Purchase terms for a school or academy trust buying services

A school buys with public money, under procurement rules, for a site full of children, and every supplier who comes through the gate is the school's responsibility while they are there. Purchase terms have to sit within the procurement framework, require safeguarding checks and conduct from supplier staff, protect pupil data, fit delivery to term time, and let the school end a contract when funding or circumstances change. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Schools, academy trusts, colleges and early years settings in England and Wales buying services (catering, cleaning, IT, grounds, tuition, consultancy) and goods from commercial suppliers under their procurement policies. These are business-to-business terms for the school's side.

What matters in a school's purchase terms

Procurement rules and authority to commit

Schools and trusts buy under their procurement policy and, above the thresholds, the Procurement Act 2023, and the terms should say that the contract is awarded under that process, that no variation increases the value beyond what the process allows without a further process, and who at the school may commit it. A supplier who agrees an extension with a head of department has agreed nothing the trust's scheme of delegation did not authorise, and the terms should say so.

Safeguarding, checks and conduct on site

Supplier staff working on site or with pupils must be vetted as the school's safeguarding policy requires, with criminal record checks at the appropriate level where the role is regulated activity under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, and the terms should require the supplier to provide evidence before staff attend, to comply with the school's safeguarding, visitor and behaviour policies, to report concerns, and to remove any member of staff at the school's request. The school's duties under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to visitors and contractors sit alongside the supplier's own.

Pupil data and confidentiality

Pupil and staff data is sensitive, and where a supplier processes it the terms should include the mandatory processor provisions under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, require security to a stated standard, breach notification within a stated short period, no processing outside the UK without consent and safeguards, and deletion or return at the end. Suppliers of software to schools need particular attention to what they do with pupil data, and the terms should prohibit use for the supplier's own purposes.

Delivery, term time and performance

Services should be delivered around the school calendar, and the terms should set the hours and days, say that access during holidays is by arrangement, that the supplier performs with reasonable care and skill under section 13 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 to the specification, and that service levels and remedies apply where the service is continuous. Goods must comply with the safety rules that apply to them and be suitable for use in a school.

Funding, payment, audit and termination

Payment is on the school's stated terms from a correct invoice, with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 allowing an agreed period that is not grossly unfair, and the terms should give the school audit rights over the supplier's charges and records. The school should be able to terminate on notice, for breach, for insolvency, where funding is withdrawn, and where the supplier's conduct raises a safeguarding concern, and the supplier should comply with the Bribery Act 2010 and support the trust's obligations under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 where they apply.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A supplier's engineer came on site during the day without a check and worked in a corridor. Whose fault?

The supplier's under the terms, if they require evidence of checks before staff attend and compliance with the visitor policy. The school's own procedures should have stopped them at reception; the terms are what lets the school hold the supplier to account.

A department head verbally agreed a year's extension with a supplier. Are we bound?

If the terms say variations need written agreement from a person the scheme of delegation authorises, no. Tell the supplier promptly and follow the procurement process for any extension.

Can we end a catering contract if our numbers fall and the funding goes?

If the terms allow termination on notice where funding is withdrawn or reduced, yes, with payment for services delivered. Without that term the school is bound for the contract period.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Purchase terms for a charity buying goods and services
• Reviewing a school or academy trust supplier contract

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.