Start with fee types, not totals
Create one row for every reason money is collected. Tuition, PTA Dues, Feeding Fee, books and transport should stay separate so receipts and statements remain useful.
Price the class ladder
Set each item from Creche through JHS 3. A blank cell should mean “not charged”, never an amount that staff are expected to remember later.
Preview before issuing
Run the dry preview and read pupil counts, discounts, skipped invoices and totals by class. Only issue after the figures match the approved term sheet.
The useful test
Could a newly appointed member of staff follow this process without relying on somebody’s memory? If not, make the rule visible before digitising it.