Clunky and dated platforms can prompt a cycle of financial inefficiency for MATs. Instead, Empower needed a solution it could genuinely trust to improve its budgeting planning – so it turned to Anago.

Budgeting for a large vocational college is no small feat, especially when spreadsheets start showing their limits. ROC van Twente knew there had to be a smarter way. With Anago, they have turned complexity into clarity and reclaimed time for what really matters: strategic thinking and student success.

Change is sometimes the only constant for academy trusts in England. Increasingly, we're finding that spreadsheet-led budgeting is no longer cutting it for many schools and trusts across the country. So, with this in mind, we've shared four realistic, low-disruption actions that finance leaders can take this term to move beyond spreadsheets – improving control, reducing risk and building confidence with trustees and schools.

In this blog, we harness insights from Anago's CEO, Ninette van der Velden, as a base to explore MAT maturity: what it takes to move from slow and steady to strategic authority – and how the right tools and support can unlock a maturity shift that is felt all the way to the classroom.

While facing higher expectations from stakeholders, academy trust leaders also find themselves dealing with higher utilities, transport and support costs. It's a unique situation - and a challenging one, too. With income generation becoming increasingly important to academy trust budgets, here are some key talking points to consider during strategic discussions.