AoC Governance FE Finance Masterclass Series – Autumn 2025

Introduction to college finance for Governors

These sessions have been developed with and will be led by Andrew Tyley, a leading expert in further education funding and a Deputy Further Education Commissioner since 2016.

All sessions will take place from 16:30-18:00, online

• Thursday 18 September - Introduction to college finance and overview of FE finances
• Thursday 25 September - Managing and monitoring financial performance and cash
• Thursday 2 October - Funding, data and curriculum planning
• Thursday 9 October - Financial health grades and FEC financial benchmarks

All sessions will include interactive presentations, small discussion groups and Q&A.

For AoC members, the sessions are priced at £55 +VAT per session. The rate for non-members is £85+VAT per person per session. Delegates can choose to attend as many or as few sessions as they wish.

Session one: Introduction to college finance and overview of FE finances
This session will give college governors a solid understanding of the complex nature of college finances and the current finding climate. The session will cover implications of reclassification and managing public money​; the respective roles in financial oversight – governors, the accounting officer and finance​; key features of sound FE finances and early warning signs you should look out for; and where colleges can go wrong and the role of intervention.

Session two: Managing and monitoring financial performance and cash
This session is the second in a series of four governance finance masterclasses. This session will delve into interpreting management accounts including what a good set of management accounts should contain​; poor practice and key issues and risks to look out for​; making sense of key metrics including EBITDA​; cashflow forecasts and key details you need to understand​; and loan covenants and why they may be important and the implications of a breach.

Session three: Funding, data and curriculum planning
This third session will summarise the key sources of FE funding and discuss their complex nature; look at risk factors and audits; explore the link between curriculum planning and budgeting; and cover sector benchmarking and typical curriculum efficiency metrics.

Session four: Financial health grades and FEC financial benchmarks
This fourth session will look at the ESFA’s financial health methodology and how it works in practice; discuss why financial health scores are important and factors which are likely to damage these grades; look at moderation of the financial health autoscore and how this can be important; and discuss the role, purpose and relevance of the FE Commissioner’s financial benchmarks.