Finance
Our Trust has a team of qualified finance professionals with significant experience in working with both primary and secondary schools.
Our Central Finance Team offers a transactional financial service to Trust schools and liaises with schools to prepare budgets and regular financial monitoring reports. Our team work with schools to offer commercial, operational and procurement support to maximise budgets.
Our team ensure that our Trust remains compliant with the demands of our regulators and assists schools with assessing the financial implications of proposals, this includes statutory compliance such as annual audit, VAT returns and any grant audits required.
At Red Kite Learning Trust we run a centralised purchase ledger, so that all invoices, queries, staff expenses and payments are dealt with by the central finance team. We also offer assistance with generating sales invoices and credit control if required.
James Rant
Chief Financial Officer
James Rant has worked for Red Kite Learning Trust since 2019, initially as Director of Finance, and more recently as Chief Financial Officer. James is a Chartered Accountant with over 13 years of experience working with Charities and Academies.
As CFO, James is involved in overseeing all things financially related for the Trust, leading on financial, risk and compliance matters as well as steering the Trust and the Teaching School on strategic and commercial aspects.
James' role also includes reviewing systems and processes for efficiencies and providing timely analysis and information to Headteachers and Stakeholders. He also leads on statutory requirements such as External Audit, Grant Returns and ESFA Returns.
Our Finance team are experienced in offering advice, training and consultancy in a number of areas to schools within the Trust and in our wider region:
- Training for both finance colleagues, teaching colleagues and Governors
- Financial health checks including budget and systems reviews
- Reviews of revenue streams and identification of commercial opportunities
- Benchmarking curriculum and other spending
- Regular reporting and budget monitoring
- Advice and support around costings for potential staffing decisions and recruitment
- Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning
- Assistance and advice with the process of becoming an academy or a Multi Academy Trust
- Implementation advice re 1:1 technology schemes
- Interim financial leadership.