A full set of books, kept by the system as the office works. Nobody has to post a fee receipt by hand — taking the money is what writes the entry.

What posts itself

• A fee receipt — debit the account it was paid into, credit fee income.
• A payroll run marked paid — debit salaries, credit the account it went out of.
• An owner withdrawal — debit owner drawings, credit cash or bank.

What you post by hand

Record Expense for anything the school spends — electricity, rent, repairs, stationery. Record Income for money from outside the fee system. Journal Entries for anything else, with both sides stated.

The books themselves

General Ledger, Cash Book, Bank Book, Trial Balance, Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet, each over any period you choose and each printable.