• 03000 260 007
  • commercialservices@durham.gov.uk
  • About us |
  • Case Studies |
  • Contact us |
  • News |
  • Social Value |
  • A to Z
  • Skip to main content

Commercial Services

Menu
  • Schools and Education
  • Housing and Blue Light
  • Town and Parish Councils
  • Local Councils
You are here: Home / Schools and Education / Business Services (Schools and Education) / Internal Audit (Schools and Education)

Internal Audit (Schools and Education)

Our independent assurance, advice and consultancy service helps schools to improve by supporting your management to identify, assess and manage risks effectively. This is an essential part of good governance and improving transparency with regard to the use of public money.

We offer two options:

Governance and Financial Management

We support the governing body by providing an independent assurance opinion on the school’s financial affairs. This includes:

  • consideration of whether the financial affairs of the governing body are being discharged
  • consideration of the effectiveness of business processes and operational activities to help achieve value for money and best use of resources
  • consideration of the overall effectiveness of financial management arrangements including;
    • income and debt collection
    • expenditure (ordering, creditor payments, payroll and petty cash)
    • administration arrangements for meals provided
    • asset management
    • budgetary control and financial reporting

Certification of Grant Funded Expenditure

Following acceptance of the Department of Education’s Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) terms and conditions, lead schools that receive Collaborative Fund, Tailored Support or English Hubs Programme grant are required to submit an annual certification of expenditure incurred.

Where the level of grant received is in excess of prescribed limits as stipulated within the Agreement, you are required to complete Annex G – Annual Certification of Expenditure of the return and it must be independently certified by external auditors/accountants.

We are able to offer certification by a Chartered Accountant.

We may also be able to offer certification of grants awarded from other bodies. Please contact us for more information.

Copyright © 2025 · Marketgate on Genesis Framework · WordPress ·

  • Legal information |
  • Accessibility Statement |
  • Useful links |
  • Eshop |
  • Newsletters |
  • Customer Login
  • Linked in Logo