The advice and guidance the council provides to support schools delivering the highest standards of governance and control can be found in the Schools section of our website. You will also find guidance for schools on what to expect if they are selected for an internal audit as part of the council’s wider audit plan work which provides assurance to the council’s 151 officers regarding those funds administered by schools.

We provide many useful documents to explain what is covered by a schools audit.

If you are a school that has received notification of being audited, please contact the auditor who has written to you as they will be able to progress your queries quicker than the contacts below.

For all other concerns or queries please contact:

• our business continuity and resilience webpage provides relevant information and contact details relating to resilience.
• school governance provides governance and financial advice to help schools through their audit.

Further contacts

You can email the following teams if you have any internal audit (including risk management and fraud) concerns that aren't addressed elsewhere:

• Schools Leadership and Governance Team
• Governor Training Development
• Internal Audit Team

Central place to view all policy and associated documents relevant to internal audit, risk management and counter fraud services.

This page provides a single place for all policy documents and other associated detailed documentation relevant to internal audit, risk management and counter fraud services. Some of these documents contain the same or similar information designed for different audiences.  Please contact us if you require any documentation in an accessible format.

All the documents can be viewed here.

Guidance

From 1 April 2021, all school lease applications should be directed to Link Group, an external company, who will be reviewing school leases on behalf of MKCC. This service will be free of charge to all schools in Milton Keynes and will provide assurance that it is an operating lease. 

Read our School Leasing Pack for guidance on the Link’s Schools Leasing Scheme and the information that schools will need to obtain from a supplier in order for Link to undertake the process.  Page 5 gives details of the information needed.

Approval Process

In order to seek the appropriate financial advice and approval all maintained schools must complete a quotation template  before entering into any lease/rental agreement.

The lease information and completed template should then be emailed to Carly King or Darell Slevin at Link Group (it does not need to be sent to Schools Finance). 

Link Group will then undertake a review of the proposed lease arrangement and advise whether or not it would be a suitable option for the school.

Procurement

Please read our school procurement guide for information about procurement.  

Procurement thresholds

• Up to £5000 - A single written (email) quote is required. 

• £5001-£25,000- Three (3) written (email) quotes to be obtained where possible. Officers must seek written approval from Senior Managers/Budget Holders prior to placing any orders.

• £25,001 and above - A tender process is required. 

Further information on MKCC procurement rules and thresholds can be found on the links below

• contracts, tenders and quotations weblet
• advice for effective buying for your schools