of sickness for all employees. We calculate it correctly.
- Pensions: assessing a workforce that moves in and out of the auto-enrolment thresholds.
The 2026 minimum wage and your nursery
From 1 April 2026, the National Living Wage for staff aged 21 and over is £12.71, the 18 to 20 rate is £10.85, and the apprentice rate is £8.00. An apprentice aged 19 or over who has completed their first year must be paid at least the rate for their age. We flag every apprentice anniversary so pay rises happen on time.
Pricing for nurseries
Standard pricing of £5.50 + VAT per payslip, with pension administration at £25 + VAT per month. For a 20-person nursery paid monthly, that's £110 + VAT for payroll.