Getting financial advice for your school

A list of financial advisers for schools that need to buy external financial advice – and what school leaders should consider before choosing a supplier

Find a financial adviser

A list of companies that can provide financial advice to schools is provided. The interactive version allows you to search for suppliers; the accessible second document displays the complete list as a spreadsheet.

Beware – the documents only include suppliers which have added themselves to the list, so they are not comprehensive. The services of these suppliers have not been checked by the Department for Education (DfE) so their presence on the list is not an endorsement from DfE.

The DfE has now updated the lists of financial advice suppliers for schools to add a new supplier, Durham County Council, and to update contact details for existing suppliers.

Financial advice suppliers for schools: search for suppliers and service information (interactive version)

Financial advice suppliers for schools: supplier database and service information

Email [email protected] if you think a supplier should be removed from the list.

Selecting a financial adviser

You may, of course, prefer to find your own financial adviser or manage your finances without external advice; however, you should always follow your own procurement process when buying goods or services. Read the buying for schools guidance on how to buy services for your school.

Before you approach a supplier, decide how you’ll assess their services, and what factors are most important to you. Consider:

• cost;
• quality of service;
• timescales;
• supplier experience;
• supplier qualifications.

Choose at least three suppliers for your competitive procurement process. Send them:

• your requirements;
• the assessment criteria;
• a response date.

When choosing a supplier investigate:

• other schools or trusts for which they have provided financial services;
• which members of their team will deliver the services;
• the skills, knowledge and experience of the team;
• how well they understand the challenges schools face;
• how well they understand you school’s circumstances;
• how long, and what form, their review will take;
• how much they charge for their services;
• what information you’ll need to provide them with,
• how they’ll deliver the results of the review,
• whether they deliver follow-up support, and what this would include.

Using this advice should enable you to find a financial advisor who is suitable for your school and its specific needs.