Year-end accounts preparation support and preparation for external audit.

Drawing on eleven years of background in audit and assurance delivery to academy trusts, Thoroughfare offers the following services for the sector:

• Creation of academy trust accounts in the format required by the ESFA’s Academies Accounts Direction from trial balance. A clear, logical spreadsheet mechanism with all the required statements and disclosure notes populated from core data in the trial balance, with adjustments shown separately with explanation. Ownership over all year-end adjustments required for producing the final accounts — the annual LGPS liability journal derived from actuarial report, the depreciation of fixed assets, consideration of fund accounting, reflection of the correct cut-off for particular funding streams such as Pupil Premium, Covid-related funding, consideration of clawback if needed, and others.

• Management of the production of the annual report and accounts and accounts document, prompting the trust to include all disclosure to ensure full compliance with the Direction, and a full disclosure check completed with reference to the Coketown model accounts.

• Assistance to finance teams in preparing necessary deliverables, including reconciliations and supporting schedules, prior to external audit fieldwork commencement. Attendance at relevant meetings, responses to auditor queries and coaching, can be provided also.

Equivalent services for further education colleges and higher education institutions can be quoted for also.