Academies

Specialist accountancy and advisory services to academies

MHA Maclntyre Hudson are specialists in the education field and have been advising schools for over 20 years. Our specialist academy accountants have been appointed as auditors to over 100 new Academy schools and support a significant number of those with the testing and reporting requirements of the Responsible Officers role. We are also in contact with many other schools at various stages of converting to academy status.

The Academy Act 2010

The Academy Act 2010 offers schools the opportunity to benefit from the freedoms and flexibilities that academy status can bring, including: freedom from LEA control and routine school inspections, greater control over the budget, freedom to set teachers’ pay and contracts, as well as greater flexibility in the curriculum, term times and length of the school day. However, the decision not to proceed with academy conversion is equally important and needs to consider the level of support the LEA will be able to provide for schools that remain under their control.

Key issues we can assist with when becoming an academy

If your school is considering becoming an academy, our specialist academy accountants and business advisers can help with the following:

  • Information to be considered in the academy conversion process.
  • Audit, accounting and reporting requirements.
  • Setting-up systems and procedures for the new academy.
  • Budgets, cash flow and financial plans.
  • Assistance with the Responsible Officer role.
  • A VAT review and advice on the best method for academies to reclaim VAT.
  • Employment tax issues and engagement of worker.
  • Advice on the best structure for any commercial trading activities.
  • Review and advice on the chart of accounts.
  • Advice on year end accounting and running the year end procedure.
  • Review of the Financial Procedures Manual, to ensure it is in accordance with the Academies Financial Handbook.

Read about our value added services for academies>>

Specialist knowledge for academy conversion

Our specialist academy accountants and business advisers are part of a working party of large providers of audit services to the Education sector who regularly meet with the YPLA, SFA and other Education funding bodies. The working party sets policies to ensure all audit firms and their academy clients have consistent treatment of accounting issues. We act for over 200 charitable and not for profit organisations and also run seminars, training for Governors and working party groups where we discuss the latest issues.

Publications for Academies

Bianca Silva, Head of our Charities sector, has produced a complimentary, concise guide to achieving academy status which includes a checklist for schools who are considering converting to academy status. For a copy, please email charities@mhllp.co.uk

Academy FAQs

Read our frequently asked questions for Academies>> 

Contact us

If you are considering converting to an academy or have already achieved academy status, please contact one of our specialist academy accountants and business advisers in our Not for Profit sector team. Alternatively, send us an enquiry online.