Kevin Connor

Audit Partner and Head of Academies, Bishop Fleming

With 25 years’ audit experience, Kevin has specialised in the academy sector for the past 15 years, supporting a diverse portfolio of academy trusts, including some of the largest school trusts in the country. He is particularly experienced in advising trusts in financial difficulty, working with the DfE, and guiding trusts on matters of regularity, governance and trading subsidiaries. As one of the key authors of the Kreston Academy Benchmarking Report, Kevin brings first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. His contribution to the report is backed by his reputation as a sector expert – recognised by regulators and trusted to provide input into DfE guidance. Kevin combines deep technical expertise with a relationship-driven approach, sharing benchmarking insights to help trusts strengthen their financial sustainability and strategic decision-making.

1 Breakout sessions: Series two

Kreston Benchmarking Report

Building on their 2026 mainstage session marking the publication of the 14th Academies Benchmark Report, this session will see the Bishop Fleming team revisit the latest benchmarking picture across the academy sector, exploring the key financial and operational trends emerging from the data and what they tell us about the sector’s overall health and resilience. The session will then take a deeper dive into primary-only trusts, expanding upon and updating the analysis published by Bishop Fleming earlier this year on the long-term financial resilience of primary-only trusts. Using the latest available benchmarking data, the session will revisit the original findings, assess how the position has evolved, and explore whether the challenges identified remain consistent across the sector. The analysis continues to highlight the distinctive characteristics of primary-only trusts, including lower income per pupil, lower levels of reserves, pressures associated with fixed cost structures, falling pupil numbers, increasing SEND demands, and more limited opportunities to diversify income streams. Drawing on both the original Bishop Fleming research and the latest benchmarking evidence, the session will consider what these findings mean for the long-term sustainability and financial resilience of primary-only trusts, together with the practical implications for trust leaders as they plan for the future.