Finance

Tuesday

5th Nov 2024

What if...trust finances changed in three core ways?
As part of Tes’ ‘What if...’ series, E-ACT CEO Tom Campbell looks at what impact pooled investment, borrowing and fixed-cost funding might have on budgets
Watering plant

Wednesday

27th Dec 2023

Top slicing or GAG pooling: which is better for schools?
The Big Debate is a regular panel discussion published as part of the Tes Magazine Leadership Forum. For this session, senior multi-academy trust leaders debate the pros and cons of the two different funding models used within MATs
Top slicing or GAG pooling? MAT leaders debate finanical models

Wednesday

3rd May 2023

Academy trusts’ VAT risks revealed by tax enquiry
Multi-academy trusts must make sure they are aware of the specific rules around VAT to avoid unexpected bills from the taxman, warns accountancy firm
HMRC enquiry highlights VAT risks for academy trusts

Monday

24th Apr 2023

How solar panels will save our trust £1.5m
The CEO of a multi-academy trust explains how looking to cut costs on energy led to a major renewables project across its school estates
How solar panels will save our trust £1.5 million

Friday

31st Mar 2023

Why we hired a drone to tackle sky-high energy costs
A headteacher explains why assessing heat loss from his school roof is not only good for saving money and reducing energy waste but offered a few teachable moments, too
Drone image of heat loss from school roof

Thursday

3rd Nov 2022

4 reasons not to slash your edtech spending
Cash-strapped schools might be reluctant to buy expensive new technology right now – but not updating your edtech could be more costly in the long run, says Ed Fairfield
ipad power

Monday

12th Sep 2022

2 ways schools and trusts can save on soaring energy bills
As schools and trusts grapple with spiralling energy bills, the CFO of one trust reveals how he helped reduce costs and improve cash flow simply by double checking how they were being billed
2 ways schools and trusts can save on soaring energy bills

Tuesday

30th Aug 2022

School funding crisis: Budgets ‘worthless’ as costs soar
The announcement of ‘unfunded’ staff pay rises, combined with spiralling costs, means that school budgets set before the holidays will have to be torn up – and job cuts are now a very real possibility, warns this academy trust leader
Pouring money down the drain

Friday

22nd Jul 2022

Teacher pay: We have to rip up our school budgets and start again
The delayed and unexpected announcement on teacher pay rises has left schools scrambling to change the budgets they had already drawn up – hardly good financial prudence for the sector, says CST deputy CEO Steve Rollett
Teacher pay changes ride roughshod over school budget work

Wednesday

16th Feb 2022

Why schools must act fast to apply for new building upgrade grants
The latest round of the government’s School Rebuilding Programme allows schools and trusts to receive funding to rebuild or repair crumbling buildings. Here’s what you need to know to apply
Why schools must act fast to apply for new building upgrade grants

Friday

4th Feb 2022

The new procurement trapdoor schools need to avoid
A lawyer explains why a small change to procurement and VAT rules could have a big impact on schools and MATs when it comes to sourcing new deals with suppliers
The new VAT procurement trapdoor schools need to avoid

Friday

21st Jan 2022

How to read MAT financial accounts - and why you should
End of year accounts for MATs may appear confusing but, if you know what you’re looking for, they can reveal some fascinating insights, explains the CFO of a large MAT
MATs,