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Academy accounts: a guide for trustees

Your trust must submit its annual accounts to the Department for Education (DfE) by 31 December. Get up to speed on the process, so you know what to expect.

Updated
on 5 June 2026See updates
School types: Academy•School phases: All•Ref: 3931
Contents
  1. Summary and deadlines
  2. What your trust needs to produce
  3. Changes in the 2025 to 2026 accounts direction
  4. Model accounts and examples
  5. Who should prepare the draft accounts?  
  6. The process from drafting the accounts to approving them
  7. Use our questions to ask the auditors

Summary and deadlines

For every financial year (ending on 31 August), academies must produce:

  • An annual report
  • Financial statements

These are collectively known as ‘the accounts’, and must be audited by an independent, registered auditor.

The audited accounts will also be formally received by the members of the trust at the trust AGM.

Deadlines

  • 31 December: submit accounts to the Department for Education (DfE) via the online form
  • 31 January: publish accounts on your trust's website
  • 31 May: file accounts with Companies House within 9 months of the end of the accounting period (for most trusts this is 31 May)

Your full board will need to ratify the audited accounts, at a quorate meeting, by the end of the autumn term.

As well as the accounts, your trust needs to submit an annual accounts return. The submission link normally goes live in September, with a deadline in January.

The information you need