September is here, and with a new term comes a fresh wave of financial deadlines, planning cycles and compliance requirements to get on top of. We've pulled together some useful resources, an important update and a bit of inspiration to help you start the year with confidence.
DfE Academies Accounts Return automation - what you need to know
The Department for Education has paused the Academies Accounts Return (AAR) automation with immediate effect while it considers alternative options. This is a DfE decision that affects all finance system suppliers - it is not specific to Access Education.
For the 2025/26 Accounts Return, this means:
There will be no pre-population of the Accounts Return
There will be no pre-population of the Draft Trust Financial Statements template
There will be no pre-population of 2025/26 Budget Forecast Return (BFR) data
The 2025/26 Accounts Return data collection form will not be available until early November 2026
All academy trusts will need to complete the 2025/26 return manually once the DfE data collection form goes live. The academies chart of accounts itself is unaffected - you should continue using it, as it still supports alignment with DfE returns.
We'll keep you updated as further information becomes available from the DfE. In the meantime, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to get in touch with our support team.
School Financial Year End Hub - everything in one place
Whether you're preparing for month-end, year-end or an upcoming audit, our School Financial Year End Hub has everything you need. From step-by-step guides and handy checklists to on-demand webinars, it's all been put together with finance officers, SBMs and academy trust managers in mind.
Resources are available for all schools and establishments, with dedicated content for MATs and academies too.
Upcoming Workshops: Build Confidence for the Year Ahead
Whether you're onboarding new starters or sharpening your own skills, our hands-on workshops are designed to help you get the most out of Access Education Budgets and Finance. Sessions coming up this September.
Finance
Back to Basics / New Starters
Chart of accounts, drill down, purchase & sales ledger transactions, journals, month close down and reporting.
š Tuesday 15 September 2026
10:00am ā 1:00pm Ā· 3 hours
Budgets
Back to Basics / New Starters
Scenario planning, creating and locking scenarios, settings, data settings, budget planning and reporting.
š Wednesday 16 September 2026
10:00am ā 12:00pm Ā· 2 hours
Ā£150 + VAT / 100 FlexPoints per person, per event. To register or find out more, contact the Customer Success Team.
A trusted partnership driving financial confidence
Our Lady & All Saints Catholic Multi-Academy Company - a 14-school trust - has used Access Education Finance & Budgets since day one. CFO Dawn Price shares how the combination of intuitive tools, central efficiencies and a dedicated customer success partnership has given her team confidence and control across the whole trust.
"It's not just the software ā it's the people and the network around it."
ā Dawn Price, Chief Finance Officer
Missed the Access Evo launch?
What an incredible launch! More than 1,000 people joined us live to discover the launch of Access Evo for Education, and now you can experience it on demand.
Missed the event? Or want to revisit the highlights? Catch up on the full session whenever it suits you and discover how Access Evo is set to transform the way schools, academies and trusts work, bringing powerful agentic AI into education.
Watch the on-demand event and see what's possible with Access Evo.