School resource management self-assessment: summary and questions to ask

Last reviewed on 31 January 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 40353

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. The next checklist deadline is 15 March 2022.

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Contents

  1. What is the school resource management self-assessment?
  2. Your trust must complete and submit the checklist each year
  3. Where you're involved
  4. Download our questions to scrutinise the checklist

This article is aimed at trustees.

If you're on a local governing body (LGB) it's unlikely you'll be involved here, but do double check your trust's scheme of delegation to see what financial responsibilities you have.

What is the school resource management self-assessment?

The school resource management self-assessment is a requirement for all academy trusts, who must submit it annually.

It includes a checklist made up of 42 questions. Trusts answer these to assure the government that resources are managed effectively. 

The questions cover 6 sections:

  • Governance
  • Trust financial strategy
  • Setting the annual budget
  • Staffing
  • Value for money
  • Protecting the public purse

The dashboard, which used to be part of the same document, is now available on the schools financial benchmarking website. The dashboard shows how your trust's expenditure, characteristics and outcomes compare with those of similar schools through RAG (red, amber, green) ratings, and will help your trust leaders fill in the checklist.

Check you have appropriate

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