SchoolMark is the accreditation scheme developed in consultation with the DfE and sector partners that assess the different aspects of your financial operations, celebrates best practice and helps you raise the standards of your resource management.

SchoolMark benefits schools and Trusts by providing feedback on financial operations. The scheme focusses on raising the standards of resource management by providing a roadmap for improvement and rewarding best practice.

Benefits include:

• Reduced costs and greater efficiencies in your budget
• Maximising the impact of your spend for the benefit of your students and pupils
• Ensured compliance with DfE and ESFA requirements
• Increased transparency and demonstrated transactional propriety
• Improved financial planning
• Reduced audit requirements
• Improved governance and trustee monitoring of spend
• Reduced workload to meet internal scrutiny requirements
• Best practice recognised and celebrated

Schools and Trusts that achieve the SchoolMark accreditation will be identified as working at the highest levels of best financial practice in the sector.

The cost of the SchoolMark accreditation depends on the number of schools in your Trust, or whether you are a single school.

Single school: £999+VAT

MAT with 2 - 5 schools: £1999+VAT

MAT with 6 - 10 schools: £2999+VAT

MAT with 11+ schools: £4999+VAT

You can choose to pay by card or invoice during the sign-up process. Portal access will be sent once payment is received, as listed in our Terms and Conditions.

SchoolMark is accredited by the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL).

The ISBL oversee the quality control of the framework implementation and spot check assessments are made by our auditors.

SchoolMark Advisors are trained school finance professionals, qualified to make a judgement based on the information supplied and our internal scrutiny process ensures sound judgements and the highest quality advice.

The SchoolMark accreditation criteria are based around nine areas of financial management: financial sustainability, accuracy of budgeting, Governance oversight, strength of reporting, implementation of ICFP, key financial benchmarking, audit feedback and findings, contribution to sector development, and staffing and skills. 

More detail can be found in our accreditation framework.

SchoolMark has been designed to have a minimum impact on workload. The only new document required is the self-assessment; all other evidence sources required are pre-existing documents that schools and Trusts are already required to collate such as annual accounts, Board minutes and budgets.

More detail can be found in our accreditation framework.

Once the self-assessment and evidence have been uploaded to the portal, an accredited SchoolMark advisor will review the evidence supplied in line with the answers provided. They will then produce a roadmap for improvement and recommend for or against accreditation to the Institute of School Business Leadership.

You data is used solely for processing your SchoolMark application. Please see our privacy policy and data policy for more information.

To gain accreditation you need to score 80% or higher in each of the nine areas of financial management examined.

If you don’t meet the accreditation criteria, SchoolMark will provide you with a roadmap for improvement and you can reapply for accreditation for free twice within a 12-month window.

You can reapply for SchoolMark accreditation for free twice within 12 months of receiving your improvement roadmap, after which the usual fees apply.

The SchoolMark accreditation is valid for two years, with a declaration of competence required at the end of the first year.

SchoolMark has been developed to support the drive to improve the quality of resource management throughout the sector. SchoolMark is recommended by the Department for Education and accredited by the Institute of School Business Leadership. The programme is supported by the Confederation of Schools Trust, National Governance Association and New Schools Network alongside sector specialist audit firms.

To apply for SchoolMark accreditation, simply complete the sign-up form.

The cost of the SchoolMark accreditation depends on the number of schools in your Trust, or whether you are a single school. There is currently an Earlybird offer valid until 31 December 2021

Single school: £999+VAT

MAT with 2 - 5 schools: £1999+VAT

MAT with 6 - 10 schools: £2999+VAT

MAT with 11+ schools: £4999+VAT

The cost of the SchoolMark accreditation depends on the number of schools in your Trust, or whether you are a single school. There is currently an Earlybird offer valid until 31 December 2021

Single school: £999+VAT

MAT with 2 - 5 schools: £1999+VAT

MAT with 6 - 10 schools: £2999+VAT

MAT with 11+ schools: £4999+VAT