John Priestley
https://ghat.org.uk/
Objective:
As one of Yorkshire’s first primary convertor academies in 2011, it was extremely important for Greetland Academy to ensure its financial systems were robust.
Governors looked for a local company with experience in working with schools and a willingness to guide the management team through the changes involved in becoming an academy trust.
Our Solution:
Simpson Wood has built a strong relationship with Greetland Academy, based on mutual trust and understanding, with meetings in person around three times a year.
Each December, we complete the challenging task of the annual audit and submission of accounts. We also successfully handle several returns for the Department for Education within tight timescales.
In addition to this work, Simpson Wood conducts external assurance visits each term, compiling findings for governors’ meetings, and providing assurance reports on matters such as grant claims.
Outcome:
Simpson Wood has supported Greetland Academy to meet the Government’s requirements for its financial records, which help to ensure its success as a trust. We are now working with the management team on plans for Greetland to become a multi-academy trust, supporting other schools to achieve high standards.
At Great Heights Academy Trust, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of financial transparency and governance. Engaging Simpson Wood has ensured that our external scrutiny arrangements are handled by professionals that understand our sector.
From the outset, Simpson Wood demonstrated not only technical excellence but a genuine understanding of the education sector and the unique challenges faced by multi-academy trusts. Their audit team is professional, approachable, and consistently thorough—offering clear guidance while respecting the operational realities of our schools.
What sets them apart is their proactive communication and attention to detail. They don’t just tick boxes—they help us strengthen our systems, anticipate risks, and build confidence across our leadership and governance teams.
We would highly recommend Simpson Wood to other organisations.
John Priestley
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