The private network for MAT finance leaders
Find out what a supplier is really like before you sign, from trusts who have already used them. Ask the awkward question somewhere nobody outside the network can see it. Borrow the templates. Get to know people who do your job.
Free for MAT finance professionals. No card, and no paid tier sitting behind the free one. Suppliers pay to be listed. Members never have.
Being a finance leader in a MAT can be isolating
You make big decisions all year, usually with nobody to sense-check them against.
There is no shortage of guidance, frameworks or training. Very little of it reflects what running finance inside a trust is actually like. And none of it tells you whether the supplier quoting you £40k is any good, or what the trust down the road paid for the same thing.
What's actually behind the login
Peer reviews of the finance suppliers you're about to sign — MIS providers, HR and payroll systems, ICFP consultants, audit firms. Members who have worked with them score them across six criteria and write up how it went, including the parts suppliers would rather you didn't read.
A confidential forum of people who do your job. Ask the thing you can't put to your CEO, your board or your auditor. Benchmarking questions get answered with real figures from real trusts — GAG pooling models, IFRS 16 lease treatment, teachers' pension employer contributions, the questions that don't have a textbook answer.
A directory of finance leaders you can actually reach. Search by topic, trust size and region, then ask for an introduction. Nothing happens until both people say yes, so nobody gets cold-pitched.
ICFP models, risk registers, reserves planners, policy templates. The things you'd otherwise rebuild from scratch at 9pm, or pay a consultant to produce. Free to download, no per-item charge.
Built on three principles
Safe professional space
Confidential, non-commercial and independently facilitated. A place where you can speak freely.
Peer connection
Finance leaders who understand the pressure because they're navigating exactly the same challenges.
Shared experience
Real insight from professionals who have been there. No theory, no consultants, just proven knowledge.
The questions people ask us
Is it really free?
Yes. Free for finance professionals working in UK multi-academy trusts, always has been. No trial, no upgrade tier, nothing to pay. Suppliers fund the network by paying to be listed. Members don't.
Can suppliers see what I post?
No. Suppliers cannot reach the forum, the directory, the tools library, or any review text, on any tier. A supplier sees how many reviews they have and what those reviews average. They never see what you wrote.
Will my name and trust be visible?
Your choice. Default is job title, trust size and region, no name attached. Change it whenever you like.
Who gets accepted?
CFOs, Finance Directors, Finance Managers, School Business Managers, and the people coming up behind them. A person reads every application.
Stop navigating it alone
Join finance leaders from trusts across the country. It costs nothing, a person reads every application, and most are approved within three working days.
Apply free, takes 2 minutesNo card required. Members never pay.