Services to Schools terms and conditions

Please note: some service providers have specific terms and conditions. Please refer to individual service descriptions.

Timescales

Maintained Schools

You will be able to review service terms, descriptions and prices for the coming financial year from the middle of January each year. You can begin building your next year’s order at any time following this, however you will not able to submit (confirm) your order until 1 April at the earliest. Most services are subject to an annual charge therefore you are advised to submit orders as soon as possible during April, and by the last working day of April at the latest. Services with an annual charge can be added later in the year if required, however the full year charge will normally still apply.

For the period between 1 April and the date that you place your order – access to services may still be available at the discretion of the individual service providers concerned. All interim support is provided on the understanding that a service will be purchased for that financial year. If support is provided for a service that is not subsequently purchased you will be charged at prescribed pay-as-you-use rates. Designated pay-as-you-use services (labelled PAYU) can be ordered at any time with no limitations.

East Sussex Academies and Free Schools

You will be able to review prices and service terms for the coming contract year from the middle of January each year. You can begin building your order at any time following this, and must have submitted (confirmed) your order by the week before the date of expiration of your current contract (for existing academies), or by the week before your date of conversion (for new academies) unless otherwise agreed by the Services to School team.

Most services are subject to an annual charge therefore you are advised to commit to all purchases at the outset of your contract. Additional services can be added at any time via a contract variation, however the full year charge will normally still apply. Designated pay-as-you-use services (labelled PAYU) can be added at any time with no limitations.

Orders and variations shall be considered binding when: a) ESCC is in receipt of a confirmed webshop order; b) the order or variation has been signed by an authorised representative of the purchaser and by an authorised representative of the council.

Where it has not been possible for an order or variation to be confirmed and ratified by signature before the expiration of a previous contract (in the case of existing academies) or the date of conversion (for new academies), access to services may still be available at the discretion of the individual service providers concerned. All interim support is provided on the understanding that a service will be purchased for that contract year. If support is provided for a service that is not subsequently purchased, you will be charged at prescribed pay-as-you-use rates.

General Terms

The service price and any basis for the review of pricing are as set out in the webshop service details (n.b. for some services you need to be logged in to access pricing).

Monies owed will be debited by journal transfer in the case of maintained schools and invoiced in the case of academies/free schools and other educational establishments. Invoices should be paid within 30 days of the invoice being received or the services delivered, whichever is the later.

East Sussex County Council reserves the right to withdraw a service either in full or in part in the unlikely event of an error being discovered in the advertised service details. Should such a withdrawal be necessary, any purchasers would be entitled to a full refund.

Cancellation policy

Maintained schools

Some services (clearly identified in the webshop service details) entail a contract with a third party, non County council supplier. By signing up to these services, you are entering into a legal agreement between your school/academy and the supplier concerned and you will be bound to the terms of this contract for its duration. In the event of your school converting to academy status your obligations under this contract will transfer to the new academy. You can cancel most other services (i.e. those provided directly by ESCC) by giving six months’ notice in writing to the Operations Coordinator. Refunds, where available, are at the discretion of the individual service provider.

Some services are only practical to run if a large number of schools subscribe. If any service does not get enough subscriptions it may be withdrawn. If this happens you will be notified well in advance so that you can make alternative arrangements. We will give at least six months’ notice if we intend to discontinue or change a particular service.

Academies and Free Schools

By placing and subsequently ratifying an order with East Sussex Services to Schools you are entering into a legal agreement with East Sussex County Council for the supply of services as detailed in your Webshop order, and for the agreed length of time as specified in the contract documents.

An entire agreement or an Individual Service Order may be terminated:

Forthwith by either party if the other party is in breach of any of its obligations and only if such remedy, which is capable of remedy, fails to remedy such breach within 21 days of receipt of notice thereof in writing or such other period as may be reasonable in the circumstances.
Forthwith by either party if the other party becomes bankrupt or makes any composition or arrangement with his creditors or has a proposal in respect of his company for a voluntary arrangement for a composition of debts or scheme of arrangement approved in accordance with the Insolvency Act 1986, or has an application made under the Insolvency Act 1986 in respect of his company to the court for the appointment of an administrator, or has a winding up order made or (except for the purposes of reconstruction) a resolution for voluntary winding up passed or a receiver or manager of his business or undertaking is duly appointed or has an administrative receiver, as defined in the Insolvency Act 1986, appointed, or possession is taken by or on behalf of any creditor of any property the subject of a charge.
The Council may, in addition to its rights under any other provision of these Conditions, terminate this Agreement or any Individual Service Order at any time by giving the Academy/Free School three months written notice.
Where an individual service order includes the provision of a contracted service then termination shall be in accordance with the express terms of that contract.
Termination shall be without prejudice to any accrued rights or other remedies of the parties.

Notices

Any notice required to be given to the Academy/Free School pursuant to these conditions shall be in writing and may be given:

by delivering the notice to or leaving the notice for the Academy/Free School address; or
posting the notice in a pre-paid envelope addressed to the Academy/Free School; or
by telex/facsimile transmission of the notice to the Academy/Free School

Any notice to the Council under this Agreement or any Individual Service Order shall be in writing and addressed to the Council’s relevant Authorised Officer. Such notice may be delivered by any of the methods described in Clauses 6 (a)-(c) above, and the notice shall be deemed to have been served at the time stipulated therein.

Complaints and compliments procedure

If you are not happy with any aspect of a particular service please contact the Operations Coordinator: stos.enquiries@eastsussex.gov.uk.

If a service is going well please let us know. We might be able to make it even better.