The Department for Education has published its college accounts direction for 2025 to 2026, setting out the financial reporting timetable for further education colleges, sixth form colleges and designated institutions. The direction does not apply to specialist further education colleges funded by the DfE as special post-16 institutions.
Key facts
- The direction covers further education colleges, sixth form colleges and designated institutions.
- Colleges must prepare audited accounts to 31 July 2026.
- Accounts and associated documents must be submitted to DfE by 31 December 2026.
- Colleges must publish accounts on their websites no later than 31 January 2027.
- Colleges, not auditors, must submit the required documents through DfE’s College financial data service.
What colleges need to do next
Colleges preparing 2025 to 2026 accounts need to follow the new direction when producing audited statements, completing the finance record and filing documents with DfE. If a college thinks it may miss the 31 December 2026 submission deadline, it should contact its DfE place-based team contact before the deadline.
The submission must go through the College financial data service and requires a DfE Sign-in account. The mandatory upload set includes the audited annual report and financial statements, the external auditor’s audit findings report, the finance record, the audit committee annual report and, where required, non-dormant subsidiary financial statements.
- Prepare audited accounts to 31 July 2026.
- Submit the required documents by 31 December 2026.
- Publish the accounts on the college website by 31 January 2027.
What is the college accounts direction for 2025 to 2026?
The direction is DfE’s annual guidance for the financial reporting requirements that apply to further education colleges, sixth form colleges and designated institutions. It also notes that updates from the previous year are set out at the start of the new edition.
Colleges are told to refer to the 2025 to 2026 direction when preparing their accounts and to make sure the person submitting the documents does so through the DfE system rather than leaving the task to auditors.
How should colleges submit their accounts?
Colleges must upload their financial statements and related documents through the College financial data service after logging in with DfE Sign-in. After selecting “start”, submit the annual financial statements return for the relevant year. Email confirmation is issued once the upload succeeds.
The guidance also says colleges can create a DfE Sign-in account if the person responsible for submission does not already have access, and directs submission questions to the Customer Help Portal.
Why does the regularity questionnaire matter?
The regularity self-assessment questionnaire must be completed by further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and designated institutions, and signed by the accounting officer and chair of governors. It must then be shared with the college’s external auditor to help inform the regularity assurance engagement.
