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How Attenborough Learning Trust streamlined budgeting and financial oversight with SBS Financial Planner

26/07/2026

Theme: Operational Improvement
Lead brands: School Business Services

The Challenge

Attenborough Learning Trust was established in 2019 and has grown from four schools to nine across Leicester. As the trust expanded, it needed to replace the budgeting systems inherited from the local authority with a solution that could support consistent budget planning, payroll tracking and trust-wide financial oversight.

The Solution

Following a competitive tender process, the trust selected SBS Financial Planner. The system enables the central finance team to set trust-wide budget assumptions while allowing schools to build and manage their own budgets. It also integrates with the trust’s finance and payroll systems, providing a single view of financial performance throughout the year.

The Results

Consistent budget-setting across all schools through centrally managed assumptions
Improved payroll tracking and identification of over or under-budgeting
Trust-wide visibility of school budgets and financial performance
Simple integration with Iris Financials and payroll systems
Centralised updates to pay scales, NI rates and other key assumptions
Flexible budget profiling for more accurate monthly forecasting
Reporting outputs that support governor and stakeholder presentations
Fast, knowledgeable support when required

In Their Words

"The fact that we're still using it and we've not felt like we needed to replace it as we've grown and evolved is proof that it works. The fact that we don't have to go into separate budgets and update NI rates or pay scales and can do it centrally is great. If you ring the support desk a human will pick up the phone, you get immediate feedback and an immediate answer. I'd absolutely recommend the system to other trusts. It is good value and with the link to Iris Financials we have a clear picture at the beginning and throughout the financial year."
- Tom Bott, Finance Manager, Attenborough Learning Trust

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