Corporate Procurement

Schools

Following significant changes in legislation since the 1988 Education Reform Act, and accelerated by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (26) responsibility for the majority of local authority education funding is delegated to Schools' Governing Bodies.

The increasing size of budgets, and the range of services delegated to schools, places an ever-greater responsibility on School Governors and managers to make effective arrangements for the purchasing of supplies and services.

It is important that schools are able to embrace the opportunities offered by the increased funding, and maximise the effectiveness of their spending to raise educational attainment and reduce bureaucracy.

Schools have freedom to choose their own suppliers or providers for many of their services.

However most maintained schools have continued to receive or purchase the majority of their advisory and support services from their local education authority.

It is likely that an increasing range of services will be offered to schools by a variety of alternative providers from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

You can find more information in the Schools Procurement Guide PDF 304K