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Event Recording: Selling to Schools Training Day 2026
When
Monday, 31 AugustWhere
Online, On-demandPrice
£110 for BESA members, £200 for non-membersAvailable for a limited time, this recording captures BESA’s Selling to Schools Training Day 2026 – a must-attend event designed to give you the tools, insights, and strategies to successfully sell to schools in today’s evolving educational landscape.
This immersive training day consists of short but impactful presentations and workshops, each packed with practical advice that you can immediately apply to enhance your selling-to-schools strategy!
- Gain Practical Insights – Learn the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the education sector.
- Develop Actionable Strategies – Discover effective sales and marketing techniques that drive results.
- Learn from Experts – Hear success stories from BESA members who have excelled in selling to schools.
Please note that this booking is to purchase the on-demand recording of the training day.
Once you have confirmed your booking, you will receive the conference recording and presentation slides via email.
Bookings open until 31 August 2026.
For any questions, please contact eventsteam@besa.org.uk.
Highlights included in the recording
How Schools & MATs Choose Suppliers
Gain a clear, practical understanding of who truly shapes buying decisions across schools and multi‑academy trusts. This session demystifies the differences between MAT‑led and school‑led procurement and explains why supplier propositions that reduce risk consistently outperform those positioned as “nice to have.”
Split Streams: Sales & Marketing
Choose the track most relevant to your role, or catch up later with recordings. Discover how to open meaningful MAT‑level conversations, articulate value beyond price, and navigate common objections like “we already have a supplier”, and explore the content formats and messages school leaders genuinely pay attention to, and learn how to balance MAT‑focused versus school‑focused storytelling, case studies and peer‑led messaging.
Understanding How Schools Make Purchasing Decisions
A deep dive into the decision‑making processes used within schools and trusts, including what has changed in the wake of the Procurement Act 2024. This session includes practical tender and RFP advice, plus the opportunity to pre‑submit questions for tailored responses.
What We’d Stop, Start & Double Down on in 2026
A forward‑looking, cross‑functional discussion on how budgets will be allocated in the year ahead, what behaviours from suppliers build trust (or undermine it), and how sales and marketing teams can better align their strategies to reflect MAT priorities and shifting sector pressures.
“Easily one of the most useful training days I’ve attended. Practical, sector-specific, and written for people who actually sell into schools rather than people who write marketing books. I came away with a clearer head and a longer to-do list, which is more than most training days manage.”
Stuart Armley-Jones, Managing Director, Student Radar
“BESA’s Selling to Schools seminar left me with practical, actionable insights delivered by experts with a proven track record of success reaching the education market.”
Chris Clark, COO & Head of Partnerships, GeoSnapShot
Chairs
Claire Riddle, Vice President of Marketing and Customer Engagement, Pearson
As Vice President of Marketing and Customer Engagement at Pearson, Claire has significant leadership and commercial experience, with a strong track record of shaping strategy, driving innovation, and delivering growth. She works directly with schools and colleges to understand their needs and ensure that Pearson’s products and services equip teachers to deliver outstanding learning and assessment experiences.
She leads large teams with responsibility for marketing strategy, brand positioning, revenue growth, customer engagement, communications, and service transformation. This combination of commercial and customer-facing responsibilities gives her deep insight into both the opportunities and challenges facing educators and suppliers.
She also champions innovation, particularly in digital and AI-enabled transformation, ensuring that services remain future-focused and aligned to the evolving needs of schools. She shares BESA’s commitment to raising standards, supporting suppliers, and ensuring educators have the tools they need.
Sean Catford, UK Sales Director – Schools, Pearson
Sean is an experienced Sales, Marketing and Operations leader in the UK education market. Delivering business growth and retention through digital and print content and market leading qualifications. Sean has held leadership positions in Reed Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, Hachette Learning and Pearson. He has a broad range of skills and experience in the UK education space through teaching & learning, low and high stakes assessment and associated products and services.
At Pearson Sean leads the Sales Organisation supporting schools in their choice of qualifications and supporting print and digital courseware. He has field sales teams covering National and Regional MATs as well as individual school Heads of Department. Supporting them are retention and Customer Success Specialists all underpinned by a Sales Enablement team. Sean also leads Pearson Schools UK and International courseware customer services team.
Agenda
Welcome from the Chairs
Claire Riddle, Vice President of Marketing and Customer Engagement, Pearson
Sean Catford, UK Sales Director – Schools, Pearson
How Schools & MATs Choose Suppliers (and Why Most Pitches Miss the Mark)
Stella James, CEO, Seventh Sibling
Sales Stream
Key Elements for a Schools Sales Strategy for UK Schools & Colleges
Paul Cherry, Ex Director for UK Sales and Policy, Hachette Learning
Marketing Stream
What School Leaders Actually Read, Click & Trust
Becky Unitt, Head of Product Strategy & Marketing, National Foundation for Educational Research
Welcome back from Chair & Introduction to the Afternoon Activities
Claire Riddle, Vice President of Marketing and Customer Engagement, Pearson
Sean Catford, UK Sales Director – Schools, Pearson
What We’d Stop, Start & Double Down on in 2026
Chair: Claire Edwards, Head of Marketing and Digital, ESPO
Antonio Salveta, Director of Learning – Science, Clarion
Sales Stream
From Product Pitch to Partnership Conversation
Jamie Ganley, Commercial Director, Connecting Education
Kate Redfearn, Founder & Commercial Director, Omni Enablement
Marketing Stream
Designing Campaigns That Support Sales (Not Just Awareness)
Rebecca Fowkes, Senior Director – Growth & Marketing, VenturEd Solutions UK
Wrap-Up & Action Planning
Claire Riddle, Vice President of Marketing and Customer Engagement, Pearson
Sean Catford, UK Sales Director – Schools, Pearson
Speakers
Stella James, CEO, Seventh Sibling
Stella James is the founder of Seventh Sibling, a fractional Chief Revenue Officer consultancy specialising in the education sector. With over 30 years of sales and business development experience, including 12 years working at the heart of the education sector, Stella specialises in helping EdTech companies move beyond feature-led pitching to build the kind of trusted, value-driven relationships that actually win business in schools and trusts.
Stella has built businesses from the ground up, raised private equity investment, and led sales and marketing transformations across the EdTech landscape. She now works as a fractional CRO for a portfolio of EdTech clients, bringing senior commercial leadership to growing businesses without the full-time overhead.
Alongside her consultancy work, Stella has developed a suite of CPD-certified online courses through her B2Education platform, covering everything from concept selling to international reseller strategy. She also hosts B2Education Unpacked — The Education Growth Podcast, which launches in May 2026.
Stella is widely regarded as one of the most experienced voices in EdTech sales, and brings a refreshingly direct, no-nonsense perspective to everything she does.
Paul Cherry, Ex Director for UK Sales and Policy, Hachette Learning
I am recently retired from being Director for Policy and UK Sales at Hachette Learning (formerly Hodder Education). Hachette Learning is one of the largest educational publishers in the UK with the Sales team working across teaching-and-learning solutions, assessment materials and professional development.
I have spent almost 40 years working in journals and educational publishing, firstly at The Royal Society, then Collins Education, with a brief spell running my own consultancy business.
I was a Board member of the Educational Publishers Council and have worked as a trainer with Publishing Training Centre. I am a school governor at a secondary school in east London.
Becky Unitt, Head of Product Strategy & Marketing, National Foundation for Educational Research
Becky Unitt is Head of Product Strategy & Marketing at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). NFER’s mission for 75 years has been to improve outcomes for future generations everywhere and to support positive change across education systems. With over 15 years of experience in the education sector at both UK and global levels, Becky is a strategic marketing leader dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for all. She has deep expertise in developing go-to-market strategies and driving cross-functional collaboration, leads product development and has spearheaded major online product launches for NFER and Coursera. This expertise is combined with an understanding of the realities of school life gained through her role as a primary school governor. Passionate about UK education and EdTech, Becky is aligned with BESA’s mission to drive innovation and growth within the sector, and advocates for research, policy, and practice to positively impact education organisations nationwide.
Claire Edwards, Head of Marketing and Digital, ESPO
Claire Edwards is Head of Marketing and Digital at ESPO, one of the UK’s largest public‑sector owned professional buying organisations. She leads marketing, digital and customer engagement activity across multiple brands and a wide range of products and services.
Working closely with schools, trusts, local authorities and suppliers, Claire has a strong, practical understanding of how schools buy and what really influences decision‑making. She will be sharing her experience to help others suppliers navigate the education market with effective sales and marketing activity.
A Chartered Marketer and regular industry speaker, Claire enjoys sharing insight on selling to schools, digital engagement and building trust in public‑sector procurement.
Antonio Salveta, Director of Learning – Science, Clarion
Antonio Salveta is Director of Learning – Science at Clarion School. He has been teaching in the UK since 2013 and is in his third year in the current role. He has particular interests in teaching and learning, curriculum and assessment, and more able learners.
Jamie Ganley, Commercial Director, Connecting Education
Jamie Ganley is an accomplished commercial leader within the education sector, specialising in strategic partnerships with schools and education organisations across areas including organisational development, recruitment, continuing professional development (CPD), and compliance. He currently serves as Commercial Director at Connecting Education, where he supports education-facing businesses in securing high-impact talent, alongside leading recruitment initiatives for central service functions within Multi-Academy Trusts. In parallel, Jamie provides consultancy to a number of EdTech organisations, advising on international expansion strategies and market entry. Adopting a collaborative and relationship-led approach, Jamie works closely with senior leaders to understand complex challenges, share sector best practice, and deliver tailored, outcome-focused solutions. He is known for his strong stakeholder engagement and strategic insight, supported by a growing network across the education landscape. Committed to continuous professional development, Jamie remains well-informed on emerging trends in education, policy, and workforce development. Outside of work Jamie plays Underwater Rugby (yes that’s a thing!), has two cats and holds a passion for ancient history.
Kate Redfearn, Founder & Commercial Director, Omni Enablement
I build and scale global GTM enablement functions that drive measurable revenue performance.
With 20+ years experience across sales, leadership and commercial training & enablement, in SaaS and enterprise environments, I specialise in turning complex commercial challenges into structured, scalable execution programmes aligned to measurable growth.
My focus is performance — not activity.
Rebecca Fowkes, Senior Director – Growth & Marketing, VenturEd Solutions UK
Rebecca Fowkes is a senior international marketing leader, passionate about education and technology. With over a decade of experience in Education and EdTech, she has driven growth and impact across Education organisations by supporting schools and championing inclusive learning worldwide.
To ask any questions, please email eventsteam@besa.org.uk.
