Academies Accounts Direction 2025 to 2026: Trustee Compliance Checklist
The Academies Accounts Direction 2025 to 2026 sets the reporting framework for academy trust accounts for periods ending 31 August 2026. Trustees should organise preparation, audit, approval and evidence ahead of DfE submission by 31 December 2026. Website publication and Companies House filing are separate tasks with later deadlines, not substitutes for submission.
Key dates for the 2025 to 2026 accounts
| Date | Required milestone | Primary source |
|---|---|---|
| 31 August 2026 | Accounting period end | Direction paragraph 1.6 |
| 31 December 2026 | Submit audited accounts, the external auditor's findings report, the annual internal scrutiny report and the accounts submission coversheet to DfE | Direction paragraph 1.13, Table 1, page 12 |
| 31 January 2027 | Publish full accounts on the trust website; a Companies House link alone is insufficient | Direction paragraph 1.13, Table 1, page 12 |
| Normally 31 May 2027 | File accounts with Companies House within nine months of the period end | Direction paragraph 1.13, Table 1, page 12 |
Check the Direction's timetable and exceptions referenced at paragraph 3.96 where applicable. Handbook paragraph 4.4 confirms the annual submission, publication and filing milestones. Keep the approved accounts and three distinct completion records: DfE receipt, public website copy and Companies House filing confirmation.
The guide covers preparation and evidence management. It is not an accounting policy template or a substitute for the trust's auditor and professional advisers. Use the MAT governance hub for related delegation and oversight guidance, and the finance oversight guide for meeting preparation. The examples below are suggested working practices; the cited official documents determine the requirements.
Confirm the reporting period and source documents
For accounting periods ending on 31 August 2026, use the Academies Accounts Direction 2025 to 2026. The accompanying DfE accounts publication page also provides model accounts and guidance for external auditors. Record the edition in the year-end plan so an old checklist is not accidentally reused.
Separate that reporting period from the effective date of the Academy Trust Handbook. The 2026 handbook has been in force since 1 October 2026; the Academy Trust Handbook 2026 trustee guide explains the current board duties and senior pay controls. This accounts cycle still uses the Direction for the period ended 31 August 2026. Do not apply a different accounting framework merely because a new handbook edition is current.
Ask the finance lead to identify changes relevant to the trust and route them to the person preparing each section. Give trustees a short explanation of material reporting changes before the approval meeting, when there is still time to ask questions.
What is new in the 2025 to 2026 Direction?
The following comes from the Direction's own “What has changed in this edition?” on page 8, rather than a third-party summary. The final column suggests preparation work for the trust; the referenced paragraphs give the underlying reporting detail.
| Change listed by DfE | Paragraph or section | Suggested preparation check |
|---|---|---|
| No longer a duty to report trade union facility time in the financial statements | 2.8 | Check the current trustees' report draft |
| Updated streamlined energy and carbon reporting text | 2.23 | Confirm applicable disclosures with the preparer |
| Updated regularity and propriety definitions following Managing Public Money, June 2025 | 2.51, 2.53 | Review statement wording and supporting evidence |
| Payments in lieu of notice included in restructuring costs | 2.148 | Check classifications and supporting schedules |
| Additional higher-paid staff benefits disclosure guidance for part-time and part-year staff | 2.153 | Review the disclosure population and calculation |
| Updated key management personnel definition and benefits disclosure | 2.157–2.159 | Confirm who is included and why |
| Related party disclosures clarified where the principal or CEO is a trustee | 2.179 | Reconcile the interests information and disclosure note |
| Minor editorial changes on site improvements at church academy trusts | 3.10 | Review where relevant to the trust's premises |
| New preparation annex for Charities SORP 2026 | Annex B | Plan the following reporting year separately |
Annex B prepares for the 2026 to 2027 financial year; it does not make SORP 2026 the framework for the 2025 to 2026 accounts. Ask the CFO to explain material impacts for this trust and record any accounting judgement requiring advice from the auditor. A short, trust-specific change note is more useful to trustees than an unexplained copy of the changes list.
Autumn-term trustee timeline: September to January
This is a suggested working sequence, not a set of additional DfE monthly deadlines. Adjust meeting dates to the trust's audit plan while keeping the verified submission and publication dates above.
| Month | Suggested trustee and team activity | Evidence for follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| September | Confirm edition, period, preparers, audit timetable and outstanding scrutiny work | Year-end plan, owner list and query log |
| October | Review reporting changes, governance narrative and internal scrutiny findings | Draft narrative checked against minutes and control evidence |
| November | Scrutinise draft accounts and significant judgements; resolve material audit queries | Committee recommendations and tracked changes |
| December | Complete board approval, required signatures, final document checks and DfE submission by 31 December | Approved accounts, auditor's findings report, scrutiny report and receipt |
| January | Check the full approved accounts are published by 31 January; schedule or complete Companies House filing | Working website link and separate filing action or confirmation |
Use the internal scrutiny guide to connect annual findings with committee oversight and action tracking. Handbook paragraphs 3.15–3.21 distinguish the annual report, access to findings for trustees and submission to DfE. The accounting officer's signed regularity statement is addressed by handbook 1.40 and Direction 2.56–2.64. It needs supporting evidence rather than a signature collected at the end of the process.
For a clear paper at each stage, use the finance report preparation guide. Show the decision requested, the current evidence, unresolved issues and next owner. If an approval meeting slips, identify the consequence for the submission sequence immediately; do not let a suggested month in this table obscure the actual deadline.
Build a timetable with named owners
Start from Direction paragraph 1.13 and Table 1 for accounts deadlines. The current DfE submission guidance, updated 7 October 2026, confirms the coversheet is open and the submission deadline is 31 December 2026. It requires PDF uploads without password protection. The accounts return is a separate process: Direction 1.4 explains its different reporting purpose and framework. Keep its owner and timetable distinct from the accounts tasks here.
Work backwards to allow time for draft preparation, audit queries, committee scrutiny, trustee approval, signatures and submission checks. Name a deputy for administrative steps. A calendar entry saying “accounts due” does not explain who can access the submission system or who confirms that the accepted version is the signed one.
Reserve a contingency meeting if the normal board calendar leaves no room for material changes. Track what must be resolved before approval and what can properly remain as a later management action, taking advice from the auditor where necessary.
Assemble an evidence index
Create an index that points to controlled records rather than duplicating every file into several folders. A practical structure might include:
- Financial schedules, reconciliations and supporting explanations owned by finance.
- The trustees' report drafting record and supporting performance information.
- Governance membership, meeting and delegation records held by governance staff.
- Risk, control and internal scrutiny evidence considered by the relevant committee.
- Audit queries, responses and unresolved matters requiring a decision.
- Approval minutes, signed documents and submission confirmations.
For each entry, record the period covered, owner, current version and any restriction on access. Avoid marking a whole section complete because a folder exists. The useful question is whether the document needed for review is present, current and supported.
Where an academy joined during the period, agree with advisers how that event affects the accounts and supporting schedules. Keep the transaction and opening information easy to locate rather than relying on knowledge held by one member of the central team.
Connect the governance statement to actual scrutiny
The Direction includes a governance statement within the annual report. Prepare its narrative from the trust's actual governance, risk and control activity. A generic statement carried forward from last year can miss a changed committee structure, a significant weakness or a review that has not yet finished.
Ask the governance professional and finance lead to compare the draft with minutes, internal scrutiny reports and the risk register. If the narrative says an issue was resolved, locate the evidence of resolution. If it remains open, ensure the wording and proposed action reflect that position.
The central-team oversight evidence guide explains a practical chain from academy-level information to trustee challenge. Use that chain to support drafting, while respecting the accounting officer's and trustees' responsibilities for the statements they make.
Give audit questions a clear route
Maintain one query log with the question, responsible owner, response date, supporting reference and current status. Route questions about governance decisions to the governance professional and relevant decision-maker, rather than expecting finance staff to reconstruct a discussion from memory.
Do not silently replace evidence after it has been reviewed. If a schedule changes, identify the revised version and tell the people relying on it. A short change note explaining the reason and effect is more useful than several almost-identical attachments with unclear filenames.
Distinguish an auditor query from an internal improvement action. Both need ownership, but they may have different deadlines and approval consequences. Bring unresolved material matters to the appropriate committee or board with a clear explanation of the decision required.
Make trustee approval reviewable
The trust board versus local governing body guide explains why local financial discussion does not replace trust-level accountability. Use it when briefing new committee members before the reporting cycle begins.
Send the approval pack with enough time for trustees to read it. Include the final proposed accounts, the key judgements requiring attention, relevant audit communications and an explanation of changes since committee review. Follow the Direction and advice on the appropriate signatures and statements.
Minute the decision accurately. Keep the approved document linked to the minute so the submission team can identify the correct version. The delegation checklist can help distinguish preparation and recommendation from the authority to approve.
After submission, retain the confirmation and check the public copy where publication is required. Access the published file as an ordinary visitor to confirm it opens and matches the approved document. This is a practical quality check, not evidence that the accounts are otherwise compliant.
Turn findings into next year's work
Close the cycle with a short review of late evidence, repeated queries and unclear ownership. Assign improvement actions to the committee or executive owner best placed to address them. Carry unresolved control matters into the next oversight cycle rather than leaving them in the year-end folder.
Track improvement through evidence: a reconciliation process actually used, a clearer approval trail or a completed review of an overdue action. Next year's accounts process becomes easier when the trust can retrieve its decisions and explain its controls throughout the year, instead of rebuilding that history every autumn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Accounts Direction covers the year ended 31 August 2026?
The Academies Accounts Direction 2025 to 2026 covers accounting periods ending on 31 August 2026. Use the accompanying model accounts and current DfE submission guidance.
Are the annual accounts and accounts return the same thing?
No. They are separate reporting processes. Maintain distinct owners, deadlines and submission checks using the current DfE financial returns timetable.
What evidence should support the governance statement?
Use the trust's actual governance records, risk and control evidence and scrutiny findings. Check claims about completed actions against evidence of what changed.
What should happen after accounts are submitted?
Retain the submission confirmation, complete the separate publication and filing tasks, and assign follow-up actions from audit findings and the year-end review.