Myth busting
Information for TrustsThis article sits within the Information for Trusts section- Trusts don’t need to use all the account codes
- Trusts can add their own account codes
- The DfE doesn't dictate cost centre codes – but should allocate costs at academy and central services level (if applicable to maximise efficiency when using automation)
- Trusts can adopt the ACoA without using automation
- The ACoA is currently not mandatory – although DfE are EXPECTING trusts to adopt
- 80% of known FMS providers have/or are in the process of developing the functionality so that trusts can adopt the ACoA and take advantage of automation
- FMS providers are charging variable rates and offering different services, along with new suppliers coming into the market – the DfE cannot advise you on which provider to choose, we have created an FMS comparison matrix to aid you with making this decision.
- We’re a Single Academy Trust (SAT), automation isn’t worth it for us: While it is true that the larger the trust, the more benefit there is to automation, due to academy level data being completed, there is still merit to a SAT automating their Accounts Return. You can expect to see around half of the input fields automated and some more being pre-populated.
- We’re a school with a therapy contract with the NHS and employ therapists, so the ACoA isn’t flexible enough for us: The ACoA does cater for situations like this by allowing the user to use the 6th digit as additional local account codes (1-9s). But we would also recommend considering using a sperate cost centre rather than setting up lots of additional local account codes.
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