Budgeting With Purpose: Why MATs Need More Than Just a Spreadsheet

In today’s education landscape, the role of a Multi-Academy Trust Finance Leader goes far beyond spreadsheets and cost control. 

As centralisation increases, financial scrutiny intensifies, and long-term strategy becomes non-negotiable, MATs are demanding more from their budgeting processes and their budgeting tools. 

In short: it’s time to move from spreadsheets to strategy. That starts with budgeting with purpose. 

Transformation in Trust Finance

Over the past 18 months, MATs have entered a new phase of development. It’s no longer about short-term fixes or individual school-level decision-making. Instead, it’s about long-term and data-informed planning at Trust scale. Budgeting has become a strategic act. 

Central finance teams are expected to: 

• Create long-range financial models that support sustainable growth 

• Respond to DfE policy changes and staffing pressures in real-time 

• Navigate internal scrutiny and SRM requirements with confidence 

• Align spending with the Trust’s mission and values 

Trusts are increasingly looking for partnerships that extend beyond the contract, offering added support and a genuine sense of shared purpose. 

Designed with MATs, For MATs

When developing SBS Financial Planner, we didn’t just build another piece of software. We partnered with a representative Focus Group of MAT CFOs, Finance Directors, and School Business Leaders, representing 100 academies and 69 maintained schools across the country. More than half of those academies were from large Trusts of 20+ schools, ensuring the tool could scale effectively for bigger organisations as well as support smaller, growing Trusts. 

The Focus Group told us what mattered most. Their Top 5 needs are now at the core of SBS Financial Planner: 

1. Central control over chart of accounts and assumptions
2. Fast consolidation across schools and cost centres 
3. Slick financial modelling and ‘what if?’ scenarios
4. Ease of use with a modern interface
5. Performance, speed, and efficiency 

By listening to MAT leaders directly, we’ve ensured that SBS Financial Planner is not just relevant - it’s essential. 

A Partnership Beyond Software

SBS Financial Planner is more than a tool; it’s a strategic partnership. Every Trust we work with benefits from hands-on, unlimited support from our expert consultants who are professionals that understand both the financial and educational context. 

That means you’re never left alone to ‘figure it out’. Instead, you gain a team of partners who can help with training, scenario modelling, report preparation, and long-term financial planning. This partnership ethos is what sets us apart: we succeed when you succeed. 

Values, Purpose, and Impact

MATs today are not just data-driven — they’re values-driven. That means any financial tool must do more than crunch numbers. It must reflect your public service ethos. 

At SBS, we take that seriously. SBS Financial Planner is: 

• Aligned with your mission: helping you link every pound to pupil outcomes 

• Reliable: ensuring consistent and accurate reporting 

• Ethical: developed on responsible tech principles 

• Sustainable: reducing unnecessary resource use by cutting time spent on repetitive processes, removing printing dependencies, and streamlining workflows 

• Reinvested: backed by a team that gives back to the sector through mentoring, free policy briefings, and professional development 

We believe public money should deliver public value. And that your budgeting tools should help you prove it both financially and socially. 

Stronger Strategies, Stronger Trusts

We’ve seen first-hand what happens when MATs move from disconnected spreadsheets to strategic, values-aligned planning. Time is saved. Confidence increases. And most importantly, every financial decision is better aligned with the outcomes that matter most: children’s learning. 

SBS Financial Planner is ready to support that journey with you, not just for you. 

So, if you’re ready to leave reactive budgeting behind and move towards purposeful planning, let’s build something better, together. 

Ready to move beyond spreadsheets? Book a demo of SBS Financial Planner now. 

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