Budget setting - academy trusts

A guide to budget setting 

For academy trust trustees

Trust boards must approve a budget each year which details expected income and planned spending. These plans should be carefully scrutinised and approved by trust boards before they are submitted to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Download budget setting guide (PDF)

This guide covers:

• how academy trusts are funded
• budget setting timetable
• preparing the draft budget
• scrutinising the draft budget
• approving the budget
• tools to support budget scrutiny

Further reading

• NGA guide to management accounts
• NGA guidance: how Integrated Curriculum and Financial Planning works in practice
• DfE school resource management: top 10 planning checks for governors
• Maximising a MAT budget: a case study