Academy Status

[Sigo19]

Hi everyone,

 

we are about to go through the process of changing over to a academy, I was just wondering what implications that would have on all the current licenses we currently have in place.

 

Once we have became will these licenses still be in place, or will i need to contact each provider and ask them to provide a new license with the academy name on instead of the school name?

 

If anyone has gone through this process, could you please explain what was needed from you regarding this process.

 

Many thanks,

Simon

[zag]

Should be fine. We kept ours exactly the same.

[FN-GM]

By law they cant make you buy new.

[localzuk]

I went through all the licenses for our school when we converted. All of them said one of 2 things - 'it just transfers' or 'send us a form with your new details'. That is, except Capita which make you buy a new license for SIMS.net (as the old license is via your LEA usually, you'd need to check), and Adobe, as Adobe's license conditions specifically stated that the license didn't transfer to new entities etc... However, Adobe changed their view on that, so they are in the 'transfers' group.

 

I compiled a list here - Software License Transfer for Academies - Wiki

[localzuk]

By law they cant make you buy new.

 

Evidence of this? Pretty sure that with B2B licenses, they are allowed to specify things like that.

[FN-GM]

Evidence of this? Pretty sure that with B2B licenses, they are allowed to specify things like that.

 

Just looking someone on here posted a link but i cant find it. It was something along the lines of your changing the name of the school its not a new enity as such,

[localzuk]

Just looking someone on here posted a link but i cant find it. It was something along the lines of your changing the name of the school its not a new enity as such,

 

The school isn't just changing its name though, it is becoming a new legal entity. They have to register as a such with Companies House.

[AngryTechnician]

Didn't the DfE make some noise about the whole SIMS re-purchasing and put a stop to it?

[localzuk]

Didn't the DfE make some noise about the whole SIMS re-purchasing and put a stop to it?

 

Nope. The price has dropped a fair amount, but you still have to buy a new license.

[GrumbleDook]

Just looking someone on here posted a link but i cant find it. It was something along the lines of your changing the name of the school its not a new enity as such,

 

This will vary depending on how the Academy is being set up, who the original school was, who purchased the assets (and licences are assets) and so on.

 

The EFA is the best place to ask (and IIRC this is one area they have previously given advice but I will check again) and there are a number of groups who specifically sell legal and contractual advice to schools as the become or convert to academies.

[Sylv3r]

All our licences remained apart from CAPITA as mentioned above, we did write to those computers who we purchase a subscription / support from just to inform them of our change of name, none of them got back to say we owed any more due to the transfer to academy status. We took the liberty when we were repurchasing our SIMS licences to move to SAGE 200 instead of FMS as we felt it just offered us that little bit more with regards to reporting etc.