Michael Cooper-Davis
Partner
Price Bailey’s Academy Helpdesk
How Price Bailey's Academy Helpdesk is supporting academy trusts in a changing landscape
Running an academy trust has never been more complex. Between shifting regulatory expectations, financial pressures, and the day‑to‑day realities of governance, leaders often need quick, reliable answers. That’s where Price Bailey’s Academy Helpdesk has become an increasingly valuable resource.
Designed exclusively for our external and internal audit academy clients, the helpdesk offers free, unlimited support, giving academy trusts a direct line to specialists who understand the sector.
Whether it’s a quick clarification or a more nuanced scenario, the helpdesk provides practical, timely responses that help academy trusts stay compliant and confident in their decision‑making. Should a query fall outside our scope and require further specialist expertise (for example, a tailored VAT review), we can arrange for a personalised quote should the academy trust wish to proceed with one of our sister teams. This would always be discussed with the academy trust first.
The Helpdesk team is committed to fast turnaround times, giving trusts the answers they need so they can keep progressing without losing momentum.
Our team also put together a full schedule of free regulatory insight webinars throughout the year to cover important topics and keep our clients up to date.
What the Helpdesk covers
Common queries include:
- Related party transactions
- DfE Chart of Accounts
- Gifts and hospitality
- Fixed assets
- Risk management
- Finance regulations
- Basic VAT queries
- Governance and board queries
- Management accounts
- Capital funding
- Gift aid
- Website compliance
Quarterly insights for the sector
A useful feature of the service is the publication of quarterly helpdesk reviews. These reports distil the most frequent and significant queries from academies, offering a snapshot of emerging themes and sector-wide challenges.
You can download our quarterly reports here.
How to make the most of the Helpdesk
To get the best experience, here are a few simple tips:
- Reach out early
- Be specific
- Use it often
Frequently asked questions about our Helpdesk
Who can use the Academy Helpdesk?
The Helpdesk is available to our existing academy external and internal audit clients. It can be used by finance teams, senior leaders and governance professionals within the trust.
Is Price Bailey’s Academy Helpdesk free?
We offer this service for free, by phone or by email, if we either know or should know the answer to your query (and our experience is such that this is no longer confined to just financial and reporting matters).
What questions can I ask the Academy Helpdesk?
We receive a range of questions to our Helpdesk, so if you have a query then please get in touch. Some of the recent queries we’ve been asked include questions around:
- Audit and risk committees
- Sustainability, including climate action plans.
- Pensions
- Financial regulations
- VAT
- Capital grants
- Accounting systems
- Trustee appointments
Plus many more!
How quickly will I receive a response from the Academy Helpdesk?
We aim to respond as quickly as possible, typically within a short timeframe (48 hours/2 working days). More complex queries may require additional time, but we will always keep you updated on progress.
Is there a limit to how many queries we can raise?
No. The Helpdesk offers free, unlimited support for eligible queries. We encourage trusts to get in touch whenever they need clarification or reassurance.
What types of queries fall outside the Helpdesk scope?
The Helpdesk is designed to provide guidance and clarification. If your query requires detailed technical analysis, a bespoke review, or formal written advice (for example, a detailed VAT review or restructuring advice), this would fall outside the free Helpdesk service.
In those cases, we would always discuss this with you first and provide a tailored quote if you wished to proceed.
Do you provide updates on regulatory changes?
Yes. In addition to responding to individual queries, we publish quarterly Helpdesk reviews and run a programme of regulatory insight webinars to keep academy trusts up to date with developments affecting the sector.
We always recommend that you seek advice from a suitably qualified adviser before taking any action. The information in this article only serves as a guide and no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of this material can be accepted by the authors or the firm.
