Reliable financial data enabling better strategic planning at Brooke Weston Trust 

Brooke Weston Trust is a multi-academy trust serving nearly 9,000 pupils across 12 primary and secondary schools in Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. With a mission to transform educational performance and remove barriers to learning, the Trust has grown significantly in recent years, consolidating from 12 independently managed schools into a single, centralised finance function. Martin Walker, Financial Controller, has been leading the charge to embed IRIS Financials more deeply across the Trust and unlock its full potential. 

From siloed schools to a centralised finance function 

When Martin joined the Trust two years ago, IRIS Financials was already in place, but its potential was far from fully realised. “We were using a lot of spreadsheets – typical accountants, keeping things offline and using other tools to support the system,” he explains. Around four years ago, the Trust made the decision to consolidate finance operations from 12 independent school teams into a single central function. That shift was only achievable because of the system underpinning it. 

“We’ve now got a team of seven doing the job that 13 people would have done in the past,” Martin notes. “The usability of the system was key to making that work.” 

New features, familiar feel 

The recent upgrade to IRIS Financials V7 was a milestone the Trust approached with some caution, but in practice, the experience was reassuringly straightforward. “It enhanced the system and made it more user-friendly, but processing things felt familiar. It’s not like some ERP migrations that can be an absolute nightmare!” 

That continuity allowed the team to adopt the improvements without losing momentum. 

Transforming transactional processing with Invoice Matcher 

The most significant change currently underway is the rollout of Invoice Matcher, which Martin expects will transform the speed and accuracy of the Trust’s finance operations. “That’s going to save hours and improve accuracy and speed – not just for our transactional team, but for our management accounting team too. And that knocks on to better board reporting and better information for our governors and trustees.” 

Better reporting, better decisions for schools 

Moving away from spreadsheet-based month-end reporting to IRIS Financials Advanced Reporting has been one of the most important shifts for the Trust. Previously, manual processes created real risk – errors in formulas, miscasts, inaccurate information feeding through to leadership. IRIS Financials Advanced Reporting now provides the reliable data foundation the Trust needs to automate board packs and support strategic planning. 

For school leaders, this matters beyond the finance team. “A head teacher may be trying to plan their curriculum and staffing for the next year or two, but without knowing what’s going to happen to funding in year two, three or four, can they recruit a teacher today? The reporting requirements are different at every level, but it’s all about planning better to deliver the best education to our children.” 

Strong controls and audit confidence 

Compliance and audit readiness are non-negotiable in education finance, and IRIS Financials provides the controls and visibility the Trust relies on. “The system is robust enough that it stops us bypassing approvals, which is not what we should be doing,” Martin explains. “When auditors come in, they can take reliance from the system, so they don’t have to do excessive testing to check we’re compliant.” 

A dedicated finance systems accountant manages access controls, approval levels, and system security, ensuring governance is embedded into every process. 

Looking ahead: automation and AI 

Martin is candid about the pressures facing education finance today. “We’re constantly required to do more with less. How we embrace digital workers, better analytics, and automation to provide more insightful, more timely, more accurate information with a reducing workforce – that’s going to be key.” 

With AI-powered automation on the IRIS development roadmap, the Trust sees a clear path to even greater efficiency. “It’s a really good and well-placed system to help us deliver our Trust requirements in the long term. I can only recommend it.”