Financial Benchmarking

Financial benchmarking is only valuable if it leads to better decisions.  This session goes beyond surface-level comparisons to explore what the numbers are really telling you about performance, capacity and sustainability.

Drawing on financial insight from one of the UK’s largest multi-academy trusts, this practical session looks at how benchmarking can be used to test assumptions, spot emerging risk and strengthen strategic planning.  It also includes a forward-looking view on budget setting, helping trusts sense-check plans for 2026/27 and beyond.

In this session we explore

• Financial benchmarking insights from the UK’s largest MATs

• How to interpret benchmarking data without chasing averages or league tables

• Using benchmarking to identify pressure points, inefficiencies and opportunity

• Core budget-setting assumptions for 2026/27 and beyond

• How to use benchmarking to support stronger conversations with executive teams and trustees

Take home points

• A clearer understanding of what “good” looks like when benchmarking trust finances

• Practical guidance on setting realistic, defensible budgets

• Confidence to challenge assumptions using data, not gut feel

• Insight into how peers are structuring and resourcing business support

This session is for

CFOs, COOs, trust finance leaders and senior business professionals involved in strategic planning, benchmarking and budget setting across MATs.

Bobby Thandi