Financial Management

This version of the policy has been updated to reflect the May 2018 DfE guidance.

Updated to reflect the changes to the Academies Financial Handbook 2019.  Updated 11.10.19.

Template financial regulations for a single academy trust.  Updated 11.10.19.

Template risk management policy to explain the trust's approach to risk management, the process, the main reporting procedures and the role of trustees.

The board of trustees must ensure its decisions about levels of executive pay (including salary and any other benefits) follow a robust evidence-based process and are a reasonable and defensible reflection of the individual’s role and responsibilities.

This resource provides some guidance and a template around the process of setting executive pay.

Updated whistleblowing policy November 2019

A template action plan that can be used to track progress against the audit points that were raised in the school's last management letter.

A summary of the common year end audit findings, updated for July 2018.

Updated October 2019

A template income collection form that can be used to track cash/cheques coming in to the school.

A resource to support departments in planning their budgets and to aid with cash flow preparation.

Based on DfE and the Teaching School Council guidance, this template offers a framework to help schools make the most of a pupil premium review and find the best ways to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils

An example set of management accounts for a multi academy trust.  These accounts have been produced using the Management Accounts tool within the toolkit.

A useful benchmarking document released by Kreston Academies Group, which includes data from over 350 trusts representing nearly 1000 schools.

Slides and notes from the July workshop following the release of the Academies Financial Handbook 2018.

Multi Academy Trusts will sometimes decide that centralising the accounting functions of the trust is the most efficient way of operating. This is a template business case which could be used for gaining trustee approval to restructure and centralise the finance function of a trust.

A checklist to show the tasks that a Company Secretary should be undertaking within an academy trust.

A sample meeting agenda for an academy trust in its first year, undertaking a planning meeting prior to their audit with their external auditors.

This induction resource has been designed to support you with welcoming new academies into your academy trust.  The resource provides a framework for their induction and some suggestions for what can be included.

The ESFA model trustees report and governance statement for 2018 in Word format for academies to be able to adapt.

The DfE released this checklist of potential fraud indicators in January 2019.

We have updated our Anti Fraud and Corruption policy to incorporate this.

A useful research piece from the Education Policy Institute about school revenue balances.

This version of the policy has been updated to reflect the May 2018 DfE guidance.

Updated whistleblowing policy November 2019

Updated October 2019

A template income collection form that can be used to track cash/cheques coming in to the school.

A resource to support departments in planning their budgets and to aid with cash flow preparation.

Based on DfE and the Teaching School Council guidance, this template offers a framework to help schools make the most of a pupil premium review and find the best ways to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils

A form that can be used to coordinate school trips.  There is a section for outlining the business case and proposed details of the trip, costing out the trip, signing off the trip and then a checklist of tasks to complete before, during and after the trip.

A version for staff to use electronically is available, and a slightly amended version that can be used if a hard copy is provided to staff.

In order to support schools in completing their SFVS, we have provided an anonymised version of a completed school return which might assist with completion.

A template form that could be used to maintain a central list of all approved signatories in school.