Trustees must appoint an accounting officer
- They should be an employee of your trust
- They should be a senior executive leader:
- In single academy trusts this should be the principal
- In multi-academy trusts (MATs) it should be the chief executive or equivalent
- They must be a fit and suitable person for the role
- The roles of senior executive leader and accounting officer must not rotate
- The roles of accounting officer and chief financial officer should not be occupied by the same person
- Your trust must get prior approval from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) if, in exceptional circumstances, it wants to appoint an accounting officer who isn't a trust employee
This is outlined in paragraphs 1.28 and 1.29 of the Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) 2024.
Main responsibilities
Summary
- This role is all about financial accountability and keeping proper financial records
- The accounting officer primarily plays a leadership role
Responsibilities
Be personally responsible to Parliament, and to the ESFA's accounting officer, for the financial resources under
