Finance & Corporate Services (FCS)

The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) is an information-rich organisation, storing, processing and reporting data on schools, including annual performance data, as well as working with a wide range of other contacts and organisations. SSAT has spent the last year developing an information culture, by improving its understanding of its information needs, developing information and financial systems and establishing appropriate support infrastructures. SSAT revenues are now in excess of £40m.

The work of FCS is vital to all Trust activities and its remit spans all levels of the Trust structure.

The work of the FCS directorate includes:

• Providing strategic financial advice to the Senior Management Team and to the Trust Council
• Overseeing business-planning projects for all activities including taking the lead on all commercial negotiations and legal work
• Lead on management information work through the setting of budgets, regular reporting of finance, KPIs and other management information together with forecasts and analyses
• Payroll services, accounting, cash management and procurement
• Alongside the Chief Executive, FCS is responsible for all strands of corporate governance, including risk management and FOIA compliance
• Provision of modern fit-for-purpose acccommodation, including all aspects of the working environment