It is not always obvious whether an arrangement is an operating or a finance lease. Both involve a lessee/school paying to use something that is owned by a third party, but a finance lease tends to be for the entirety of the equipment’s working life. Trusts can only enter into finance leases for certain items that are considered to be ‘safe bets’. Before entering into a finance lease, suppliers should be carefully vetted – even though they are officially ‘approved’. By relaxing the rules around finance leases, the government has taken steps to help schools improve the quality of their facilities and become more sustainable.