Guidance

Academies chart of accounts and automating the accounts return

Financial data structure and guide for automating academy trust financial returns.

From:
Education and Skills Funding Agency
Published
14 May 2019
Last updated
2721 JulyNovember 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

GuideUser toguide adoptingfor automating the academies chartaccounts ofreturn accountsand draft financial statements

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AcademiesDraft charttrust offinancial accountsstatements 2023-242022/23

MS Excel SpreadsheetODS, 589206 KB

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Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts

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Academies chart of accounts 2022-232023-24

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 15.4593 MBKB

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Academies chart of accounts:accounts account code guidance 2023/242022-23

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 5.4426.9 MB

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User guide for automating the academies accounts return and draft financial statements

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DraftAcademies trustchart financialof statementsaccounts: 2021/22account code guidance 2023/24

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Quick start guide

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Details

Academies accounts return - for trusts using automation

The Academiesacademies accounts return (AR) 2021/222022/23 is now inopen read-onlyfor mode.trusts Theto:

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  • complete 2023their AR, withthe a submission deadline offor AR submission Tuesdayis 30 January 2024.

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Introduction to the chart of accounts

The academies chart of accounts (CoA) is the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) standard for financial data that underpins the academies accounts return and budget forecast returns.

Introduction to automation

Using the academies CoA, the department has developed automation technology to help reduce the burden of submitting your financial information. This technology enables you to electronically submit your trial balance data directly from your financial management software (FMS) to the department, where it will then be used to pre-populate up to 80% of your accounts return (AR).

Thinking about upgrading your financial management system so you can use automation? Please review the information on our web page ‘Choosing a trust’s financial management system’.

Introduction to the draft trust financial statements

Trusts who send automated data to populate the accounts return, maycan also now use this data to produce an auto-populated draft trust financial statementsstatements. for the trust. The template is nowalso available to view on this page and trustscan willbe ableused tofor populatemanual it, using the automation functionality, from early September.population.

For more information, please clickview the followingUser link to the Quick start guide tofor automating the academies accounts return and draft financial statements for(section more information.6).

Webinars, Workshops and Q&A sessions:

Webinar:NEW IntroductionBitesize: toAR theautomation academiesdemo’ chart/ of accounts and automationQ&A

PleaseFor jointhe ourfirst webinarstime forthis anyear introductionwe towill thebe chartrunning a series of accounts30 minutes andsession automationto support trusts wishing to seeuse howthe itautomation couldfunctionality benefitto yourcomplete trust.the AR 2022/23.

To join, select the link at the time of the session.

You can also dial into these sessions using:

  • 020 3321 5238 (conference ID: 191216 510941 554#)936#)

WeThese sessions will beonly deliveringshow athe Powerautomated Hourprocess onwithin Fridaythe 15DfE’s SeptemberAR 2023form, 10.00am.it There will benot ashow focustrusts onhow usingto theprepare automationdata functionalityin foryour completefinancial themanagement accountssystem return(FMS). 2022/23.

AWe webinarwill isaim availableto belowrun whichpartnership introducessessions with FMS suppliers to show the academiesend chartto ofend accountprocess and automationyou ofmay thereceive accountsinvites return.

Academiesdirectly chartfrom ofyou accountsoftware andprovider automationto webinar.attend these sessions.

Workshop: Academies chart of accounts mapping review

This workshop is intended to promote best practice of using CoA account codes to maximise efficiency and provide quality data. The session is aimed at:

  • Academy trusts who are currently using the CoA
  • Academy trusts who are in the process of adopting and mapping to the CoA
  • Academy trusts who are thinking of adopted the CoA in the near future

To join, select the link at the time of the session.

YouWe canwill alsomore dialdates intoin thesethe sessionsnew using:year after the AR deadline.

Webinar: Introduction to the academies chart of accounts and automation

Please join our webinars for an introduction to the chart of accounts and automation to see how it could benefit your trust.

To join, select the link at the time of the session.

  • 020Further 3321dates 5238to (conferencebe ID:released 952after 701the 97#)AR deadline in February.

Please view our latest DfE Power Hour session delivered in September 2023 which shows the benefits of adopting the academies chart of accounts and automation.

Q&A dial-in sessions: Academies chart of accounts and automation

We host monthly dial-in sessions in MS Teams for people to ask questions about the chart of accounts and automation.

To join, select the link at the time of the session.

You can also dial into these sessions using:

  • 020 3321 5238 (conference ID: 332438 127803 134#)82#)

Webinar: CoA technical update 2023/24

These sessions have now finished, but there is a recorded version of the webinar, The presentation slides can also be sent out on request.

Academies CoA 2023/24 technical update

This page includes:

  • a guide for academy trusts about adopting the academies chart of accounts, which includes a summary of updates since the previous version released in May 2022
  • two academies chart of accounts spreadsheets for financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24, please refer to the ‘information’ worksheet to find out more about the structure of the chart of accounts
  • a spreadsheet providing guidance for each income and expenditure account code within the academies chart of accounts
  • a quick start guide to automating the academies accounts return
  • a user guide for automating the academies accounts return
  • the draft trust financial statements statement template

Further enquiries

Chart of accounts enquiries

If you have further questions about the chart of accounts, please contact the DfE using the online enquiry form. Please put “Academies chart of accounts” at the top of your enquiry.

Automation enquiries

If you have further questions about automation, please contact us using the online enquiry form. Please put “Automation/API” at the top of your enquiry.

Published 14 May 2019
Last updated 2721 JulyNovember 2023 + show all updates

  1. We've updated the section about latest webinars. We have also updated the automation guidance for the for FMS provider status, and the CoA 2022-23 version has been updated to include the most up to date mappings to the Department for Educations financial returns.

  2. New dates added to the 'Webinars, workshops and Q&A sessions' section. Academies chart of accounts 2023/24 updated in amended BFR mapping column Account code guidance 2023/24 added to.

  3. Updated 'User guide for automating the academies accounts return and draft financial statements' New workbook added: 'Draft financial statements 2022/23

  4. An updated version has been added for 2023/24 'Account code guidance: acadamies chart of accounts' Updates have been made to the 'Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts'

  5. Updates to webinar dates and recording of Academies CoA technical update webinar added.

  6. Updated academies chart of accounts 2023-24 file: updated mapping to the BFR fields, see rows 208 to 223 on the change control tab for details.

  7. Chart of Accounts 2023/24 file updated. The 'Change control' tab updated as missing four new accounts codes included within the 'Structures and mappings' tab.

  8. - Academies chart of accounts 2023/24 added - Academies chart of accounts 2021/22 removed - Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts, section 4 'Updates', updated to document changes between CoA versions for 2022/23 and 2023/24 - New dates for webinars and dial in sessions

  9. We've added new webinar dates.

  10. We have: updated the dial-in sessions and webinar dates; published an updated version of the 'Draft trust financial statements' template; updated videos to add reference to 2021/22 AR form; updated the 'Guide to academies chart of accounts' section 3.10.5 to correct error '16 to 19 Bursary Fund'; updated guidance on section 5.5 'Calculated fields - opening balances' in the 'User guide for automation'; and updated guidance on section 5.6 'Calculated fields - funds' in the 'User guide for automation'.

  11. October and November webinar dates cancelled.

  12. Link to the live accounts return form has been added to the landing page.

  13. Updates include - updated 'Use guide for automation of the accounts return and draft financial statements; - updated 'Academies account code guidance'

  14. We have added webinar dates for academies chart of accounts and automation introductory presentations.

  15. We have updated this page with an Excel template that uses a trust’s automated data to produce draft financial statements. We have also added to the change control sheet on the 'Academies chart of accounts 22-23' file to delete one account code.

  16. We have updated this page with the updated academies chart of accounts (CoA) for 2022/23 and guide.

  17. We have updated this page with information about monthly dial-in sessions to ask questions about the DfE chart of accounts and automation.

  18. We have updated the guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts with new sections covering the chart of accounts structure and recharges, and an update to the guidance about Salix loans.

  19. We have updated this page with additional guidance for downloading automated draft financial statements. This is included within the 'Quick start guide to automating the academies accounts return and financial statements'.

  20. We have updated the "Quick start guide to automation" and the "Guide to automating the academies accounts return" for the 2020/21 accounts return. We have also updated the "Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts" to explain the accounting treatment for COVID-19 funding in the 2020/21 accounts return.

  21. We have updated the academies chart of accounts for financial year September 2021 to August 2022.

  22. We have updated this page adding a new information video about automating the academies accounts return.

  23. Sections 3.4 and 3.5 of the chart of accounts guidance has been expanded to include new guidance to help trusts with specific issues raised.

  24. We have updated this page to add the guide to automation for academies accounts return for 2019/20.

  25. We have updated the academies chart of accounts for the academic year 2020/21.