Buying with other schools

On this page

Buying with other schools as a group

Schools and kura can work together as a group to increase their buying power.

Buying as a group can:

give access to better prices and contract terms
save time by not having to negotiate with suppliers individually
encourage more schools to share information about reputable and trusted suppliers.

Contact other schools to ask if they would be interested in buying as a group.
Gather information about the supplier contracts the other schools have. Work out the group's requirements and when opportunities to buy will come up.
Select a 'lead school' to take responsibility for communication with the supplier and organising the group.
Reach agreement as a group of how all group members will work together to purchase the goods or services.

You can use our buying agreement templates for low-risk and low-value purchases.

Shared goods purchase agreement template

Shared services purchase agreement template

A group of schools can employ a specialist staff member who will split their time between each school.

A specialist staff members could be a:

When you agree to hire a shared staff member, it is crucial that each school in the agreement understands:

Find other local schools that need the same expertise.
Develop a position description defining the key roles and responsibilities of the employee.
Finalise an agreement between all schools sharing the employee.

You can use our agreement templates for shared staff members.

Shared staff member agreement template

With the agreement in place, you can hire the employee.

Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa (formerly New Zealand School Trustees Association) can provide advice about hiring a shared staff member.

YEAR LEVEL

SCHOOL TYPE