Accountants for Schools in the UK: Guide to Specialist Companies (2026)
AC
Acumon Chartered Accountants·13 min read
Schools looking for accountancy support can choose from firms focused heavily on academy compliance, practices with independent school expertise, and larger advisers covering the wider education sector. The companies below can be compared on areas such as statutory audit, internal scrutiny, VAT, payroll, management accounts, governance and academy trust support. This is a practical selection rather than a ranking.
Acumon
Acumon is a UK firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors providing specialist accounting and external audit services to academy trusts, independent schools, colleges, training providers and other education organisations.
The firm works with education finance teams, governors and trustees to support statutory audit and financial reporting requirements under the Academy Trust Handbook, the Academies Accounts Direction and relevant charity and company law frameworks. Audit and assurance work is planned around the Department for Education (DfE) timetable, including the requirement for academy trusts to submit audited financial statements, the auditor’s management letter and the internal scrutiny annual summary by 31 December.
Acumon is an ICAEW-registered and FRC-authorised audit firm. For academy trusts this includes both the true-and-fair audit opinion and the separate regularity assurance conclusion required for public funds. The firm also supports independent schools (most of which are charitable companies and therefore subject to charity audit thresholds and the Charities SORP), further education and sixth-form colleges, Office for Students-registered higher education providers, and independent training providers.
Education organisations frequently face short reporting windows, multiple funding streams, regularity and related-party requirements, Teachers’ Pension Scheme and Local Government Pension Scheme accounting under FRS 102, and (for independent schools) VAT on private school fees introduced from January 2025. Acumon combines education-sector audit experience with integrated VAT, tax and payroll advice and delivers fieldwork on a hybrid on-site and remote basis that takes account of term-time pressures.
Education Capabilities:
Acumon provides external audit and related accounting support across a range of education structures. These include:
Academy trusts and multi-academy trusts (audited accounts, regularity assurance, management letter and internal scrutiny summary to the DfE by 31 December)
Independent schools (fee income recognition, fees in advance, bursaries, restricted funds, endowments and VAT on fees)
Further education and sixth-form colleges
Higher education providers registered with the Office for Students
Independent training providers claiming apprenticeship and adult skills funding
Support with Teachers’ Pension Scheme and LGPS (defined benefit) accounting and related actuarial evidence
These services enable the firm to support education organisations with statutory audit, regularity and financial reporting requirements while helping strengthen financial processes, governance and internal controls.
Regulatory Licences and Registrations:
Acumon holds several audit registrations that enable it to support organisations operating across multiple jurisdictions.
These include:
UK statutory audit registration
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence
Jersey audit licence
Isle of Man audit licence
Cayman Islands audit licence
British Virgin Islands audit licence
These registrations allow the firm to provide audit services to groups that include entities in both the UK and key international financial centres.
Core Services:
In addition to statutory external audit, Acumon provides a range of services that support financial reporting and governance.
These include:
Statutory external audit
Group and subsidiary audits
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audits
Charity and not-for-profit audit
Audit of international group structures
Internal audit and governance reviews
Risk management and compliance support
Audit work is often delivered alongside discussions with management and boards regarding financial reporting processes and governance frameworks.
Many organisations initially encounter statutory audit requirements as they grow and exceed the audit exemption thresholds set out in the Companies Act.
Acumon works with businesses that are:
Approaching their first statutory audit
Preparing for external investment
Expanding into international markets
Operating within corporate group structures
Early engagement with an audit firm can help ensure that financial reporting systems and documentation are aligned with statutory audit requirements.
Address: 1-2 Craven Road, Ealing, London, W5 2UA, UK
Bishop Fleming
Bishop Fleming has a dedicated education practice working with academy schools and other education providers. Its services extend beyond annual audit and accounts into internal assurance, VAT, tax, payroll, due diligence and support with financial systems. Academy conversion is another established part of the practice. Bishop Fleming states that it has helped more than 150 academies through conversion, giving the team experience with the financial and reporting changes involved when schools move away from local authority arrangements.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Multi-academy trusts and schools requiring established academy audit and advisory experience
Core services: Audit and accounts, internal audit, VAT, tax, payroll, due diligence and accounting system support
Academy experience: More than 150 academy conversions supported
Sector research: Publishes an annual academies benchmarking report
UHY Hacker Young has a substantial specialist practice covering academy, free and independent schools. The firm works with more than 500 academies and free schools across the UK, including single academy trusts and multi-academy trusts.
Its school accountancy work covers statutory audit, preparation of accounts under the Academies Accounts Direction and Charities SORP, Teachers’ Pension audits, internal scrutiny, VAT reviews, budget forecasts, governance support and bookkeeping. Schools can also use UHY for management accounts and support when setting up or changing accounting systems.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Academy trusts wanting a firm with a large existing education client base
Core services: Statutory audit, academy accounts, internal scrutiny, VAT, pensions, bookkeeping and management accounts
School coverage: Academies, free schools and independent schools
Sector scale: Works with more than 500 academies and free schools
Buzzacott’s education team supports more than 200 clients, including academy trusts, independent schools, further education colleges and higher education institutions. That gives the firm exposure to several different education funding and reporting models rather than only one part of the sector.
For schools and academy trusts, its core offering centres on audit and assurance, tax and VAT advisory work. Buzzacott also publishes annual academy trust benchmarking research, which may be useful for finance teams comparing financial performance and planning assumptions against the wider academy sector.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Academy trusts and independent schools seeking a specialist education audit and tax team
Core services: Education audit, tax and VAT advisory
Education coverage: Academy trusts, independent schools, further education and higher education
Sector experience: Supports more than 200 education clients
MHA has separate education teams covering academies, independent schools, further education and higher education. Its academy practice acts as auditor and adviser to more than 200 academy schools, while its independent schools team focuses on financial health, reporting and compliance.
For academy trusts, the firm covers audit, accounting and reporting requirements as well as internal audit, academy conversion, multi-academy trust development, employment tax, trading structures, due diligence and governance. MHA has also had technical involvement in education reporting, including work connected with earlier versions of the Academies Accounts Direction and the charity SORP framework.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Academies and independent schools needing both compliance and broader advisory services
Core services: Audit, accounting, internal audit, tax, conversion support, due diligence and governance
Academy client base: More than 200 academy schools
Education coverage: Academies, independent schools, further education and higher education
Crowe UK works with both single and multi-academy trusts and also maintains a specialist independent schools practice. Its academy services cover audit and assurance, VAT and tax, bookkeeping and management accounts, Teachers’ Pension Scheme and grant audits, internal audit, governance and due diligence.
This breadth can suit trusts that need support throughout the year rather than only for the statutory year-end audit. Crowe also provides benchmarking and regulatory updates for academy finance teams and maintains specialist advice around the financial and reporting issues affecting independent schools.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Academy trusts needing audit, accounting, tax and governance support across several areas
Core services: Audit, VAT and tax, bookkeeping, management accounts, internal audit, governance and due diligence
Education coverage: Single academy trusts, MATs and independent schools
Delivery options: Audit work can be carried out on-site or remotely
Moore UK provides accounting and advisory services to more than 300 education organisations across the country. Its client base includes independent schools, academies, multi-academy trusts, Oxford colleges and other education groups.
The education practice combines statutory audit and accounting with tax, pensions and outsourced finance support. Moore also advises schools and trusts during academy conversion and on financial controls, governance and reporting. Its wider education team brings in specialists from areas such as corporate finance, digital transformation and data protection when these issues become part of a school’s financial or operational plans.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Education groups looking for access to accounting and wider professional advisory services
Core services: Audit, accounting, tax, pensions, outsourced finance and academy advisory
Education coverage: Independent schools, academies, MATs and other education institutions
Sector scale: Advises more than 300 education organisations across the UK
RSM UK provides specialist regulation, assurance and consultancy services across the education sector. Its academy team has sector experience and works with academy trusts across the country, including large multi-academy trusts.
The education practice also covers charitable independent schools, further education and higher education. RSM combines audit and assurance work with regulatory and advisory support, and members of its education team include professionals with practical agency, regulatory and school governor experience. The firm also works with the Department for Education and Education and Skills Funding Agency on sector matters.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Larger academy trusts and education organisations with substantial audit and regulatory requirements
Core services: Audit, assurance, education regulation, tax and consultancy
Education coverage: Academies, independent schools, further education and higher education
Academy experience: More than 28 years in the sector
Kreston Reeves has a specialist academies and education team whose work includes academy trusts, schools, free schools and other educational institutions. Its advisers include people with direct experience as governors and charity trustees, adding a practical governance perspective to the firm’s accounting work.
Services include accountancy, internal and external audit, academy conversion support, VAT and tax advice, fundraising and financial controls. The practice also supports trusts as they expand, including the financial and reporting questions that arise when schools join a MAT.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Academies, free schools and growing trusts needing audit and ongoing advisory support
Core services: Accountancy, internal and external audit, VAT, tax, conversion and financial controls
Education coverage: Academies, schools, free schools and other educational institutions
Additional focus: Governance and academy trust development
Contact Information:
Website: www.krestonreeves.com
Phone: +44 (0)330 124 1399
Address: 2nd Floor, 168 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6RA
Twitter: x.com/KrestonReeves
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/kreston-reeves
BHP
BHP has a dedicated academies team covering both annual compliance and wider financial support. Its work includes annual accounts, external and regularity audits, Accounts Returns, Teachers’ Pension Scheme audits, grant certifications and reviews against the Academy Trust Handbook.
The firm has a separate internal audit service for trusts where it is not acting as external auditor. It also advises on academy conversion, MAT structures, accounting systems, employment and corporation tax, due diligence and management information. This makes the practice particularly focused on the operational requirements faced by academy finance teams and trustees.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Academy trusts wanting a dedicated sector team for compliance and finance improvement
Core services: Accounts, external audit, regularity audit, internal audit, pensions, tax and due diligence
Specialization: Academies and multi-academy trusts
Additional support: Governance, accounting systems, management information and trustee training
Address: 1st Floor, Mayesbrook House, Lawnswood Business Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 6QY
Phone: 0113 274 3496
James Cowper Kreston
James Cowper Kreston maintains a dedicated education team for academies and multi-academy trusts. Its approach is not limited to the autumn audit period, with the firm providing ongoing contact on developing financial and regulatory issues throughout the year.
The service range includes audit and accounts, accounting software changes, academy conversion, employment and corporation tax, governance, internal assurance and scrutiny, Teachers’ Pension Scheme work and VAT compliance. Internal assurance programmes can also cover budgeting, procurement, payroll, risk management and other control areas selected by the trust and its audit committee.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Academies and MATs seeking ongoing support outside the annual audit timetable
Core services: Audit and accounts, internal scrutiny, tax, VAT, pensions and governance
Additional services: Academy conversion and accounting software support
Sector team: Dedicated education specialists within the firm
HaysMac has a particularly strong focus on independent schools while also working with multi-academy trusts, universities, colleges and national education bodies. The firm advises more than 100 independent schools.
Its education work combines audit and accounting with tax, VAT, financial modelling, due diligence and wider advisory support. Recent school publications have also covered the VAT regime for independent school fees, accounting changes and governance issues. This makes HaysMac particularly relevant to independent schools managing both charity accounting requirements and the financial effects of recent tax changes.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Independent schools with audit, accounting, VAT and strategic finance requirements
Core services: Audit, accounting, tax, VAT, financial modelling and advisory
Education coverage: Independent schools, MATs, colleges, universities and education bodies
Independent school experience: Advises more than 100 independent schools
Streets provides accountancy, audit and business advice specifically for schools, academies, MATs, free schools and independent institutions. Its school accounting services cover both statutory compliance and the regular financial information needed by leadership teams and governors.
The team handles external audit, Teachers’ Pension Scheme audits, DfE reporting, statutory accounts, management accounts, cash flow forecasting, payroll and pensions. It also advises on VAT and partial exemption for independent schools, academy conversion, governance, budgeting and financial due diligence when trusts are growing or taking on additional schools.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Individual schools and MATs wanting practical accounting and DfE compliance support
Albert Goodman’s academies and education team works with academies and multi-academy trusts across the South West. The firm’s specialists advise school senior management, trustees, business managers and finance teams on accounting, audit, tax, governance and compliance.
Its service list includes statutory accounts, year-end audit, internal audit, Teachers’ Pension Scheme audit, ESFA returns, management accounts, budgeting and forecasting. Schools can also use Albert Goodman for academy conversion, payroll, due diligence, financial controls and governor training. The firm’s regional focus may suit schools and trusts that prefer advisers with an established presence across the South West.
Address: Goodwood House, Blackbrook Park Avenue, Taunton TA1 2PX
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlbertGoodmanLLP
Twitter: x.com/AG_LLP
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/albertgoodman
Instagram: www.instagram.com/albert_goodman
Conclusion
Accountancy needs differ considerably between an academy trust and an independent school. Academy-focused firms tend to place more emphasis on the Academies Accounts Direction, regularity, ESFA reporting, internal scrutiny and Teachers’ Pension Scheme requirements. Independent schools may place more weight on charity accounting, VAT, tax planning, trading activities and longer-term financial modelling.
The right choice therefore depends on the school’s structure and the work it wants to outsource. Some organisations may only need a specialist external auditor, while others will benefit from a provider that can also handle management accounts, payroll, VAT, internal scrutiny or finance advisory work throughout the year.
AC
Written by the Acumon team
Acumon is an ICAEW-registered firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors
based in London, with offices in Pitstone, Aylesbury and Bournemouth. Need advice on
anything covered here? Talk to us.
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