Frequently Asked Questions

The Traded Services Agreement is an agreement between the school/academy and Nottingham City Council.

What period does the External Contract Traded Services Agreement Cover?

The Traded Services Agreement covers 1, 2 or 3 years from April to March for community Schools which brings ESN in line with Schools financial year. The Agreement covers 1,2 or 3 years from September to August for Academies in line with the Academies financial year.

This can also be amended for external schools outside of Nottingham City to match their financial year.

Who signs the Traded Services Agreement or Contract?

There are no longer any paper contracts to sign separately.  We ask that orders are placed only by school staff that are authorised to commit expenditure e.g. the Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher or the Finance/Business Manager for the School or Academy. Once an order, or paper order form for ad-hoc services, has been submitted, it will form a legal contract.

Who can I talk to about the specific services that my school may require?

The information in this website provides a general overview of services available for schools to purchase. For more detailed information, we suggest that you speak to the contact person detailed for each offer. This person can explain the services they can provide in more detail and help you identify what programmes or packages on offer would most appropriately meet your needs.

Do the prices include VAT?

Prices quoted do not include VAT.

Who can place an order?

Orders should be placed by a member of school/academy staff who is authorised to commit expenditure. However if you have negotiated a bespoke package that is not listed online please either write this in the 'Notes' section of your order form or send an additional email to  where you will receive a reply to say that this has been added to your order.

If your School or Academy is submitting a paper form then we ask that each order form is signed by a member of staff duly authorised to commit expenditure. It is, ultimately, the school, academy or other organisation's responsibility to ensure that order forms are appropriately signed by a duly authorised staff member or governor. If your School, Academy or Organisation are submitting an emailed order form then this will be deemed as committing to the expenditure due to the inability to sign the electronic form.

Will you accept emailed orders?

Yes. Orders can be emailed to However, please note the points below about signatures:

Orders sent directly from the Chair of Governors, Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher or Finance/Business Manager's email accounts do not need to be signed - we will class these as an appropriate e-signature on behalf of the school.

If you have any difficulties, please contact the ESN Team for help and advice at 0115 876 4598

What if I want to order more services part way through the year?

If you want to order a service at any point during the year, simply email the details to  where you will receive a reply to say that this has been added to your order.

If I order more services midyear, will I need to sign a new Traded Services Agreement or Contact?

No. You only need to agree to the terms and conditions in the Traded Services Agreement/Contract once.  This provides for additional services to be added without the need to enter into a new agreement/contract.

What if my school is becoming an academy or amalgamating this year?

If your school status is changing during the year please contact Michelle Gabbitas to discuss prices on 0115 876 4598 or email