AoC Senior Leaders' FE Finance Masterclass Series – Autumn 2026

Introduction to college finance for senior managers and leaders

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

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

For AoC members, the sessions are priced at £60 +VAT per session. The rate for non-members is £90+VAT per person per session. Delegates can choose to attend as many or as few sessions as they wish.

NB, Governors should look at the specific governance series of sessions which can be viewed and booked here.

Session Overviews

Session one: Overview of FE finance and the role of the Accounting Officer
This session will cover the principles of sound college finances​; the key responsibilities of the accounting officer; implications of reclassification and managing public money​; early warning signs to look out for; and what principals should expect of from their finance lead and governors.

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; discuss how effective curriculum planning can drive up efficiency; and cover sector benchmarking and typical curriculum efficiency metrics.

Session four: Financial health grades and FEC financial benchmarks
This fourth session will look at 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.