West Hatch High School: How Forecast 5 Keeps Financials Clear and Simple

02.04.26 11:18 AM

West Hatch High School: Carl Hansen FCA

Consistent Cash Visibility and Simplicity

When the Sage forecasting tool was withdrawn, Carl Hansen, then Finance Director of a full-scale timber manufacturing business, needed a replacement that could produce reliable forward financial statements without adding complexity. Based on a recommendation from Haines Watts Exeter, Forecast 5 quickly became the solution of choice. What started as a practical workaround grew into a long-term financial planning staple.

🏭 From Timber Manufacturing to Education

In the manufacturing environment, Forecast 5 was used to take the main budget built in Excel and translate it into the four core financial statements required by banks and stakeholders: Profit & Loss, Funds Flow, Balance Sheet, and Cashflow. The ability to move data seamlessly from Excel into Forecast 5 and receive clear, audited statements saved time—and ensured confidence in external reporting.

In January 2024, Carl moved into a new role as Finance Director of West Hatch High School, serving Years 7–13, with an annual income of approximately £15 million and around 1,700 pupils. Here, the budgeting environment changed: the school uses the IMP budgeting tool, which Carl describes as “fabulous,” but which does not include a balance sheet forecasting component.

Despite this, the need for forward visibility remains, especially when planning cash minima a year ahead and understanding how key balance sheet accounts will move through the financial year. Forecast 5 fills that gap.

“Although IMP delivers excellent budgeting functionality, it doesn’t produce a balance sheet,” Carl says. “The Department for Education doesn’t require one for their annual returns, but from decades of training and practice, I simply can’t operate without knowing the cash position twelve months out and how the balance sheet shifts throughout the financial year. Forecast 5 allows me to do exactly that.”

📊 How Forecast 5 Fits Into the School Finance Workflow

Today, Forecast 5 isn’t used as intensively as it was in the manufacturing environment—largely because educational finance places less emphasis on balance sheet reporting—but it remains the tool of choice at key planning points. Data from IMP is exported into Forecast 5 to generate the same four essential statements that ensure financial clarity and satisfy internal and external needs.


Carl highlights that reduced usage is not a reflection on the software, but rather the result of how school financial reporting is structured.

⭐ What Stands Out About Forecast 5

Across both industries—manufacturing and education—three qualities stand out:

  • Simplicity: Forecast 5 doesn’t overload users with unnecessary complexity. Its structure is intuitive for finance professionals who just want accurate outputs without wrestling with software hurdles.
  • Excel Integration: The ability to import and work alongside Excel budgets is cited as a major benefit. “It just works,” Carl says—saving time and reducing friction between planning and actual reporting.
  • Value: At its price point, Forecast 5 delivers powerful forecasting capability without excessive cost.

“Do I see advertising for Forecast 5? Not really. Do I think it can be improved? Probably not""But at the end of the day, does it add up? Yes. Does it tell you if you’re out of balance? Yes.”

🤝 A Trusted Partner for Long-Term Financial Planning

For an experienced finance director working across distinct sectors, the consistency and reliability of Forecast 5 have made it a trusted part of the planning toolkit—whether preparing forecasts for a manufacturing business, or ensuring cash visibility at West Hatch High School.

Website: www.westhatch.net
Contact: Carl Hansen

Role: Director of Finance & Operations

Organisation Type: Education

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