The Schools Bill published on 12 May 2022 confirmed plans set out in the Schools White Paper “Opportunities for All” for all schools to be part of a “family of schools in a strong trust to level up school standards”, meaning schools must either be part of a multi-academy trust (MAT) or in the process of joining one by 2030.
Whilst 2030 seems a long way off, it is clear that headteachers, chairs and governors must now focus their attention on this complex issue sooner rather than later, to ensure that they form or join a trust with other schools of similar values, ethos and cultures as theirs.
Advice and support for your school
Here at Mitchell Charlesworth, as one of the region’s leading auditors and financial advisors to schools and academies, we appreciate that there remains a huge gap in knowledge and understanding surrounding academies. Having supported many schools through the academisation process over the years, some of the most common financial questions we are asked include:
- How does converting to an academy impact our school financially?
- What are the financial reporting requirements for MATs?
- What is top-slicing, GAG pooling and centralisation?
- Should we be worried about the huge pension scheme liabilities?
- Can we use the same systems, software and reports?
To help schools prepare for the changes ahead, we have recorded “Academisation – what you need to know!”. The session was delivered by Alex Makinson, a partner in our specialist academies team, who discussed the changes ahead and how schools can best prepare for them.
We can help your school
We are offering a free, fact-finding session to headteachers and governors on academisation, including what you need to know before forming or joining a trust. To book your session, please click the button below or to the right of this page.
