Monitoring trust budgets: management accounts
Understand what trustees can expect from management accounts and how to scrutinise the information provided.

Academy trusts must prepare management accounts each month, which set out their financial position and performance. The chief financial officer (CFO) for the trust will likely produce, or take the lead on producing, management accounts and reports.
Management accounts are an essential source of information for trustees when it comes to monitoring the budget and overseeing financial performance.
Our guide to management accounts explains what trustees can expect to see within these reports and how to understand the information provided.
The guide covers:
- frequency and circulation of management accounts
- management accounts format
- ensuring the accounts meet your needs
- scrutinising the accounts
- tools to help you scrutinise financial performance
Member-only content
Want to read this?
Become a member
NGA members get exclusive access to hundreds of practical resources including guidance, checklists and planners.
We’re here to support you at every stage of your governance journey with expert advice, training, events, and much more.
Already a member?
Related content
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
GuidanceUpdated: 11/01/2023Finance & resources
Completing the school resource management self-assessment checklist
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Training & developmentFinance & resources
Financial oversight in academy trusts: fulfilling the governance role
-
Training & development
-
E-learning
-
E-learning
-
E-learning
-
E-learning
-
Governing Matters
-
NewsUpdated: 22/11/2023Equality, diversity & inclusion
NGA joins education organisations to warn Gender pay gap for secondary heads widest for a decade
-
News
-
News
-
BlogUpdated: 06/10/2023Finance & resources
Navigating the storm: the ongoing financial challenges of school governance
-
News
-
Blog
-
NewsUpdated: 19/09/2023Wellbeing
NGA comments on its membership of DfEs new teacher and school leader workload reduction taskforce
-
NewsUpdated: 08/09/2023Wellbeing
Annual Governance Survey 2023 reveals worrying trends in behaviour and safeguarding
-
Blog
-
Blog
-
NewsUpdated: 14/07/2023Finance & resources
Balancing budgets is getting harder as boards make known their dissatisfaction on government performance
-
Blog
-
News
-
Governing Matters
-
Events & networks08/02/202416:30 - 18:00ZoomFinance & resources
Governance Leadership Forum - A debate: To pay or not to pay for governance?
-
Webinar06/12/202312:30 - 13:15ZoomFinance & resources
What makes schools and trusts financially efficient?