Dragon Speech Recognition Licensing for UK Schools
Dragon speech recognition converts speech to text. In UK education it is most often used for accessibility support and to reduce the administrative writing load on staff.
SAM UK supplies Dragon licensing for schools, academies, colleges and other organisations, and can help identify the appropriate current product for the intended use.
Where Dragon is used in schools and organisations
- Pupils and students who find writing or typing a barrier to producing work
- Staff dictating reports, assessments and correspondence
- Accessibility and inclusion provision
- Administrative and back-office documentation
- Professional dictation in non-education organisations
Whether Dragon is suitable in a particular case is a decision for the institution and its support professionals. SAM UK supplies the licensing rather than making assessments.
Dragon Professional v16 or Dragon Professional Anywhere?
| Option | Deployment approach | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Professional v16 | Professional Dragon software installed in a Windows desktop environment | The requirement centres on locally installed professional speech recognition |
| Dragon Professional Anywhere | Cloud-native professional speech recognition using a Windows client and centrally managed service | An organisation needs centrally managed speech recognition across defined users or locations |
Dragon Professional v16 is the locally installed Windows desktop product. Dragon Professional Anywhere is a separate cloud-native professional service that uses a Windows client connected to the Nuance-hosted service, and is intended for centrally managed organisational deployments, including supported virtualised environments. Dragon Anywhere Mobile is a distinct mobile product and is not a substitute for Dragon Professional Anywhere.
Current features, system requirements and availability are set by the vendor. Check the Dragon Professional product page, the Dragon Professional Anywhere product page and the wider Dragon product range before finalising a specification.
What SAM UK needs for a Dragon quote
- Organisation type
- Number of users
- Intended use, such as accessibility support or staff dictation
- Whether use is on desktop, laptop, mobile or a mix
- Whether devices are shared or individually assigned
- Existing Dragon version or licence, if any
- Whether the requirement is new licensing or a renewal
- Renewal or expiry date where known
Please do not include named pupil or individual medical detail in the enquiry form. Describe the requirement in general terms and SAM UK will follow up.
Dragon licensing questions
Is Dragon useful for accessibility support in schools?
Dragon speech recognition is commonly used where writing by hand or typing is a barrier, and where staff need to dictate reports and documentation. Whether it is appropriate for a specific pupil or member of staff is a decision for the institution and its support professionals.
What is Dragon Professional v16?
Dragon Professional v16 is Nuance's current professional Windows desktop speech-recognition product.
What is Dragon Professional Anywhere?
Dragon Professional Anywhere is Nuance's cloud-native professional speech-recognition service for organisational deployments. It uses a different deployment model from locally installed Dragon Professional v16.
Can Dragon licences be bought for multiple users?
Yes. Send the number of users, the intended use and the devices involved and SAM UK will confirm the current licensing route and quantities.
Does SAM UK provide Dragon training or assessment?
SAM UK supplies licensing. Assessment of an individual's needs and any specialist training are usually handled by the institution's own accessibility or SEN provision.
How is a Dragon renewal handled?
Provide the current licence type, version, number of users and renewal or expiry date where known, and SAM UK will check the current renewal position.
Sources and review
Dragon products, editions and availability change over time. This page was reviewed against the current official Dragon product pages, and the vendor remains the authority on features and system requirements.
- Dragon by Nuance — Product range
- Dragon Professional v16 — Official product page
- Dragon Professional Anywhere — Official product page
Last reviewed: 21 August 2026. Next review due: February 2027.
See also school software licensing and our wider software licensing guidance.
Request a Dragon licensing quote
Tell us the number of users, the intended use and the devices involved. See also school software licensing.