Academies chart of accounts and automating the accounts return
Financial data structure and guide for automating academy trust financial returns.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Academies accounts return - for trusts using automation
The deadline for the academies accounts return (AR) 2022/23 has now passed although trusts are able to:
- download their draft trusts financial statements (only for trusts using automation)
- view their AR 2022/23
The AR 2021/22 is still available to trusts in read only mode.
AR and financial statements login
Introduction to the chart of accounts
The academies chart of accounts (CoA) is the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) standard for financial data that underpins the academies accounts return and budget forecast returns.
Introduction to automation
Using the academies CoA, the department has developed automation technology to help reduce the burden of submitting your financial information. This technology enables you to electronically submit your trial balance data directly from your financial management software (FMS) to the department, where it will then be used to pre-populate a large percentage of your accounts return (AR), draft financial statements and budget forecast return BFR.
Thinking about upgrading your financial management system so you can use automation? Please review the information on our web page ‘Choosing a trust’s financial management system’.
Introduction to the draft trust financial statements
Trusts who send automated data to populate the accounts return, can also use this data to produce an auto-populated draft trust financial statements. The template is also available to view on this page and can be used for manual population.
For more information, please view the User guide for automating the academies accounts return and draft financial statements (section 6).
Webinars, Workshops and Q&A sessions:
Webinar: Introduction to the academies chart of accounts and automation
Please join our webinars for an introduction to the chart of accounts and automation to see how it could benefit your trust.
To join, select the link at the time of the session.
Alternatively, please view our latest DfE Power Hour session delivered in September 2023 which shows the benefits of adopting the academies chart of accounts and automation.
Workshop: Academies chart of accounts mapping review
This workshop is intended to promote best practice of using CoA account codes to maximise efficiency and provide quality data. The session is aimed at:
- Academy trusts who are currently using the CoA
- Academy trusts who are in the process of adopting and mapping to the CoA
- Academy trusts who are thinking of adopted the CoA in the near future
To join, select the link at the time of the session.
Q&A dial-in sessions: Academies chart of accounts and automation
We host monthly dial-in sessions in MS Teams for people to ask questions about the chart of accounts and automation.
To join, select the link at the time of the session.
- Thursday 18 April 2024 12.00pm to 12:30pm
- Tuesday 14 May 2024 11.00am to 11:30am
- Thursday 13 June 2024 11.00am to 11:30am
You can also dial into these sessions using:
- 020 3321 5238 (conference ID: 438 803 82#)
Webinar: CoA technical update 2023/24
These sessions have now finished, but there is a recorded version of the webinar. The presentation slides can also be sent out on request.
Academies CoA 2023/24 technical update
New sessions will be arranged in May/June for the academies CoA 2024/25 update.
This page includes:
- a guide for academy trusts about adopting the academies chart of accounts, which includes a summary of updates since the previous version released in May 2022
- two academies chart of accounts spreadsheets for financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24, please refer to the ‘information’ worksheet to find out more about the structure of the chart of accounts
- a spreadsheet providing guidance for each income and expenditure account code within the academies chart of accounts
- a quick start guide to automating the academies accounts return
- a user guide for automating the academies accounts return
- the draft trust financial statements statement template
Further enquiries
Chart of accounts enquiries
If you have further questions about the chart of accounts, please contact the DfE using the online enquiry form. Please put “Academies chart of accounts” at the top of your enquiry.
Automation enquiries
If you have further questions about automation, please contact us using the online enquiry form. Please put “Automation/API” at the top of your enquiry.
Last updated 16 April 2024 + show all updates
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Additional sessions have been added to 'Webinar: Introduction to the academies chart of accounts and automation' and 'Workshop: Academies chart of accounts mapping review'.
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Added content on income from insurance claims to 'Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts'.
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Dial in and webinar dates have been updated.
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We've updated the section about latest webinars. We have also updated the automation guidance for the for FMS provider status, and the CoA 2022-23 version has been updated to include the most up to date mappings to the Department for Educations financial returns.
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New dates added to the 'Webinars, workshops and Q&A sessions' section. Academies chart of accounts 2023/24 updated in amended BFR mapping column Account code guidance 2023/24 added to.
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Updated 'User guide for automating the academies accounts return and draft financial statements' New workbook added: 'Draft financial statements 2022/23
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An updated version has been added for 2023/24 'Account code guidance: acadamies chart of accounts' Updates have been made to the 'Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts'
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Updates to webinar dates and recording of Academies CoA technical update webinar added.
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Updated academies chart of accounts 2023-24 file: updated mapping to the BFR fields, see rows 208 to 223 on the change control tab for details.
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Chart of Accounts 2023/24 file updated. The 'Change control' tab updated as missing four new accounts codes included within the 'Structures and mappings' tab.
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- Academies chart of accounts 2023/24 added - Academies chart of accounts 2021/22 removed - Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts, section 4 'Updates', updated to document changes between CoA versions for 2022/23 and 2023/24 - New dates for webinars and dial in sessions
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We've added new webinar dates.
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We have: updated the dial-in sessions and webinar dates; published an updated version of the 'Draft trust financial statements' template; updated videos to add reference to 2021/22 AR form; updated the 'Guide to academies chart of accounts' section 3.10.5 to correct error '16 to 19 Bursary Fund'; updated guidance on section 5.5 'Calculated fields - opening balances' in the 'User guide for automation'; and updated guidance on section 5.6 'Calculated fields - funds' in the 'User guide for automation'.
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October and November webinar dates cancelled.
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Link to the live accounts return form has been added to the landing page.
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Updates include - updated 'Use guide for automation of the accounts return and draft financial statements; - updated 'Academies account code guidance'
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We have added webinar dates for academies chart of accounts and automation introductory presentations.
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We have updated this page with an Excel template that uses a trust’s automated data to produce draft financial statements. We have also added to the change control sheet on the 'Academies chart of accounts 22-23' file to delete one account code.
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We have updated this page with the updated academies chart of accounts (CoA) for 2022/23 and guide.
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We have updated this page with information about monthly dial-in sessions to ask questions about the DfE chart of accounts and automation.
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We have updated the guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts with new sections covering the chart of accounts structure and recharges, and an update to the guidance about Salix loans.
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We have updated this page with additional guidance for downloading automated draft financial statements. This is included within the 'Quick start guide to automating the academies accounts return and financial statements'.
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We have updated the "Quick start guide to automation" and the "Guide to automating the academies accounts return" for the 2020/21 accounts return. We have also updated the "Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts" to explain the accounting treatment for COVID-19 funding in the 2020/21 accounts return.
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We have updated the academies chart of accounts for financial year September 2021 to August 2022.
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We have updated this page adding a new information video about automating the academies accounts return.
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Sections 3.4 and 3.5 of the chart of accounts guidance has been expanded to include new guidance to help trusts with specific issues raised.
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We have updated this page to add the guide to automation for academies accounts return for 2019/20.
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We have updated the academies chart of accounts for the academic year 2020/21.
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First published.