Expanding a school or launching new programmes is an exciting step, but it also brings financial challenges that require careful planning. Strong financial planning helps ensure growth is sustainable, risks are managed, and resources are allocated effectively. To support successful growth, schools should have a clear financial framework in place before committing to any major expansion decisions. This provides a strong foundation for decision-making, helping leaders assess whether plans are affordable and aligned with long-term financial priorities. The following steps outline how schools can approach effective financial planning. Steps for Effective Financial Planning: Define the Scope and Objectives: Clearly outline the goals of the expansion or new programme, including expected costs, required resources, and anticipated benefits . Develop a Detailed Budget: Estimate all costs, including staffing, facilities, equipment, technology, and ongoing operational expenses. Include contingency funding for unexpected costs. Forecast Cash Flow: Consider how income (such as fees, grants, or donations) will align with expenditure, ensuring sufficient liquidity throughout each stage of the project. Assess Funding Options: Explore funding sources such as school reserves, government grants, sponsorships, or loans, and ensure these align with the school’s overall financial strategy. Evaluate Financial Risk: Identify potential risks, such as lower-than-expected enrolment or increased costs, and plan appropriate mitigation strategies. Monitor and Review: Regularly track spending against the budget and adjust plans where needed to stay on course. The Benefits of Planning Thorough financial planning helps schools expand responsibly, avoid cash flow pressures, and ensure new programmes are sustainable and successful. It also provides transparency and confidence for trustees, staff, and the wider school community. At Accounting for Schools, we support schools with practical financial planning guidance to help make expansion and new programme decisions well-informed and sustainable. If your school is considering growth or new initiatives, please feel free to get in touch with our team.

Tracking categories are a powerful tool in Xero for schools, but they only deliver meaningful and accurate reporting when used consistently. As schools evolve throughout the year, tracking setups can quickly become outdated if they are not regularly reviewed. To ensure your reporting remains accurate and useful, we recommend periodically reviewing your tracking setup to confirm: New funding streams are being captured correctly Existing departments or activity categories are still relevant Reporting continues to align with Board and management requirements Regular maintenance of your tracking categories helps ensure your reporting remains consistent and reliable for Board reporting and decision-making. If you would like a refresher on setup, you can refer to our September 2022 Xero Tip - How To Use Tracking Effectively.

View our Chalkboard - May 2026: - 2025 Annual Accounts - The Final Stretch - Important Notices - Xero Tip of the Month: Keep Your Tracking Categories up to Date for More Accurate Reporting - Welcome to the Team: Abel - Financial Planning for School Expansion or New Programmes - Looking ahead https://public2.bomamarketing.com/email/gAy6 

Fundraising plays a vital role in supporting school communities, funding extracurricular activities, resources, and special projects that fall outside core curriculum delivery. However, without clear tracking and reporting processes, it can quickly become difficult to maintain accuracy and transparency in financial reporting. Establishing a structured approach helps schools maintain trust with their community and ensures fundraising income is accurately reflected in financial statements. Best Practices for Tracking Fundraising Income Separate Fundraising from Other Income Streams: Create distinct codes or categories within your accounting system (such as Xero) for each fundraising activity. This helps ensure income and related expenses are clearly matched. Record Income at Source Level: Where possible, track income by event or campaign (e.g. gala, sausage sizzle, online donation drive). This allows schools to assess which activities are most effective. Match Expenses to Fundraising Activities: Include all related costs such as venue hire, materials, or promotional expenses. This provides a true picture of net fundraising performance. Use Consistent Naming Conventions: Standardise naming across all entries (e.g. “2026 PTA Gala” rather than variations like “Gala Night” or “School Gala”). Consistency improves reporting accuracy and reduces errors. Reconcile Regularly: Reconcile fundraising accounts monthly to ensure all income has been received and correctly allocated. This is especially important during busy event periods. Track Online and Cash Donations Separately: Different payment channels require different reconciliation processes. Ensure online platforms, cash collections, and bank transfers are all individually tracked. Reporting Fundraising Results Effectively Clear reporting is just as important as accurate tracking. Schools should aim to provide: Summary reports per campaign (income, expenses, and net result) Year-to-date fundraising totals Comparisons against previous years or targets Breakdown by fundraising type This level of reporting supports better decision-making and helps school leadership understand the true impact of fundraising efforts. How Accounting for Schools Can Help At Accounting for Schools, we can help you build robust financial systems and structured reporting frameworks that make fundraising tracking and reporting simple, accurate, and transparent. With the right systems in place, you’ll gain greater visibility over what’s working, where improvements can be made, and how your fundraising efforts are contributing to your school’s broader goals.

Say goodbye to tab-jumping and constant back-button clicking. Xero’s Quick View panel is here to make bill management significantly faster. With split-screen editing, you can now review, edit, and approve bills without ever losing sight of your main list. How to Use Quick View for Bills: 1. Under Purchases, select Bills 2. Click the View (eye) icon next to any bill to slide open the split-screen panel. 3. Within the Quick View panel, you can: Approve bills quickly with Approve & Next or arrow buttons Edit bill details and line items instantly Check attachments - View the source invoice alongside the data entry. Update supplier info or adjust payment dates Resize the panel or show/hide columns to suit your workflow Next time you’re working through your payables, use Quick View to speed up your workflow and complete your bill processing in record time. 

View our Chalkboard - April 2026: - 2025 Annual Accounts - Important Notices - Fuel Costs and School Budgets - What to Watch - Xero Tip of the Month: Faster Bill Management With Quick View - How to Track and Report Fundraising Income - Looking ahead https://public2.bomamarketing.com/email/DA0q 

What would happen if your school’s key finance staff left tomorrow? In many schools, critical tasks like budgeting, payroll, and cash flow management live inside the head of a single individual. Without clear documentation or a succession plan, a sudden departure doesn't just cause stress, it creates significant financial risk. To protect your school, take a moment to assess your resilience: Are key financial processes documented? Does more than one person understand your systems? Are delegations and approvals clearly structured? Do you have external support if needed? Succession planning isn’t about expecting someone to leave; it’s about protecting your school’s financial stability and ensuring continuity.  Planning for the unexpected ensures your school can keep running smoothly, even during transitions. By investing a little time now in documenting processes, cross training staff, and setting up reliable support, you safeguard your school’s finances and give yourself peace of mind.

Is your school or kura doing amazing things in education? Nominate them for the New Zealand Education Excellence Awards and get their hard work recognised! These awards, launched by the Ministry of Education, celebrate schools and kura excelling in: Excellence in raising student achievement Excellence in student engagement and attendance Excellence in quality teaching and instruction Excellence in educational leadership Anyone can nominate a school or kura, including students, whānau, staff, or members of the wider community. Nominated schools are then invited to submit a full application with evidence of their achievements. Nominations close Friday 10 April, and applications close Friday 1 May. Winners will receive $20,000, and finalists will be formally recognised at a national awards ceremony in Wellington on Wednesday 24 June. To access the full details on the nomination and application process, assessment criteria and conditions of entry, visit: https://bit.ly/4kT5xGB