Customer Story: Carlton Academy Trust

• Easy-to-use, intuitive finance system – trusted by both central staff and school teams
• Centralised finance model – delivering consistency, insight and greater efficiency
• Premier Customer Success Plan – expert guidance and a trusted voice at every step
• Simplified reporting and oversight – smarter forecasting, quicker decisions
• Fewer errors and faster workflows – saving time, reducing admin, empowering staff

How Access Education is helping Carlton Academy Trust streamline finance, boost collaboration and strengthen financial leadership across a growing trust.

About the Trust

Formed in 2019, Carlton Academy Trust is a growing family of nine schools: three primary, three secondary and three special schools. Based in West Yorkshire, the trust is led by Chief Finance Officer Lisa Reeder, whose role has evolved from school business manager to strategic CFO as the trust has matured.
With a fully centralised finance team of six staff, many of whom came from school-based roles, Carlton Academy Trust is now reaping the rewards of a joined-up system, a unified team, and a shared commitment to smarter working.

When Carlton Academy Trust began its journey, it inherited a finance system designed for a much smaller scale. Their legacy platform, while familiar, lacked the capacity and flexibility to serve a growing trust of nine schools.

As Lisa Reeder recalls:

“We knew we were going to be bigger than five schools, so we didn’t want to start on a system that couldn’t grow with us. We needed something schools could get to grips with—without throwing complex accountancy software at staff who’d used FMS for 15 years.”

The trust needed a finance solution that balanced ease-of-use with central oversight—one that could support both experienced finance professionals and day-to-day users in schools.

After a comprehensive review of the market, Carlton Academy Trust chose Access Education Finance and Budgets, attracted by its intuitive layout, user-friendly terminology, and powerful reporting tools.

“What stood out for us was how familiar it felt. Simple drop-down menus, straightforward processes, clear buttons for each function—it just made sense. There wasn’t a steep learning curve, and that made all the difference.”

The trust also adopted a fully centralised finance model, with designated team members supporting different schools. From requisitions and orders to budget oversight, all activity is managed through the Access platform—streamlining workflows, boosting visibility, and reducing duplication.

One system for everyone

Staff across the trust—from headteachers to admin teams—now use Access Education Finance to raise requisitions and track spend, while the central team manage approvals, orders and payments. The system is so intuitive that new starters need just a five-minute demo during induction and have had no issues picking it up.

“Even teachers and school admins find it easy. We do a quick session on induction day and share a guide, and that’s all they need.” 

Smoother reporting & stronger oversight

Access makes it easy for budget holders to run their own reports, saving time for the central team and giving school leaders more control.

“Heads can see their budgets whenever they want. They don’t need to wait for month-end reports or ask us to pull data—they’ve got the tools to check their own spend.”

Streamlined approval process

The system’s built-in approval workflows have transformed invoice processing. Staff in schools can now mark orders as received, enabling faster payments and eliminating the need for back-and-forth emails.

“Before, we’d be emailing schools asking for signed invoices. Now, they just mark it as received in the system and we’re good to go. It saves time for everyone.”

From the beginning, Lisa saw the value of expert support. Initially, the Premier Customer Success Plan was a short-term investment to support their transition. Six years later, it’s still going strong.

“I thought I’d drop it after a year or two—but honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without Dave.”

Carlton Academy Trust’s dedicated Premier Customer Success Manager, Dave, is much more than support. He’s a sounding board, a trainer, a troubleshooter—and a crucial part of the team.

“Dave understands schools. He’s got the background. He knows the cycles, the deadlines, the pressures.

When I hit a wall, he’s there. And if he doesn’t know the answer, he gets it for me.”

Premier support means:

• One named contact – consistent, expert support from someone who knows your trust
• Immediate escalation – issues resolved quickly, with no handoffs or delays
• Strategic guidance – tailored advice and insights that go beyond system support
• Peer collaboration – exclusive forums connecting CFOs from other Access trusts
• Proactive updates – regular sessions to share roadmaps, feedback and best practice

Lisa especially values the user groups Dave coordinates—bringing together CFOs from other Access MATs to share strategies, challenges, and real-world advice.

“Those events are brilliant. We’re all on the same system, so we can swap ideas, solve problems and support each other. It’s a proper network, not just software support.”

“It’s easy, intuitive and works for everyone—from finance professionals to school staff. The fact that finance and budgets are aligned in one system makes everything more streamlined. For any CFO, that’s a must.”

— Lisa Reeder, CFO, Carlton Academy Trust

Discover the Access Education Advantage

From small MATs to growing trusts, Access Education gives you the tools—and the people—to simplify finance, support smarter decisions, and unlock better outcomes for your schools.

Book a demo or talk to our trust experts today.