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Statement of accounting policies: model and example

Download our model statement of accounting policies and adapt it to suit your context. Plus, find guidance on preparing for the new Charities SORP for your 2026-27 accounts.

Updated
on 18 September 2026See updates
Ref: 41581
Statutory/mandatory for:
Academies
Free schools
Contents
  1. Who's this for?
  2. Download our model statement of accounting policies
  3. See the DfE's model set of accounts
  4. Prepare for the Charities SORP 2026 for your 2026-27 accounts

Who's this for?

All academy trusts are required to have accounting policies. This includes preparing an annual report and accounts in line with the Charity Commission’s Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), and the DfE's Academies Accounts Direction (AAD) (see paragraph 4.1 of the Academy Trust Handbook). 

You must: 

  • Select accounting policies that comply with Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) 102 and the Charities SORP
  • Set out these policies in the notes to your accounts 

This is explained in paragraphs 3.28 and 3.52 of the Charities SORP 2026. 

In a multi-academy trust (MAT), the trust should set accounting policies centrally and make sure these are being applied consistently across all its academies. If you're a school leader in a MAT, you can still use our model to get a sense of what your trust's document might look like. 

If you're a maintained school, you're not required to have accounting policies.

Model policy: statement of accounting policies DOCX,