Education finance is changing fast. For MAT finance leaders, every day is a balancing act. You are responsible for accurate forecasting, managing staffing costs, responding to policy changes, and ensuring each school in your trust operates effectively, all while keeping an eye on the bigger strategic picture.
Rising costs, shifting pupil numbers, and increasing scrutiny from boards and regulators make this job more complex than ever. Decisions must be both confident and timely, because they directly affect the children your trust serves.
This is why so many finance leaders are asking for more from the tools they rely on every day. They need systems that give clarity, confidence, and control, not just more data to process.
The challenges are growing and becoming more complex
The pressures on Multi-Academy Trusts aren’t small. Finance leaders are juggling:
- Uncertain pupil forecasts
- Evolving policy and funding requirements
- Rising support staff and operational costs
- The complexity of consolidating multiple schools into a single, cohesive financial plan
Yet many MATs are still relying on systems that were never designed for multi-academy structures. Data sits in different places, updates come from multiple people, and consolidation often feels like a puzzle with missing pieces.
This isn’t just frustrating, it takes time away from what CFOs truly need to do: making strategic, trust-wide decisions with the full picture in front of them. And when that picture is unclear, the pressure only increases.
MAT finance leaders expect more, and they’re right to
Finance leaders in education are analytical, data-driven, and purpose-led. They care about the children behind the numbers and the futures those numbers support.
That combination of precision and purpose is powerful, and deserves to be supported by the right systems.
When you’re responsible for the financial health of ten, twenty, or thirty academies, you should expect:
- A clear, trust-wide view that isn’t stitched together
- Confidence that assumptions are aligned across all schools
- The ability to plan and model long-term decisions without second-guessing the data feeding into them
This is what we mean by The MAT Standard: clarity, confidence, and control as the baseline, not the exception.
Real-world results: How the SBS Financial Planner delivers
Recent feedback from MAT finance teams highlights the tangible benefits of modern, purpose-built financial planning tools:
- 56% report scenario planning is easier
- 49% have reduced time spent on data input or reconciliation
- 37% see better visibility for trust leaders
- 30% feel more confident in budget decisions
One trust putting these benefits into practice is Drapers’ MAT, based near Romford. As the trust expanded, spreadsheets and legacy systems struggled to keep up. CFO Phil Norman recalls:
“Our old system didn’t allow for easy reporting, wasn’t insightful, and it wasn’t intuitive.”
In 2024, Drapers’ MAT migrated to the SBS Financial Planner, and the impact was immediate:
- Full visibility across all schools
- Real-time staffing and pay award modelling
- Reliable forecasts and seamless school-to-trust workflows
Norman explains:
“It’s so much more intuitive and helps us to be more efficient – we can drill into data, run insightful reports, and it saves a lot of time. The planner’s accuracy and automation give us the confidence we need to make financial decisions.”
With ongoing support from SBS, Drapers’ leadership team now focuses more on strategic planning and educational outcomes than reconciling spreadsheets. As Norman concludes:
“SBS FP is perfect for growing trusts. It’s scalable, easy to use, and offers the kind of insights you need to lead effectively.”
The MAT Standard in practice: clarity, confidence, control
The financial environment for MATs will always present challenges. Pupil numbers fluctuate, staff costs rise, and funding pressures persist. But with the right tools, CFOs can move from reacting to shaping the future with confidence.
The MAT Standard isn’t about more features or more admin. It’s about giving finance leaders:
- Clarity to see the full picture across their trust
- Confidence that their data is accurate and aligned
- Control to make informed, strategic decisions in real time
When these elements are in place, trusts don’t just balance budgets, they make decisions that positively impact the children they serve.
Why finance leaders choose SBS Financial Planner
SBS Financial Planner was built for MATs, by people who understand the pressures of multi-academy finance. It streamlines processes, and eliminates the inconsistencies that slow budget cycles down. Leaders repeatedly report:
“For the first time, we’re planning ahead instead of just keeping up.”
That’s the essence of The MAT Standard: giving finance leaders the tools they need to lead effectively, with insight and agility, across the entire trust.
The MAT Standard. For finance leaders who expect more.
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