Introduction

About this guidance.

The consistent financial reporting (CFR) framework provides a standard template for schools to report their income and expenditure in the financial year 2025 to 2026. The information collected is used to support benchmarking and enables comparative reports to be produced for governors and local authorities.聽聽

The CFR framework applies to maintained schools and pupil referral units. It is optional for nurseries and non-maintained special schools.聽

Governing bodies of maintained schools must provide their local authorities with a financial statement, presented in accordance with the approved headings and sub-headings set out in the and in compliance with the established accounting practices of the local authority.

This includes:聽

  • all allocations and other income received in a financial year, including any balances brought forward from the previous financial year聽

  • all expenditure within that financial year聽

  • a summary of the school鈥檚 financial position at the end of that financial year聽聽

This guidance provides the definitions for each CFR schedule approved heading code to assist schools in mapping income and expenditure to the appropriate areas of the CFR 蹿谤补尘别飞辞谤办.听听

The guidance is aimed at:聽

  • local authority finance officers聽

  • school finance officers聽

  • business managers聽

  • 产耻谤蝉补谤蝉听

The Department for Education (DfE) uses COLLECT (collections on-line for learning, education, children and teachers) to capture CFR data from schools and local authorities. You can read further information about the CFR framework and data collection.