Academies accounts direction and submitting your audited financial statements
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-13)

Guidance for academy trusts, external auditors and reporting accountants on preparing, auditing and submitting an academy trust's annual financial statements.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to follow this guidance.

Overview

The academies accounts direction is used by academy trusts, their auditors and reporting accountants to prepare and audit financial statements for the accounting period ending on 31 August annually.

In addition to the accounts direction, 2 further documents have been published:
- a model set of accounts for academy trusts (known commonly as the ‘Coketown model’)
- an auditor framework and guide, primarily for use by academy trust external auditors and reporting accountants
The accounts direction and model set of accounts have the same contractual status, and compliance with both documents is a requirement of an academy trust’s funding agreement.

The changes made to this edition can be found on page 8 of the direction and page 3 of the model accounts.

The framework and guide applies to all external auditors and reporting accountants, who provide statutory audits and regularity reviews to academy trusts. Its purpose is to:
- explain external auditors’ obligations, under the Companies Act 2006, to issue an audit opinion as to whether the academy trusts’ annual accounts present a true and fair view
- prescribe to external auditors, in their role as reporting accountants, the requirements for their regularity review and report
Trusts should also refer to the Academy trust handbook 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academy-trust-handbook).

Academies accounts direction 2024 to 2025

(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e2ae6f148bef6fa4cfdac4/Academies_accounts_direction_2024_to_2025.pdf)

Academies account direction 2024 to 2025 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e2ae6f148bef6fa4cfdac4/Academies_accounts_direction_2024_to_2025.pdf)

PDF, 708 KB, 103 pages

Model set of accounts for academy trusts 2024 to 2025

(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dc4327db5bf0deba4b5004/Academies_model_accounts_2024_to_2025.pdf)

Academies model accounts 2024 to 2025 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dc4327db5bf0deba4b5004/Academies_model_accounts_2024_to_2025.pdf)

PDF, 767 KB, 71 pages

Framework and guide for external auditors and reporting accountants of academy trusts 2024 to 2025

(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dc42efdb5bf0deba4b5003/Academies_Framework_and_guide_for_external_auditors_2024_to_2025.pdf)

Framework and guide for external auditors and reporting accountants 2024 to 2025 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dc42efdb5bf0deba4b5003/Academies_Framework_and_guide_for_external_auditors_2024_to_2025.pdf)

PDF, 318 KB, 41 pages

Submit your 2024 to 2025 financial statements

The accounts submission coversheet online form is open.

To access the form, use this link:

Accounts submission coversheet (ASC) login (https://form.education.gov.uk/service/asc)

Use your DfE Sign-in details to access the form. If you have used this type of online form before, you can log in using the same details. For example, you may have used it the last time you submitted your ASC or the schools resource management self-assessment tool checklist.

Do not use your IDAMS registration details. This will not work with this form.

You can also sign up to create a new password for the checklist return.

We have developed a virtual assistant that you can ask for advice about the ASC.

Access the virtual assistant (https://askonline.education.gov.uk/chatbot/accounts-submission-coversheet?regional=true)

Trusts and external auditors can ask our virtual assistant about:
- submission requirements
- passwords
- signatures
The deadline for submission is 31 December 2025.

(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68e6451b49e17d00a56fff04/Guide_to_submitting_academy_trust_audited_financial_statements_2024_to_2025.pdf)

Guide to submitting academy trust audited financial statements 2024 to 2025 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68e6451b49e17d00a56fff04/Guide_to_submitting_academy_trust_audited_financial_statements_2024_to_2025.pdf)

PDF, 577 KB, 20 pages

You must upload your audited financial statements, auditor’s management letter and your internal scrutiny summary report within the accounts submission coversheet. They must be in a PDF format and not password protected.

You must also:
- publish your accounts on your academy trust’s website as soon as possible after approval by the trustees and by 31 January 2026
- file these accounts with Companies House within 9 months of the end of the accounting period - for most trusts, this will be 31 May 2026
Academies accounts direction 2023 to 2024

The academies accounts direction 2023 to 2024 explained how to prepare and submit financial statements for the period ending 31 August 2024. In addition to the accounts direction, 2 further documents were published:
- a model set of accounts
- an auditor framework and guide
(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/660428a8e8c4420011220377/Academies_accounts_direction_2023_to_2024.pdf)

Academies account direction 2023 to 2024 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/660428a8e8c4420011220377/Academies_accounts_direction_2023_to_2024.pdf)

PDF, 792 KB, 95 pages

Model set of accounts for academy trusts 2023 to 2024

(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6602b77df1d3a0666832ad85/Academies_model_accounts_2023_to_2024.pdf)

Academies model accounts 2023 to 2024 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6602b77df1d3a0666832ad85/Academies_model_accounts_2023_to_2024.pdf)

PDF, 721 KB, 71 pages

Framework and guide for external auditors and reporting accountants of academy trusts 2023 to 2024

(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/677fe14cd721a08c00665609/Framework_and_guide_for_external_auditors_and_reporting_accountants_2023_to_2024.pdf)

Framework and guide for external auditors and reporting accountants 2023 to 2024 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/677fe14cd721a08c00665609/Framework_and_guide_for_external_auditors_and_reporting_accountants_2023_to_2024.pdf)

PDF, 343 KB, 33 pages

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