Board effectiveness
Review board and committee structure, skills, delegation and reporting.
EDUCATION CONSULTANCY / GOVERNANCE
Confident governance starts with clear accountability.
Strengthen board oversight, assurance mapping and evidence-led decisions.
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MAT Governance, Risk & Compliance
Trustees, chairs, governance professionals and accounting officers. We focus on practical advice, clear accountability and proportionate assurance.
Risk and assurance
Connect the strategic risk register to internal scrutiny, external audit and improvement tracking.
Policy and evidence
Review declarations of interest, safeguarding oversight, decision records and statutory publication duties.
DfE standards & assurance
Requirements, audits and useful reviews
A required statutory audit or inspection is different from a recommended management review. Applicability depends on the trust, buildings, systems and activity. The 2026 Academy Trust Handbook is effective from 1 October 2026.
Required assurance
Academy Trust Handbook internal scrutiny programme, audit and risk committee, external audit and annual accounts obligations.
Governance review
Review compliance with articles, funding agreement and relevant DfE governance requirements; a standalone external governance audit is not universally mandated.
Recommended consultancy review
Board effectiveness diagnostic, assurance map, policy gap analysis and action tracker.
Official guidance
How an engagement works
01 · Discover
Understand the trust structure, objectives, current assurance and key constraints.
02 · Review
Examine documents, interviews, data and evidence against the agreed scope.
03 · Improve
Present a prioritised action plan, ownership, timescales and optional implementation support.
Frequently asked questions: MAT governance, risk and compliance
Practical answers for academy trust leaders. Check current DfE guidance and obtain professional advice for trust-specific decisions.
What is the Academy Trust Handbook?
It sets out requirements and expectations for academy trust financial management and governance. Trusts should use the edition currently in force.
Does every MAT need an audit and risk committee?
Academy trusts must meet the Handbook requirements for audit and risk oversight. Committee arrangements should be checked against the current rules and trust structure.
What does a board effectiveness review examine?
Skills, challenge, information quality, delegation, meeting practice, committee structure, conflicts of interest and action follow-through.
Is an external governance review always mandatory?
No. A standalone external governance review is not universally required; it may be commissioned to strengthen assurance or respond to specific circumstances.
How should trustees manage conflicts of interest?
Maintain declarations, identify conflicts for each decision, follow the trust’s policies and record appropriate exclusions and approvals.
What is a scheme of delegation?
It documents which decisions are reserved to members, trustees, committees, executives and school leaders, supporting clear accountability.
What belongs in a strategic risk register?
Material risks, causes, impacts, controls, owners, residual ratings, planned actions and reporting arrangements.
How should the board oversee safeguarding?
Through clear accountability, appropriate policies, assurance reporting, training and escalation consistent with current safeguarding guidance.
What is the difference between internal scrutiny and external audit?
Internal scrutiny is risk-based assurance over controls during the year; external audit is a separate independent annual financial assurance process.
How often should governance policies be reviewed?
Review frequency should reflect statutory requirements, policy risk, organisational change and relevant guidance updates.
What evidence supports effective governance?
Accurate minutes, decision records, risk reporting, policy approvals, challenge, action tracking and timely management information.
What would a governance diagnostic deliver?
An evidence-based gap analysis, prioritised recommendations, ownership and a board-level improvement plan.