Academy Trust Handbook 2025
The new 2025 Academy Trust Handbook has just been released.
The main changes follow the updates to the Regularity statement and framework which have been introduced for financial statements for the 2024-25 year-end:
Roles and responsibilities
- Trusts should understand and be working towards meeting the six core digital and technology standards by 2030 (1.16).
- There is further guidance on estates management (1.20).
- There are updates to Accounting Officer duties and to the definitions of regularity, propriety, value for money and feasibility, to better reflect Managing Public Money (1.32 and ‘find out more’ box).
- Further information has been provided regarding the Accounting Officer’s duty to raise concerns, including links to relevant sections of Managing Public Money (1.37 and ‘find out more’ box).
Main financial requirements
- Further guidance and support on procurement (2.24 to 2.26) has been added.
- There is clarification around the role of the Board in setting of executive pay (2.27 and 2.30).
Internal Scrutiny
- Income thresholds referred to in 3.6 and 3.16 are based on the respective Trust’s last audited accounts.
Delegated authorities
- There is some new explanation as to how cost could cause a transaction to be repercussive (5.5).
- The Handbook now provides a link to the relevant section on Novel, Contentious or Repercussive transactions in Managing Public Money (‘find out more’ box 5.5).
The Regulator and intervention
- There is explicit confirmation that trusts must not pay any cyber ransomware demands (6.15).
- Trusts are directed to a link to further information on Department for Education oversight and support, including intervention (6.16).
- Educational performance has been removed form the list of areas where a Notice to Improve may be issued (6.17).
- The Department has confirmed that it may recover funds where there is evidence of irregularity or fraud (6.21).
Contact us if you would like to discuss in more detail.
