TCC

We’re supporting a primary school client who has encountered an issue with terminating their SIMS/FMS contract with ESS (ParentPay Group). We're keen to understand if other schools have had similar experiences and how they approached or resolved the situation. Summary of the situation: The school intended not to renew its SIMS and FMS contract, which was due to auto-renew in March 2025 for another three years. On 20 December 2024, the school contacted their ESS account manager via email to give notice. The manager responded by instructing them to liaise directly with the ESS Contracts Team and copied in the relevant email contact. The school followed this instruction and sent an email to the Contracts Team the same day (20 December) stating they did not wish to renew. No response was received from ESS until six weeks later, when a pre-invoice arrived. By that point, the school had entered into an agreement with an alternative MIS provider and had begun migrating data. ESS has now responded, asserting that notice was not validly given. They are claiming that: The school failed to terminate the contract in accordance with their Terms and Conditions. Notice had to be provided via hard-copy letter sent through the post (rather than email). As no hard copy was sent by 31 December 2024, the contract has now rolled over for another three-year term. The school argues that: They acted in good faith by following the advice of their account manager. If ESS had responded promptly, they would have had time to send a letter before the cut-off. They sent their cancellation email on 31 December, which was still within the 90-day window required by the contract. We’re keen to hear from any schools who: Have had a similar experience with contract termination or rollover issues with ESS/ParentPay. Successfully challenged ESS’ interpretation of the notice process. Have any tips or strategies that worked in resolving the issue—whether through formal legal channels or negotiated outcomes. Any insight would be greatly appreciated—feel free to share publicly or message privately if preferred.