School Business Services

We’re excited to introduce our brand-new Budget vs Outturn report in SBS Financial Planner developed in direct response to feedback from our trust customers🤝

Built with trusts, for trusts because your feedback shapes our roadmap

#NewFeatureFriday #MATFinance #FinancialPlanning #SBSFinancialPlanner

Reminder: The School Resource Management Self-Assessment Checklist (SRMSAC) must be submitted to the DfE today, 13 March 2026.

The DfE’s guidance for completing the SRMSAC is available here:
www.gov.uk/guidance/sch...

#SBS #SchoolBusinessLeadership #EducationFinance #SRMSAC #DfE

📢Upcoming Webinar: Virtual Finance Assistant - Taster Session

How can multi-academy trusts build more resilient and efficient finance functions?

📅Tuesday, 17 March, 10-11am, online (Zoom)

Register: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#SBS #VirtualFinanceAssistant #EducationFinance #SchoolFinance #MATFinance

Supporting finance teams during budget setting 📊

📅 Interested in longer-term support? Join our free online Virtual Finance Assistant Taster webinar at 10am, 17 March.

Register here: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#SchoolFinance #EducationLeadership #MATFinance #SchoolBusinessLeadership

We’re delighted to announce that Susan Fielden will be joining us as a featured speaker at our Budget Assumptions 2026 webinar.

This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

🗓 March 26th 2026, 1-2pm, Zoom

Sign up: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#SBS #EducationFinance #MATLeadership #FinancialPlanning

🚀 MIS Training for April/May 2026

We’re delighted to announce that our new Event Management System is now live - designed to make booking training simpler and more efficient for schools.

Upcoming courses: www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/training?cat...

#SBS #MISTraining #ArborMIS #SIMS #Bromcom

This International Women’s Day, we recognise and celebrate the women who shape education every day 💐

We celebrate their contribution, their leadership, and their commitment to creating opportunities for every learner.

#SBS #InternationalWomensDay #GiveToGain #IWD2026

Estates Risk in the Spotlight: Why This Should be on Every Trust’s Internal Audit Plan for 2026 | School Business Services Estates management is moving up academy trusts’ 2026 internal audit agendas amid rising costs, safety risks and stronger expectations from the Department for Education. Insights from Stephanie Steadma...

In our latest article, we break down why trusts need to prioritise estates risk in their internal audit plans and how effective scrutiny can strengthen oversight, financial planning and strategy.

👉 Read more: www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/news/estates...

#SBS #AcademyTrusts #InternalAudit

We’re at MATPN North today and tomorrow 🙌

The SBS Sales Team is bringing professional insight and having plenty of great conversations with School and MAT Leaders.

We’re here all day and would love to connect with you!

#MATPN #MATPNNorth #EducationFinance #MATLeaders

We’re pleased to announce David Bond as a speaker at our upcoming Virtual Finance Assistant taster session.

Virtual Finance Assistant: Taster Session
📅 17 March 2026, 10 -11AM, online (Zoom)

🔗 Register here: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#AcademyTrust #EducationFinance #CFO #SchoolBusinessManagement

Budget Assumptions 2026: What Are You Planning?

If you’re planning for 2026, this session will help you stress-test assumptions and plan with confidence.

📅26th March, 1-2PM, online (Zoom)

Register now to secure your place: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#SBS #SchoolFunding #EducationFinance #CFO #SBM

Getting to the heart of SEND pressures | School Business Services Georgina de Costa reflects on this year’s MAT Leaders Webinar, where SEND pressures emerged as the defining challenge for trusts. This article highlights how trusts are responding through restructurin...

Getting to the Heart of SEND Pressures

From inconsistent EHCP processes to smarter use of technology, leaders are sharing how they’re responding.

💡 Read the full article: www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/news/getting...

#SBS #MatLeadersSurvey #Leadership #SEND #MATLeaders #SchoolImprovement #EHCP

One Week to Go

We’re delighted to be joined by Michelle Williams, CFO at Shaw Education Trust, who will share how her trust is responding to financial pressures.

📅 Tuesday 10 March, 2–3pm, online (Zoom)

Sign up: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#SBS #Webinar #MATFinance #EducationFinance

MATPN North is happening this week 🎉

We’re looking forward to being at The Manchester Deansgate for two days of insightful discussions, shared challenges, and practical solutions with MAT leaders from across the sector.

See you there!

#SBS #MATPN #EducationLeadership #SchoolBusinessLeadership

SEND Reform 2026: What MAT CFOs and School Finance Leaders Need to Know | School Business Services The SEND White Paper signals a long-term move away from EHCP-led funding towards greater mainstream inclusion. While change will be phased, MAT CFOs and finance leaders should start modelling EHCP dep...

The SEND landscape is shifting and 2026 will bring significant reform.

At School Business Services, we’ve broken down what finance leaders need to know — clearly and practically.

👉 Read more: www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/news/send-re...

#SBS #MATFinance #SchoolFinance #SEND #TrustLeadership

💡 Scenario-plan pupil number changes annually.

Modelling best, worst and most likely case scenarios helps trusts anticipate funding fluctuations, plan staffing structures, and respond proactively to financial pressure.

#SBS #FinanceFocus #SchoolFinance #EducationFinance #CFO #TrustFinance #MATs

🔎 How do you move beyond a basic tick-box approach to internal scrutiny and create meaningful financial oversight?

👉 Read the full article: www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/news/Hammers...

#SBS #InternalScrutiny #SchoolBusinessLeadership #AcademyTrusts #EducationFinance

Just one week to go until MATPN North 🎉

We’ll be sharing practical insights on navigating budget pressures and tackling deficit challenges head on.

Come and say hello, we’d love to connect.

#SBS #MATPN #EducationFinance #MATLeaders #SchoolBusinessLeadership

How Trusts Are Responding to Today’s Financial Pressures Webinar

We’re pleased to be joined by Michelle Williams, who will share how her trust is responding to today’s financial pressures.

📅 10 March 2026, 2–3pm, Zoom

Sign up: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#SBS #TheMATStandard #SBSFinancialPlanner

We’re delighted to share that SBS Financial Planner has been shortlisted for Product of the Year at the Optimus Education MAT Excellence Awards 2026 🎉

Thank you to the Trust finance leaders who helped shape the system and continue to drive its development.

#MATExcellenceAwards #MATFinance #EdTech

Curious about outsourcing finance processing tasks at your Trust?

Join us for a short taster session exploring our Virtual Finance Assistant service.

📅 17 March 2026, 10-11am, Zoom

Secure your place today: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#SBS #VirtualFinanceAssistant #Webinar #CFO #SchoolFinance

This week’s finance tip for CFOs is:

Develop a rolling three-year financial forecast.

Looking beyond a single-year budget improves visibility, highlights emerging risks earlier, and enables more strategic decision-making.

#FinanceFocus #SchoolFinance #CFO #TrustFinance #FinancialPlanning #MATs

When a key member of your finance team is absent, keeping everything on track can be tough.

Need support? Get in touch and we’ll arrange a meeting to discuss your vacancy.

www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/finance-supp...

#SchoolFinance #EducationFinance #SchoolBusinessManagement #InterimSupport

Fielding Primary School in Ealing, a four-form entry school with over 1,000 pupils, moved to SBS Financial Planner to improve payroll reconciliation, reporting and forecasting accuracy.

👉 Read the full article: www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/news/case-st...

#SBS #SchoolFinance #EducationFinance

We’re really looking forward to being at MATPN North on 5th–6th March at The Manchester Deansgate - and we’re excited to be taking to the stage for: Budget Setting: The Good, The Bad & The Deficit

We’d love to see you there.

#MATPN #EducationFinance #MATLeaders #SchoolBusinessLeadership

Survey results tell us that 56% of trusts who made the switch to SBS Financial Planner are finding scenario planning easier, helping the leadership teams make more informed, evidence-based decisions.

www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/SBS-Financia...

#SBS #TheMATStandard #SBSFinancialPlanner

🔍 How are trusts responding to ongoing financial challenges in 2026?

Our latest article explores how academy trusts are navigating financial pressures in 2026.

👉 Read the article: www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/news/trusts-...

#SBS #MATLeaders #SchoolFinance #TrustFinance #FinancialPlanning

Attenborough Learning Trust has grown from 4 to 9 schools since 2019. To keep control and consistency, the trust adopted SBS Financial Planner for budgeting, payroll tracking and trust-level oversight.

Read more: www.schoolbusinessservices.co.uk/news/case-st...

#SBS #MAT #SchoolFinance

This week’s finance tip for schools and trusts:

💡 Automate at least one manual finance process per term.

Even small wins (such as automating purchase workflows or payroll imports) can save significant cumulative hours across the year.

#SBS #FinanceFocus #SchoolFinance #CFO #TrustFinance

📊 Raising the MAT Standard

📅 Tuesday 10th March | 2–3pm | Live on Zoom

👉 Register here: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#MATFinance #TrustLeadership #RaisingTheMATStandard #Budgeting #FinancialPlanning #CFO #EducationFinance #MultiAcademyTrusts