The Ship Has Far From Sailed

There are three words that loom heavy throughout every teacher's summer holiday - 'back to school'. Up and down the country, a date in early September will be circled on calendars and shops will be replenishing supplies of stationery equipment, iron-on labels and black leather shoes. Order is restored and morning traffic gets worse... behold, the new school term has begun.

There is the inevitable clamour in September for those marketing to the education sector to get their campaigns landing in school inboxes as soon as possible into the new semester. For many, September is the perfect time to send that email as teachers are well-recovered and eager to sail smoothly through the inevitable choppy waters of academia. It may also be imperative to get your product at the forefront of teachers' minds if it's an event with an upcoming deadline or a special deal about to expire.

However, there is also a need to keep calm and not worry about missing the HMS Back to School boat. It is myth that schools start the academic year with their annual pot of cash ready to spend big throughout the autumn term. School budgets and funding streams are released steadily throughout the calendar year and there may well be key dates or events within the school curriculum that better align to your campaign strategy. Pupil premium and sports premium funding streams are released several times throughout the year. If your goal is to target teachers feeling exam pressure, don't forget the lead up to mock exams and consider how national campaigns such as Anti-Bullying Week or World Book Day could give your campaign that extra sparkle.

Here at Sprint Education, we're always mapping our strategies against the sector's vast year planner ensuring our emails are a timely and welcome addition to a teacher's account. Our Campus users are able to send their campaigns around the clock and can even schedule to the hour when they want their emails to be sent. Don't be afraid to use your email as a nudge to remind teachers just how well placed you are to guide them through their hectic term.

Here are a few dates we've highlighted, knowing that an email that arrives during this timeframe will really stand out in that crowded inbox.

• 27 September and 7 October - Pupil Premium Instalment released to schools. A grant that gives publicly funded schools in England extra resources to help improve the academic outcomes of disadvantaged pupils. Can your business offer strategies to schools which will have the potential to impact positively on all pupils?

• 10 October - World Mental Health Day. What resources can you offer teachers that will promote good mental wellbeing across a school?

• 29 October and 1 November - PE and Sport Premium Funding Released. £320million will be allocated this year as part of making additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of physical education offered in schools. Can you provide training or resources to help staff teach sport more effectively? Do you supply sport equipment or can you host sport clubs?

• 5 November - Guy Fawkes Day

• 10 November - Remembrance Sunday

• 11 - 15 November - Anti-Bullying Week. As a Campus user, why not create a free resource for teachers to refer to this week, downloading the content from your lead generation form?

• 4 - 18 November - Mock Exams Taking Place

• 29 November - Condition Improvement Fund Registration Deadline. Remind academies and sixth form colleges that they can apply for capital funding to address the condition of their buildings. With funding available to keep college buildings safe and in good working order, does this give you any opportunities to promote your business?

To quote Benjamin Franklin; “There is nothing in this world can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” We're happy to include 'back to school' as a certainty but don't forget exams, lesson planning, school inspections, field trips, homework, nativity plays, sports days... the list goes on. September may well be the first ship to leave the dock after a summer of calm seas, but there is a whole flotilla of boats ready for you to captain and plenty of passengers happy for you to lead the way.

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Email Teachers How to Sell to Schools Schools Spending

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