Copyright in education resources – DfT helps schools to keep on the right side of licensing

For school teaching staff to perform their roles effectively will invariably involve working with materials supplied to the school for use in the classroom, much of it commercially produced. Authors, publishers and others involved in the process of getting these materials to the classroom all expect to be appropriately rewarded, particularly for the intellectual input ensuring the resources schoolteachers have available are excellent in their educational impact.

In many cases reproduction or even modification of materials provided is permitted, and perhaps even encouraged through the nature of the publication being used. But actions of this kind bring into question the extent of the rights granted through the publisher.

For many years the Department for Education has been instrumental in facilitating omnibus copyright licences for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in England. This initiative helps schools save money and administrative time by covering almost all their copyright requirements. The licences allow schools to copy, re-use, and share content from various sources for non-commercial, educational purposes.

School leaders are expected to ensure all activities are adequately covered by the licences and that staff follow the terms and conditions of these. The licences cover a range of content, including printed materials, radio and TV broadcasts, and music performances. But with limitations – such as a restriction on the proportion of a work that can be reproduced at any time.

DfT publishes and regularly updated a guidance document with information on what content can be used and how to gain other permissions. The current version of the guide can be accessed here.