Academy Trust FD & CFO Recruitment

FD Capital recruits Finance Directors and CFOs for academy trusts across England — single academy trusts, small multi-academy trusts and large MAT groups. Academy trust finance leadership is a specialist brief: the combination of ESFA Financial Handbook compliance obligations, DfE funding reporting, academy conversion accounting, and the governance structure of a charitable company limited by guarantee creates a finance function that differs materially from both school bursar roles and general education finance. Adrian Lawrence FCA, founder of FD Capital and a Fellow of the ICAEW, leads our senior finance recruitment practice.

Call 020 3287 9501 or email recruitment@fdcapital.co.uk. Shortlists within three to five working days.

Adrian Lawrence FCA — Founder, FD Capital
Fellow of the ICAEW | ICAEW-Registered Practice | Education and academy trust finance placements since 2018

The demand for experienced academy trust finance leaders has grown significantly as the MAT sector has matured. A Finance Director who understands the ESFA Financial Handbook, can manage the consolidation of multiple academy accounts, and has navigated an ESFA audit is a genuinely specialist candidate — and one that generalist education finance recruiters often cannot access. FD Capital’s network includes Finance Directors who have worked at both single academy trust and large MAT group level, with the ESFA compliance and DfE reporting experience that academy trust boards require.

What Makes Academy Trust Finance Different

ESFA Financial Handbook compliance

The ESFA Academy Trust Handbook (formerly the Academies Financial Handbook) sets out the financial management and governance requirements for all academy trusts in receipt of DfE funding. It covers financial controls, budget management, related party transactions, declaration of interests, procurement thresholds, and the specific conditions under which trusts must seek ESFA approval before proceeding with certain financial decisions. The Finance Director or CFO of an academy trust is responsible for ensuring the trust meets these requirements at all times — and for advising the accounting officer (the CEO or Executive Headteacher) on compliance risk. Non-compliance with the Handbook is a serious governance failure that can result in ESFA intervention.

Consolidated accounts for multi-academy trusts

Multi-academy trusts prepare consolidated financial statements covering all the academies within the group, along with a separate statement for the central MAT entity. The accounting consolidation requirements — eliminating intra-group transactions, allocating central costs appropriately across academies, and presenting a clear picture of each academy’s financial position within the group — are more complex than single-academy reporting and require a Finance Director who has managed MAT consolidation previously. The annual accounts must comply with the Academies Accounts Direction issued by the ESFA, which is updated annually and contains specific requirements for disclosure and presentation that differ from Companies Act formats.

DfE funding streams and revenue recognition

Academy trusts receive the majority of their income as General Annual Grant (GAG) funding from the DfE, calculated on a per-pupil basis. In addition, trusts typically receive a range of specific grants — for special educational needs, pupil premium, capital funding, catch-up programmes and other DfE initiatives — each with its own conditions, reporting requirements and accounting treatment. The Finance Director must manage the recognition and expenditure of these funding streams accurately, ensure that restricted grants are spent in accordance with the funder’s conditions, and report expenditure against grant conditions to the ESFA as required. Mismanagement of grant funding is one of the most common triggers for ESFA financial notice to improve.

Academy Trust Accounts Return (ATAP)

All academy trusts are required to submit the Academy Trust Accounts Return to the ESFA annually. The ATAP is a detailed financial data return that extracts specific figures from the trust’s audited accounts and financial records. The Finance Director is responsible for completing the ATAP accurately and on time — errors or late submission can trigger ESFA queries and, in serious cases, formal oversight action. For MATs, the ATAP requires data at both the consolidated group level and for each individual academy, increasing the complexity of the return significantly.

Related party transactions and governance

The ESFA Financial Handbook places particular emphasis on related party transactions — any financial dealings between the trust and its trustees, employees, or connected parties. All related party transactions must be declared, assessed for value for money, and in many cases approved by the ESFA before they proceed. The Finance Director is typically the person responsible for maintaining the trust’s register of interests, identifying potential related party transactions, and advising the board on the approval and disclosure requirements. This governance responsibility has become more significant as the ESFA has increased scrutiny of related party transactions across the academy sector.

Academy Trust Finance Director and CFO Roles FD Capital Places

Finance Director — single academy trust

The Finance Director of a single academy trust manages the full range of financial responsibilities for a single school operating as an academy — budget management, management accounts, DfE funding reconciliation, ESFA compliance, payroll, procurement and the annual accounts and audit process. In smaller trusts, the Finance Director may also carry responsibility for HR, IT and premises management. FD Capital places permanent Finance Directors for single academy trusts, along with fractional Finance Directors for trusts that want senior finance expertise without the full-time cost.

CFO / Director of Finance — multi-academy trust

The CFO or Director of Finance of a multi-academy trust leads the central finance function for the whole group — managing the finance teams across multiple academies, overseeing consolidated reporting, managing the ESFA compliance programme, leading the MAT’s annual audit, and advising the CEO and board of trustees on financial strategy. In larger MATs with ten or more academies, the CFO typically manages a team of school business managers or finance leads at each academy site, with centralised management accounting and reporting functions. This is a genuinely senior leadership role that requires prior MAT experience alongside strong technical finance skills.

Interim Finance Director — academy trust

Academy trusts frequently need interim Finance Director cover — for maternity or extended absence, to manage a period of financial difficulty or ESFA oversight, or to bridge a gap between permanent appointments. FD Capital places interim Finance Directors with specific academy trust experience for these requirements, ensuring the trust’s ESFA compliance and financial governance continue without disruption.

Academy Trust Finance Director Salary Guide UK 2026

Role	Trust Size	Typical Salary
Finance Director — single academy trust	Single school (500–1,500 pupils)	£55,000 – £75,000
Finance Director — small MAT	2–5 academies	£65,000 – £85,000
Director of Finance / CFO — mid MAT	6–15 academies	£80,000 – £100,000
CFO — large MAT	15+ academies	£95,000 – £130,000
Interim FD — academy trust	Any size	£350 – £500/day

Related Education and Public Sector Finance Services

Recruit an Academy Trust Finance Director or CFO

FD Capital recruits Finance Directors and CFOs for academy trusts and multi-academy trusts across England — candidates with ESFA Financial Handbook experience, MAT consolidation capability, and the governance understanding that academy trust boards require. Permanent, fractional and interim. Shortlists within three to five working days.

📞 020 3287 9501
✉ recruitment@fdcapital.co.uk

Tell Us About Your Requirement →