A checklist for trustees, members, CEOs and governance professionals in academy trusts, checked against the DfE academy trust governance guide (July 2026) and the Academy Trust Handbook 2026, which takes effect on 1 October 2026. It replaces our October 2024 edition.
What's inside
- Members, trustees, the chair and the board
- Committees, local governance and the scheme of delegation
- The accounting officer, the CFO and executive pay
- Accountability for education and finance
- Risk, audit and the audit and risk committee
- Conflicts of interest and related party transactions
- Transparency, publishing and compliance
- Each item marked must, should or good practice, with the guide or handbook paragraph
- A list of policies to review and links to every source
New in this edition
- Maximising value for pupils
- Free school meals expansion grant and the inclusive mainstream fund
- Digital and technology standards and sustainability
- The allergy safety policy and the limit on branded uniform
- DfE approval for high executive pay from 1 October 2026 and the changes in the 2026 handbook
Format: editable Word document and a PDF. Maintained schools can use our Maintained School Governance Checklist 2026/27.
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