At Duncan & Toplis, we understand that academies face unique challenges in today's evolving educational landscape. Our dedicated academies team is committed to providing tailored support to help you navigate these complexities effectively.
Choose Duncan & Toplis as your trusted partner.
Transitioning to academy status grants schools greater autonomy and financial control. However, this independence brings increased responsibilities, particularly in managing finances and ensuring compliance. At Duncan & Toplis, we partner with academies and schools to provide expert guidance and practical support, helping you meet these challenges head-on.
We offer a full range of specialist services designed to support your academy’s financial health and compliance, including:
External and internal audits to review financial information and assess current operations and processes.
Academies Accounts Return (AAR) designed to monitor financial health and specific transactions.
Budget Forecast Return (BFR) support for creating a detailed annual financial forecast.
Teachers’ Pensions End of Year Certificate (EOYC audit) provides assurance that correct contributions have been collected & administered throughout the financial year.
Corporation tax support for reviewing profits, investments and chargeable gains.
VAT advice and registration support.
Grant audits to provide assurance and preparation support for appropriate funding.
Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Trustees training to enable confidence amongst key organisation members.
Company secretarial services to ensure compliance with all relevant regulations.
Cyber audits designed to assess for digital vulnerabilities and provide proactive security recommendations.
Deciding whether to register with HMRC for VAT is crucial. Even if your academy does not exceed the registration threshold, voluntary VAT registration and the partial exemption rules can mean that VAT registration produces a more tax-efficient result than submitting periodic VAT reclaim submissions.
Income-generating activities such as letting community groups use your sports facilities can often be treated as charitable and therefore tax-exempt. To achieve this, academies may need to update their articles so these activities align with their charitable objectives.
Many academies hold significant cash balances but also face growing pension deficits after separating from local government schemes. A thorough analysis of your academy’s finances can uncover ways to improve efficiency, strengthen reserves, and identify savings opportunities.
Understanding how your academy’s financial performance compares to others is vital. Through schools’ financial benchmarking, we can help you assess your income and expenditure against similar institutions, highlighting areas for improvement and ensuring efficient use of resources.
Accurate, compliant financial reporting is essential for academies and trusts. Our team specialises in education and charity sector accounting, ensuring your financial statements meet all regulatory standards while offering clear, actionable insights into your academy’s financial health.
We also work closely with independent schools and Local Authority schools, as well as Single Academy Trusts (SATs) and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), providing tailored support to meet the specific needs of each organisation.
With over a century of experience supporting education and charity organisations across the UK, Duncan & Toplis is one of the country’s leading groups of accountants and auditors to the academies sector.
We strive to be more than accountants; we act as trusted business advisers, providing insight and direction that deliver measurable results and strengthen your academy’s position. Our team supports schools and trusts across the country, combining local understanding with national reach.
As founder members of the Kreston Academies Group, which comprises academy specialists from the UK members of our international network, Kreston Global, we advise over 300 academies. This collaboration allows us to share experiences and expertise that directly benefit our clients. We encourage you to download the Kreston Academies Benchmark Report 2025 to gain a more detailed understanding of your academy’s financial performance by comparing it with those of a similar size and structure.
Choosing the right financial partner is crucial for your academy’s success. At Duncan & Toplis, we’re committed to providing the expertise, insight, and support you need to thrive.
Contact us today to find out how our academy specialists can help your school or trust achieve its goals.
