Guidance

Academy trust finance automation: getting started

Updated 1 May 2024

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-finance-automation-information-for-software-suppliers/academy-trust-finance-automation-getting-started

1. Introduction

This page provides quick links for Financial Managements Systems (FMS) software suppliers with information needed to integrate their software with the DfE’s financial data collection forms.

Detailed information about the academies chart of accounts (CoA) can also be found here.

2. Academy trust finance automation: guide to software integration

This guide provides FMS software suppliers the information they need to register their software and prepare for their integration with the automation API. It is intended for use by business analysts, technical architects and software developers.

3. Developer hub

The developer hub is a self-service portal to register your software product and subscribe to the submission API. A supplier can register the application, generate the client credentials and the subscription keys for the API.

4. Test environments

You can read full details about test environments on the developer hub.

  • The supplier test environment is used by software suppliers to test their use of the API. Live data must NOT be used within this environment. This environment is available all year round.

  • The user acceptance testing (UAT) environment is used by software suppliers during the user acceptance testing phase of the API. Live data must NOT be used within this environment. This environment is available from June to February each year.

5. Academies chart of accounts (CoA)

5.1 CoA versions

The CoA version defines the accounts codes being used for the financial year. The version format has three digits (for example: 2.0.0).

Submissions via the API must include a “CoA version”. Format requirements and validation requirements are detailed in the developer hub notes.

CoA is published each spring on GOV.UK. Two versions are available concurrently for trusts:

  1. The ‘latest’ CoA version is released in the spring in advance of the next financial year. This provides trusts with an up-to-date CoA version for their budget planning and FMS suppliers should ensure updates are enabled clients general ledger.

  2. The ‘previous’ CoA version: this will be used for the remainder of the current financial year, even though there will be some overlap with the latest CoA version. It will also be used for the accounts return (AR) collection for the same financial year.

CoA ‘hybrid’ versions (updated for FMS supplier systems only)

The CoA version for the relevant financial year is updated for mapping changes required in the AR collection for the same period. No changes will be made to the account codes themselves.

Two updates will be released during the year leading up to the next AR collection period to FMS suppliers only. We will publish links on this page.

5.2 CoA version change logic

The CoA version can change depending on the changes made to the CoA for the financial year. We will avoid major changes whenever possible and communicate these separately if required.

Revision CoA change
Major (1st digit) - CoA code change
Minor (2nd digit) - Mapping change
- Signage adjustment change
- Rounding account change
- Description changes or reformatting
Maintenance – internal updates only (3rd digit) - Description changes or reformatting

5.3 CoA timeline and impacts

The table below shows the timings for CoA releases based on accounts return collection for 2022/23.

Time Activity
May Publish CoA for the upcoming academic year
September Trusts use this CoA in the FMS
March CoA is loaded into database for next accounts return (AR) so FMS can start testing
August CoA in database updated again for any mapping changes identified since March
Nov to Jan AR collection window - no CoA changes

6. Communicating CoA changes

We will publish changes to CoA for the next academy trust year (ie, the ‘latest’ version) on the Academies chart of accounts and automating the accounts return in:

  • the ‘Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts’ updates section
  • the ‘Academies chart of accounts’ change control tab

FMS suppliers must refer to CoA updates and take the following action so trusts can update their systems for the financial year ahead:

  • where a trust has adopted the CoA within the general ledger (natively), ensure they have the ability to apply any required changes into their general ledger
  • where a trust is mapping its own CoA to the DfE CoA via the FMS supplier’s software, suppliers must also communicate changes to their trusts to ensure they have the equivalent change made in their own CoA and the mapping is created to the DfE’s CoA

We will release the ‘hybrid’ versions of the CoA on the Information for software suppliers page in line with the timelines stated above. We will notify suppliers directly when we release updates.

7. Enquiries

If you have any questions, please email DfE’s finance automation team.

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