Researching a school before contacting it should help you decide whether the school is genuinely relevant, who is most likely to care about your offer and whether the purchasing decision is likely to sit locally or elsewhere.
It should not be an exercise in collecting random facts to make a generic sales email look personalised.
A supplier can spend 20 minutes reading a school website and still learn nothing commercially useful. It may mention the school’s values, quote a recent newsletter and congratulate the headteacher on an event, yet fail to establish whether the school has the problem the supplier solves, whether the contact owns that problem or whether the school can choose the provider.
Good research answers practical questions:
- Is this the right kind of school for the offer?
- Is the school part of a multi-academy trust?
- Is the relevant decision likely to be local or central?
- Who owns the problem?
- What publicly available evidence suggests the offer may be relevant?
- Is there an existing system, supplier or programme?
- Is there a credible reason to contact the school now?
- What should the supplier avoid assuming?
The aim is not to know everything about the school before making contact. Public information will rarely reveal the full budget, internal priorities, procurement timetable or satisfaction with an existing provider.
Instead, research should help you form a sensible hypothesis that can be confirmed—or disproved—through a respectful conversation.
This guide explains how to research a school before contacting it, which sources are useful, how to identify meaningful buying signals and how to avoid the common mistakes that make researched outreach feel intrusive, insensitive or artificial.
Decide what you need to learn before you start researching
Research becomes inefficient when the supplier opens a school website without knowing what it is looking for.
Begin with your ideal customer profile.
The guide to defining your ideal school customer explains how phase, size, trust structure, geography, buyer role, budget fit and delivery capacity can be used to identify stronger prospects.
Turn that profile into a short research brief.
For example, a regional IT provider might need to establish:
- whether the school is a primary, secondary or special school;
- its approximate pupil numbers;
- whether it belongs to a MAT;
- whether IT appears to be managed locally or centrally;
- whether the school is inside the supplier’s service area;
- whether it already names an external IT provider;
- who appears to oversee technology or operations;
- whether any public information suggests an upcoming infrastructure change.
A school furniture supplier might research:
- school phase and size;
- number and type of buildings;
- recent expansion or refurbishment;
- premises or business leadership;
- trust estates arrangements;
- planned capital work;
- geographic delivery feasibility.
A SEND provider might need to know:
- school phase and setting;
- whether the school has specialist provision;
- the publicly named SENCO or inclusion lead;
- the type of need the provider is qualified to support;
- whether the decision appears school-level or trust-wide;
- whether the supplier can deliver safely and within its professional scope.
Write down the minimum information needed to make three decisions:
- Should we contact this organisation?
- Which role should we contact?
- What relevant reason do we have for contacting it?
Everything else is optional.
This prevents research from becoming a search for decorative personalisation.
For example, the following information may be true but commercially irrelevant:
- the school recently held a summer fair;
- the headteacher appeared in a local newspaper;
- pupils won a sports competition;
- the school’s values include respect and resilience.
Do not mention these facts merely to prove that you visited the website.
Research should change the substance of the approach. It should influence:
- whether you contact the school at all;
- which product or package you present;
- which role receives the message;
- which problem you discuss;
- which case study you use;
- whether the approach should go to an academy or central trust team;
- which questions you ask.
Confirm the school’s basic identity and organisational structure
Begin with the facts that determine whether the school fits your market.
Record:
- official school name;
- URN;
- phase;
- establishment type;
- age range;
- pupil numbers;
- address and region;
- local authority;
- academy or maintained status;
- trust membership;
- open, closed or proposed status;
- main website;
- headteacher or principal where current.
The official Get Information about Schools service is the main register of schools, colleges and other education establishments in England. It can also be used to search academy trusts, sponsors, federations and other establishment groups.
AllSchools profiles can help suppliers explore this information in a more commercially practical way, including school locations, trust relationships and other school characteristics.
Do not rely only on a search-engine result.
Several schools can have similar names, and some websites remain online after a school closes, merges, converts or transfers to another trust.
Use the URN as the stable identifier where possible.
Check whether the school belongs to a MAT
This is one of the most important research steps.
An academy may look independent on its website while major purchasing decisions are controlled by a central trust team.
Check:
- the trust name;
- number of academies in the trust;
- the phases and locations of those academies;
- the trust website;
- central leadership roles;
- the trust’s scheme of delegation where published;
- whether the category appears to be managed centrally.
A MAT’s scheme of delegation should explain how responsibilities are distributed between members, trustees, committees, local governance and executive leadership.
It may not provide every operational purchasing threshold, but it can help reveal whether academy leaders have significant autonomy or whether key decisions are centralised.
The research question is not simply:
“Is this school in a MAT?”
It is:
“At which level is this particular type of purchase likely to be controlled?”
A trust may centralise:
- IT infrastructure;
- finance systems;
- payroll and HR;
- legal services;
- insurance;
- energy;
- major estates work;
- cybersecurity;
- trust-wide training.
The same trust may allow academies to choose:
- small curriculum resources;
- local educational visits;
- one-off workshops;
- minor local services;
- school-specific interventions.
Do not contact every academy separately until you understand the likely buying level.
Check for recent organisational change
Look for:
- academy conversion;
- transfer to another MAT;
- school merger;
- new executive leadership;
- trust expansion;
- new school opening;
- site relocation;
- federation changes;
- planned closure or reorganisation.
Organisational change can affect contact accuracy, budgets and purchasing authority.
It can also create opportunities, but avoid assuming that every change means the school is ready to buy. A recently transferred academy may be required to adopt the new trust’s existing systems rather than choose its own.
Research the school website for roles, priorities and current provision
The school website is usually the richest source of practical context.
Do not read it from beginning to end. Search the sections most relevant to your offer.
Leadership and staff pages
Look for:
- headteacher or principal;
- deputy and assistant headteachers;
- school business manager;
- operations or finance manager;
- SENCO or inclusion lead;
- designated safeguarding lead;
- IT or network manager;
- premises or site manager;
- curriculum and subject leaders;
- communications or marketing staff.
Job titles alone do not prove purchasing authority. They help you identify the likely problem owner and route into the organisation.
The guide to finding the right contact at a school explains how to distinguish users, champions, budget holders, reviewers and approvers.
Policies
Policies can reveal who owns a responsibility and how the school currently approaches it.
Depending on the offer, useful policies may include:
- attendance;
- behaviour;
- SEND;
- safeguarding;
- online safety;
- data protection;
- educational visits;
- charging and remissions;
- health and safety;
- complaints;
- accessibility;
- careers;
- remote learning;
- procurement or finance where published.
Use policies carefully.
A published policy may be outdated, generic or based on a template. It provides context but does not necessarily describe current operational practice.
Check:
- publication or review date;
- named responsible roles;
- whether the document belongs to the school or trust;
- whether more recent pages contradict it;
- whether it identifies an existing provider or system.
Curriculum and provision pages
These may reveal:
- subjects taught;
- curriculum priorities;
- interventions;
- specialist facilities;
- educational visits;
- enrichment;
- digital platforms;
- careers provision;
- sports or arts specialisms;
- existing external partners.
A supplier should use this information to determine fit, not to criticise provision it has never assessed.
SEND information
The school’s SEND information report may explain:
- the named SENCO;
- the types of support available;
- how external specialists are involved;
- the school’s approach to identification and assessment;
- specialist resources or provision;
- how parents can raise concerns.
Do not infer that a school’s published SEND profile creates a sales opportunity by itself. Any approach should match the supplier’s genuine expertise and clearly defined service.
News, newsletters and calendars
Recent content can help establish:
- whether the website is actively maintained;
- current leadership names;
- new facilities;
- upcoming projects;
- recent programmes;
- community partnerships;
- term dates and busy periods.
Use this information only where it changes the relevance or timing of the message.
A new library, science block or sixth-form centre could be relevant to furniture, technology or facilities suppliers. A charity day or pupil award usually is not.
Vacancies
Vacancy pages can reveal:
- organisational growth;
- new departments;
- staff shortages;
- centralisation within a trust;
- new specialist roles;
- the systems and responsibilities attached to a role.
A trust recruiting a central estates manager may suggest that property functions are becoming more centralised. A school recruiting an IT manager may indicate internal capacity is changing.
These are useful signals, but they do not prove that the organisation wants an external supplier.
Check the trust website before approaching a MAT academy
When a school belongs to a MAT, the academy website alone may provide an incomplete picture.
The trust website may identify:
- central leadership;
- executive responsibilities;
- procurement contacts;
- finance and operations teams;
- IT leadership;
- estates strategy;
- HR arrangements;
- trust-wide policies;
- existing strategic partners;
- annual accounts;
- future growth plans;
- governance and delegation.
Review the central team
Relevant roles may include:
- chief executive officer;
- chief operating officer;
- chief financial officer;
- finance director;
- procurement manager;
- IT director;
- estates director;
- HR director;
- director of education;
- trust safeguarding lead;
- communications director.
Choose the role connected to the problem. Do not default to the chief executive merely because they are the most senior person named.
Review trust-wide policies and strategies
A trust may publish:
- estate strategy;
- digital strategy;
- school improvement strategy;
- environmental or sustainability plan;
- procurement policy;
- reserves policy;
- risk register summaries;
- scheme of delegation;
- annual report and accounts.
These documents may help identify genuine priorities and decision structures.
For example:
- a digital strategy may describe plans for standardisation;
- an estates strategy may identify condition priorities;
- annual accounts may explain central services and major commitments;
- a scheme of delegation may clarify local and central responsibilities.
Do not overinterpret strategic language.
A trust stating that digital development is a priority does not mean it wants every type of software. Your offer must connect to a specific part of that strategy.
Check how geographically practical the trust is
A trust with 20 academies may look attractive, but those schools may be spread across several regions.
For onsite suppliers, record:
- academy locations;
- distance between sites;
- regional clusters;
- travel and delivery feasibility;
- whether central pricing would remain profitable;
- whether local subcontractors would be required.
Trust size is not enough. Operational fit matters.
Use official performance and pupil data cautiously
Official school data can help suppliers understand context, but it is one of the easiest areas to misuse.
The government’s Compare School and College Performance service provides information on school characteristics, pupil populations, attainment, absence and other measures.
Explore Education Statistics also provides official datasets covering schools, pupils and their characteristics.
Potentially useful context includes:
- pupil numbers;
- school phase;
- age range;
- sixth-form provision;
- absence information;
- free school meal measures;
- English as an additional language;
- school and trust performance measures;
- changes in pupil population.
These figures may help determine whether the school fits the offer.
For example:
- pupil numbers may affect software licensing or furniture quantities;
- a growing roll may create operational or estates requirements;
- sixth-form provision may affect curriculum or careers services;
- school phase determines whether resources are age appropriate;
- a trust’s number of academies affects rollout complexity.
However, use performance and pupil data with restraint.
Do not write:
“We noticed your attendance is poor and believe you need our platform.”
Or:
“Your results show that your current provision is not working.”
Public measures are contextual, often time-lagged and unable to explain the full situation inside a school.
A safer approach is to use data for internal targeting and frame the outreach around the role:
“We support secondary attendance teams that need a clearer way to review patterns and coordinate follow-up. I am contacting you to ask whether this is an area currently managed by your team.”
The supplier can know that attendance is a relevant area without using the school’s public data as an accusation.
Similarly, do not infer individual pupil needs from aggregate data.
Data should help answer:
- Is the school structurally suitable?
- Is the scale appropriate?
- Which version of the offer may fit?
- Which role is likely to be relevant?
It should not be used to manufacture embarrassment or pressure.
Look for credible buying signals and timing indicators
The strongest research identifies a reason why a conversation may be timely.
A buying signal does not prove that the school will purchase. It suggests that the subject may be relevant enough to investigate.
Contract or supplier signals
Look for:
- published procurement notices;
- tender opportunities;
- contract award notices;
- named current suppliers;
- contract expiry information;
- framework use;
- procurement pipelines.
Where an active procurement process exists, follow the formal contact and submission route. Do not try to influence unrelated school staff outside the stated process.
Estate and building signals
These may include:
- new buildings;
- expansion projects;
- temporary accommodation;
- condition improvement work;
- new classrooms;
- sports or playground development;
- energy or sustainability projects;
- summer refurbishment plans.
Technology signals
These may include:
- new digital strategy;
- IT leadership recruitment;
- system migration;
- website redesign;
- cybersecurity initiatives;
- device programmes;
- trust-wide standardisation.
Organisational signals
These may include:
- new headteacher;
- new COO, CFO or IT director;
- academy conversion;
- trust transfer;
- MAT expansion;
- new central team;
- school merger;
- growth in pupil numbers.
Programme and provision signals
These may include:
- new curriculum initiative;
- expanded SEND provision;
- new sixth form;
- new careers programme;
- new extracurricular offer;
- staff development priorities;
- new community partnerships.
Signals should affect the content or timing of the approach.
For example:
“I saw that the trust is recruiting a central estates manager and expanding its central operations team. We provide condition-reporting and contractor-management support for small MAT estates teams. Is this category likely to sit with the new central role?”
This is relevant because the information connects directly to responsibility and organisation.
Avoid artificial urgency:
- do not imply a contract is about to expire without evidence;
- do not claim the school must act because a public measure changed;
- do not assume a new leader wants to replace existing suppliers;
- do not present every new building as an immediate sales opportunity.
A research signal creates a question, not a conclusion.
Research existing provision and likely alternatives
Before contacting a school, try to understand how it currently handles the problem.
You may find evidence through:
- website footers;
- policy documents;
- parent guides;
- login pages;
- app links;
- job descriptions;
- news posts;
- tender awards;
- trust accounts;
- supplier case studies;
- framework records.
A school website may reveal:
- its parent communication platform;
- payment system;
- management information system;
- website provider;
- catering contractor;
- uniform provider;
- educational software;
- existing intervention partners;
- trip providers;
- IT support company.
This information helps the supplier avoid an inappropriate message.
For example, if the school publicly names a recently appointed catering provider under a multi-year contract, a generic “switch your catering service” email is unlikely to be timely.
However, do not assume that identifying a supplier means you know:
- the contract end date;
- the school’s satisfaction;
- the commercial terms;
- whether the arrangement is mandatory;
- whether another service can be used alongside it.
A more useful question might be:
“I can see the trust currently uses a central parent-payment platform. Are additional communication tools also selected centrally, or can academies review those locally?”
Research alternatives, not only direct competitors.
A school may solve the problem through:
- internal staff;
- a local-authority service;
- a trust central team;
- manual spreadsheets;
- several smaller tools;
- a broader contract with another provider;
- doing nothing because the problem is not a priority.
Your competition may therefore be an existing process rather than another commercial supplier.
Understanding the current approach helps you ask better questions:
- What is working well?
- Where does the current process create difficulty?
- Is the school looking to replace, supplement or retain it?
- Who owns the current arrangement?
- When is it reviewed?
Use research to create relevant outreach without becoming intrusive
Good research should make the message more useful, not more unsettling.
The recipient should understand why the information is relevant to their professional role.
Useful personalisation
Appropriate examples include:
- school phase;
- trust membership;
- published professional responsibility;
- geographic service fit;
- publicly announced project;
- relevant system or provision;
- an official procurement opportunity;
- a professional article or conference contribution.
For example:
“I understand you oversee operations across the trust’s seven primary academies. We provide central contractor reporting with academy-level access, so I wanted to ask whether premises compliance is managed centrally or locally.”
Weak personalisation
These statements prove research but add little relevance:
- “I love your school motto.”
- “Congratulations on your sports day.”
- “I saw your pupils visited a museum.”
- “Your website looks excellent.”
They can make a mass email feel artificially decorated rather than genuinely targeted.
Intrusive personalisation
Avoid referring to:
- personal family information;
- private social media;
- home addresses;
- unrelated hobbies;
- individual health information;
- details of vulnerable pupils;
- staff disputes or personal difficulties;
- information obtained through deceptive means.
Do not imply familiarity that does not exist.
“I have been following your work closely” can feel uncomfortable when the supplier merely read two LinkedIn posts before sending a sales message.
Use public professional contact information responsibly
Public availability does not remove data-protection and electronic-marketing responsibilities.
The Information Commissioner’s Office explains that business-to-business marketing can still involve personal data where a named professional contact is used. Businesses must identify a lawful basis, comply with the relevant electronic-marketing rules and respect objections.
Maintain records of:
- where contact data came from;
- why the person is relevant;
- when the information was checked;
- the lawful basis used where personal data is processed;
- marketing objections and suppression records.
Make the supplier’s identity clear and provide a simple way to object to future marketing.
Research is not a justification for repeated contact. A carefully researched email can still become unwanted if the supplier ignores a clear objection.
Create a repeatable school research record
Research should be recorded in a structured format rather than scattered across browser tabs and personal notes.
A practical school research record might include:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| School | Example Community Academy |
| URN | 123456 |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Pupil numbers | Approximately 1,100 |
| Structure | Academy in Example Learning Trust |
| Likely buying level | Trust central team for IT infrastructure |
| Problem owner | Trust IT director |
| Relevant signal | Published trust digital strategy includes system standardisation |
| Existing provision | Current managed IT provider not identified publicly |
| Geographic fit | All academies inside normal service area |
| Research confidence | Moderate—buying level needs confirmation |
| Recommended action | Ask central IT team whether managed support is reviewed trust-wide |
| Sources | GIAS, trust website, digital strategy, staff page |
| Date checked | 19 July 2026 |
Include a confidence level.
- Confirmed: stated by the school or trust, or shown in a current formal source.
- Probable: supported by several current public sources.
- Possible: reasonable hypothesis requiring confirmation.
- Unknown: no reliable public information found.
This helps prevent a sales hypothesis from becoming an internal “fact”.
For example:
Wrong internal note: Trust is replacing its cybersecurity provider.
Better note: Trust digital strategy identifies cybersecurity improvement as a priority. Existing provider and procurement timetable are unknown.
Set a time limit for research.
For lower-value outreach, five to ten minutes may be sufficient to:
- confirm school type;
- check trust membership;
- identify the likely role;
- find one relevant source;
- decide whether to proceed.
Higher-value opportunities may justify deeper research into:
- trust accounts;
- strategic plans;
- procurement notices;
- schemes of delegation;
- current systems;
- academy geography;
- stakeholder structure.
Research depth should reflect the potential contract value and complexity.
Review records regularly. Staff, trust membership, websites and strategies change. A record that was correct two years ago may now direct outreach to the wrong organisation.
Common school research mistakes to avoid
Researching only enough to decorate a generic email
Mentioning the school name, motto and one recent event does not make the offer relevant.
Assuming public data proves a need
Performance, absence and pupil data provide context. They do not prove that the school wants or needs your particular product.
Using difficult circumstances as a sales trigger
A poor inspection, safeguarding issue or public controversy should not be exploited through opportunistic outreach.
Ignoring the MAT
Researching only the academy may lead you to contact the wrong level of the organisation.
Assuming every MAT decision is central
Different categories may be delegated differently. Confirm the specific buying route.
Relying on outdated policies
Check publication dates, review dates and current staff information.
Confusing a strategic priority with buying intent
A trust may prioritise digital development without planning to purchase your type of product.
Assuming a named provider means the school is unhappy
Public information rarely reveals satisfaction or contract expiry.
Collecting more data than the sales process needs
Research should be proportionate and connected to a legitimate commercial purpose.
Using personal information unrelated to the role
Professional relevance should guide personalisation.
Researching every school equally
Use quick qualification first. Reserve deep research for strong or high-value opportunities.
Failing to record uncertainty
Distinguish confirmed information from assumptions.
Not updating the research after contact
Information provided by the school should improve future targeting and replace outdated assumptions.
A practical pre-contact research checklist
Basic fit
- Official school name confirmed
- URN recorded
- School open and active
- Phase and age range fit the offer
- Pupil numbers broadly fit the package
- Location is serviceable
- School type understood
Organisation
- Maintained, standalone academy or MAT academy confirmed
- Trust name recorded
- Central team checked
- Likely buying level considered
- Recent conversion, transfer or restructuring checked
Contact
- Problem owner identified
- Contact role is current
- Published contact route available
- Budget or approval role considered
- School office can route the message if needed
Relevance
- School problem expressed in role-relevant language
- Public evidence suggests possible fit
- Evidence does not rely on a sensitive or unfair assumption
- Appropriate product or package selected
- Relevant case study chosen
Current provision
- Existing system or supplier checked where possible
- Known central contract considered
- Local-authority or trust provision considered
- No unsupported assumption about dissatisfaction
Timing
- Relevant buying signal identified
- Signal is current
- Contact timing fits the school year where relevant
- No artificial urgency created
Data and ethics
- Sources recorded
- Information is professionally relevant
- Research is proportionate
- Personal data use has an identified lawful basis
- Objections and suppression records will be respected
Decision
- Strong enough fit to contact
- Correct school or trust level selected
- One primary contact chosen
- One useful question identified
- Research confidence recorded
- Record dated for future review
The final message should demonstrate understanding without listing everything you discovered.
Research belongs behind the outreach.
The school does not need to read:
“I noticed you have 842 pupils, joined your trust in 2022, appointed a new deputy headteacher last year and published a new policy in March.”
It needs a concise reason for contact:
“I understand attendance is led centrally across the trust’s secondary academies. We provide reporting support for multi-school attendance teams, and I wanted to ask whether new systems in this area are reviewed centrally or by each academy.”
Frequently asked questions
How much research should I do before contacting a school?
For ordinary outreach, research enough to confirm school fit, trust structure, likely contact and one genuine reason for relevance. Higher-value or trust-wide opportunities justify deeper research into strategy, procurement, existing systems and decision structures.
What is the best source for official school information?
Get Information about Schools is the official register for establishments and school groups in England. School and trust websites provide more detailed operational and leadership context.
How can I find out whether a school belongs to a MAT?
Check its Get Information about Schools record, school website footer, governance section and the relevant trust website.
How can I tell whether purchasing is centralised?
Review the trust’s central team, scheme of delegation, procurement information and category-specific pages. Where the position remains unclear, ask whether that particular category is selected centrally or locally.
Should I research Ofsted reports before contacting a school?
They may provide broad context, but avoid using inspection outcomes as an accusation or an opportunistic sales trigger. An Ofsted judgement does not prove that the school needs your product.
Can school performance data be used for targeting?
It can help identify structural or contextual fit, but it should not be treated as proof of a commercial need. Use it carefully and avoid negative assumptions about staff or pupils.
Should I mention everything I found in the email?
No. Include only the information needed to establish professional relevance. Too much detail can feel intrusive and distract from the offer.
How can I find a school’s existing suppliers?
Check website footers, policy documents, parent guides, app links, news posts, procurement notices, trust accounts and supplier case studies. Public information may be incomplete, so treat findings as context rather than certainty.
What is a useful buying signal?
Examples include an announced project, contract opportunity, system replacement, new central role, trust expansion, building work or strategic plan directly related to the offer. A signal creates a reason to ask a question; it does not prove an intention to buy.
Is a new headteacher a buying signal?
Leadership change can affect priorities, but it does not mean the new headteacher wants to replace existing suppliers. Any contact should focus on a relevant responsibility rather than the assumption that change itself creates demand.
Should I use LinkedIn for school research?
It can help confirm current professional roles and responsibilities. Use role-related information responsibly and avoid mentioning unrelated personal details.
Can I use publicly available email addresses for marketing?
Public availability does not remove data-protection and electronic-marketing responsibilities. Suppliers should identify an appropriate lawful basis, comply with applicable rules, be transparent and respect objections.
What should I do when information conflicts?
Prefer current official sources and recent school or trust information. Record the uncertainty and ask the school office to confirm the relevant role or structure.
How often should school research records be updated?
Update them after every meaningful interaction and recheck them before a new campaign. Leadership, trust membership, systems and purchasing arrangements can change.
What is the biggest research mistake?
The biggest mistake is collecting facts without using them to improve targeting. Research should help determine whether to contact the school, who to approach and what relevant question to ask.
What should I do after researching the school?
Choose one appropriate contact, write a concise message around a recognised responsibility and ask a proportionate question that confirms whether the school or trust is a genuine fit.
