Financial transparency of LA maintained schools and academy trusts

This consultation outlines the current financial transparency arrangements for academy trusts and local authority maintained schools and considers possible changes.

Both types of school are currently funded through specific grants:

• the dedicated schools grant for maintained schools
• the general annual grant for academy trusts

Current financial transparency arrangements are different and provide different levels of assurance.

The Department for Education is exploring ways to improve transparency in the financial health of local authority maintained schools. For example, measures currently used in the academy trust sector could be adapted for local authority maintained schools.