Cleared out equipment

[kesomir]

WHen schools go BSF am I right in assuming that a lot of equipment will be effectively thrown out?

If so are any schools looking to sell off said equipment cheap?

I'd be interested purchasing such kit at rock bottom prices for my school.

[Friez]

WHen schools go BSF am I right in assuming that a lot of equipment will be effectively thrown out?

If so are any schools looking to sell off said equipment cheap?

I'd be interested purchasing such kit at rock bottom prices for my school.

I would imagine we would have no say by that time anyway. And besides, you're going to get BSF'd too right?

[GrumbleDook]

(damn ... commenting on BSF already ... sort of!)
When a school is closed (de to rebuilds under PFI, BSF, due to mergers or due to falling rolls) the assets are usually returned to the LA. THe LA will the issue out these assets to schools that could use them. Because not all schools in an LA will be completed at the same time it means that kit can be moved around.

I have recently seen a chunk allocated to Pupil Referral Units, Primary schools and Special schools. Assets are rarely thrown away and if they are to be then tell your local primaries what is happening so they can get letters into the LA to request the kit.

[MK-2]

GD: Is that the party line for all LAs?
I only ask as we have been told that about 4 IT suites worth of our kit will just be written off, so presumably recycled. These machines still work, but as they aren't in 3 year warranty time-scale or up to the BSF specs we aren't allowed to keep them (without large fees)

[GrumbleDook]

It is the recommendation as it allows for schools that are having to scale back their ICT spend prior to PFI or BSF to still have a reasonable chance of having enough kit to run their curriculum.

If you are in doubt then contact your LA and ask to speak with Buildings and Capital about it.

Under the Becta targets for LAs, best-value procurement means that assets should be reused where possible. However, for some LAs the cost to the LA of managing such a programme of sharing, etc might not be viable (lack of staff etc) which is why you might be surprised as to how quickly your hand gets bitten off if you offer to help out.

Also, be aware that politics may not allow you to move kits between certain schools ... I hate to say it, but it happens and it varies from school to school, from LA to LA, from project to project.

[Grommit]

GD: Is that the party line for all LAs?
I only ask as we have been told that about 4 IT suites worth of our kit will just be written off, so presumably recycled. These machines still work, but as they aren't in 3 year warranty time-scale or up to the BSF specs we aren't allowed to keep them (without large fees)

How can this be best practice and good for the enviroment .. The BSF is a disaster

[dhicks]

I'd be interested purchasing such kit at rock bottom prices for my school.

Me too! We're private, so it looks like the only effect BSF is likely to have on us is a sudden glut of second-hand educational goodies. We'll be quite happy to take any of that burdensome year-old IT equipment off your hands...

--
David Hicks

[Gatt]

Hmm... I'm thinking some BOFH approach on teh kit when the time comes..

[Sirbendy]

We're not going BSF as such...we're moving to a new custom built academy in 2009, with new kit throughout...much like Walsall and Sandwell academies. We'll be along those lines and design, I expect.

However, yes..same thing happening. Kit bought after we seperated from the LEA is effectively "ours", and some things like the waxjet, the LJ 4250's, the dual and quad core Poweredges and (hopefully)the VOIP kit will be coming with us (unofficially) as backup kit. Pre seperation kit, as I understand it, will remain here and be returned to LEA ownership, and presumably redistributed.

Some of the "us" kit that's not worth taking (p4/p3) will be available for staff..or that's what we're thinking so far. I've drawn up the disclaimers etc.



As you say, a glut of second hand kit..

[kesomir]

I would imagine we would have no say by that time anyway. And besides, you're going to get BSF'd too right?

Nope. Private.