Welcome to Buzzacott’s academy trust benchmarking report 2026, which provides insight into current sector trends based on financial information for the year ended 31 August 2025.

Financial compliance and reporting are an ongoing responsibility for academy trusts. Beyond meeting regulatory requirements, the most successful trusts also work towards financial excellence. To support you in achieving this, we’re pleased to share our latest benchmarking report.

Key messages from 2026

• Trusts have continued to show operational resilience following several years of significant cost increases. Although these increases continued in 2025, higher income levels throughout the period contributed to improved operating results for the year.

• Trusts continue to make additional contributions from revenue income to fund capital investment, with per-pupil contributions higher within smaller trusts.

• Increases in pay costs in the year were typically funded, with average payroll ratios rising only marginally between 2024 and 2025.

Download the report:

A snapshot:

Our benchmarking report is designed to empower your trust in identifying areas of strength, potential weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. By analysing key ratios tailored to the size of your academy trust - whether a Single Academy Trust (SAT), Small MAT, Medium MAT, or Large MAT - you’ll gain actionable insights to inform strategic decision-making and enhance operational efficiency.