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Selling to Schools 2026
When
Thursday, 14 May 10:00am - 4:00pmWhere
OnlinePrice
From £120 + VAT and feesBESA is excited to present the ever-popular Selling to Schools Training Day, 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.
- Network with Industry Peers – Connect with fellow professionals, share insights, and build relationships.
Agenda Highlights
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.
Hands‑On Breakouts
Put the morning’s learning into action with highly practical, small‑group sessions designed to produce real outputs you can take back to your organisation. Work through a realistic MAT scenario to craft a compelling opener and a follow‑up email that genuinely adds value—no “just checking in” messages allowed, or audit a real campaign example and refine the essentials: one subject line, one headline, and one CTA that aligns with what schools actually prioritise.
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.
BESA will not be offering refunds for this event. It is possible to transfer your ticket to a colleague at any point from the time of booking to 7 working days before the event.
Chair
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.
Timings
10:00am
Joint Welcome & Sector Context
10:15am
Welcome from the Chair
10:35am
How Schools & MATs Choose Suppliers (and Why Most Pitches Miss the Mark)
11:00am
Sales Stream
Selling at Trust Level Without Being Ignored
Marketing Stream
What School Leaders Actually Read, Click & Trust
11:40am
Comfort break
11:45am
Small breakout rooms:
Sales Stream
Sales Breakout Activity: Live Deal Surgery: From First Contact to Close
Marketing Stream
Marketing Breakout Activity: Fix the Funnel: Audit Your Current Marketing
12:30pm
Regroup & Recap
12:35pm
Lunch
1:25pm
Welcome back from Chair & Introduction to the Afternoon Activities
1:30pm
What We’d Stop, Start & Double Down on in 2026
2:15pm
Sales Stream
From Product Pitch to Partnership Conversation
Marketing Stream
Designing Campaigns That Support Sales (Not Just Awareness)
2:55pm
Comfort break
3:00pm
Small breakout rooms:
Sales Stream
Sales Breakout Activity: The MAT Meeting Role-Play
Marketing Stream
Marketing Breakout Activity: Build a MAT Campaign in 40 Minutes
3:45pm
Joint Wrap-Up & Action Planning
4:00pm
Close of meeting
“Thank you BESA for your informative and engaging Selling to Schools webinar day. I found the presenters knowledgeable and skilled in their expertise. I’ve come away with some good strategy ideas for future consideration. I look forward to the next one.”
Nicola Allen, Sales and Marketing Director, Educake
“I had misgivings about spending 6 hours on a Zoom and had thought about bailing but, I’m really glad I didn’t as I found it very entertaining and informative and very worthwhile.”
Colin Horn, Managing Director, Grosvenor Interiors
If you aren’t a BESA member we please ask that you ensure you book the tickets that are indicated for Non-Members – otherwise your ticket will be refunded.
BESA will not be offering refunds for this event. It is possible to transfer your ticket to a colleague at any point from the time of booking to 7 working days before the event.
To ask any questions, please email eventsteam@besa.org.uk.
Will it be recorded?
Yes, the webinar will be recorded. If you register, you’ll receive a link to the recording once it is processed, so you can watch it at your convenience.
Will the slides be shared afterwards?
Yes, the slides will be shared after the webinar. Registered attendees will receive a copy via email following the session.
What software is the webinar hosted on?
The webinar will be hosted on Zoom. Once you register, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link and joining instructions.
Can I ask questions during the webinar?
Yes! Attendees can ask questions via the chat or Q&A function. If you prefer, you can also submit questions anonymously through the Q&A feature.
