Financial monitoring & reporting

Changes to the Academy Trust Handbook include a ban on paying cyber ransom demands, and educational performance is no longer grounds for issuing a Notice to Improve.

Be clear on how the Department for Education (DfE) will work with trusts to identify any financial issues, put support in place and take action if there are concerns.

Get up to speed with the financial transparency regulations for maintained schools. Find out what your school is required to do, so you can monitor compliance.

Read our step-by-step guide to monitoring the finance report so you're clear on what the numbers mean, what to look out for and what questions to ask in your finance committee meeting.

Find out how you can make sure your local governing bodies uphold their delegated financial responsibilities, so that you maintain oversight of what's going on across your trust.

Learn about your school's pupil premium reporting requirements and see examples of other schools' published strategy statements.

Get a handle on how to use the DfE's financial benchmarking website. See how your school or trust compares with others and understand how to ask the right kinds of questions.

Financial oversight is one of the governing board's core functions. Get to grips with what your board's key responsibilities are, and learn what financial oversight means in practice, so you can monitor effectively.

Know what info to look out for in pupil premium reports from your school, so you can effectively monitor spending.

Understand the difference between a risk assessment and risk register, and find out what a register should include and who has responsibility for it.

Academy trusts must complete the self-assessment checklist annually. Find out what questions you can ask your trust leaders to make sure your trust meets good financial standards.

Maintained schools must complete the SFVS every year. Here's a rundown of what it covers and how you're involved. Also, find out what questions you can ask your school leaders to make sure your school meets good financial standards.