WALK through the gates of almost any school in the UK today, and you’ll find much more than lessons taking place in the classrooms. For millions of children and families, schools have become lifelines – providing meals, mental health support, clothing and even financial aid. Teachers are going above and beyond despite facing staff burnout, funding cuts, and escalating student hardship.

The pressures are stark: nearly one in three children in the UK – that’s 4.5 million – live in poverty, and demand for support is rising as government funding for specific school mental health services is withdrawn. And the strain is taking its toll, with a staggering 62 per cent of teachers feeling stressed at work most of the time.

The problem of hunger and poor nutrition isn’t going away – especially with the crucial Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) ending in 2026.  In response, two-thirds of teachers send food home with pupils, 45 per cent of senior staff give families direct financial help, and 15 per cent are using their own money to feed children.

Schools provide food parcels, breakfast clubs, and subsidised meals while tackling food quality concerns, as highlighted in a recent Barnardo’s poll. It revealed that 26 per cent of parents have had to buy unhealthy food because they couldn’t afford healthy options, and 8 per cent had used a food bank – up 2 per cent since 2023.

Action for Children estimates that 3.3 million students – that’s nine children in every classroom – are facing academic struggles due to poverty, unstable home lives, or mental health issues. As community anchors, schools deliver parenting advice, second-hand uniforms, and after-school support — all essential, yet far from sufficient without wider help.

When Schools Become Lifelines

Cuts to Sure Start and family hub funding — more than £2 billion since 2010 — have reduced access to crucial services like breastfeeding advice, employment support, and mental health care. Left to bridge these gaps, schools urgently need partners who understand their realities and can offer genuine, sustainable solutions.

The question for businesses is: How can you become part of the solution? While breaking into the school market can be challenging, those who approach with empathy, relevance, and practical solutions stand the best chance of success.

From Insight to Action: A Framework for Value-Driven Engagement

• Map the Need – Focus on Relationships & Relevance

Identify where your product or service offers the greatest value to staff and pupils. Which real-world problem are you solving? Talk to staff about what they need. Collaborate on initiatives that support their goals to build trust and traction. Position yourself as a strategic partner, not just a service provider.

BLUEBERRY TIP: Educators value practical, reliable solutions. Show how your offer saves planning time, improves learning outcomes, or streamlines tasks.

• Target with Intelligence

Refine outreach using current data on school type, pupil numbers, Pupil Premium eligibility, Ofsted ratings, Local Authority (LA) regions, and socioeconomic factors like IDACI bands. Cold calls and generic emails won’t cut it. What matters is relevance, real-world impact and a clear sense that you understand their daily challenges.

Understand the decision-making chain: headteachers sign off on whole-school decisions; Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) influence provision for specific needs; LA cluster leads coordinate group procurement or training. In Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), trust directors and executive heads control budgets — but individual schools can still champion a solution.

BLUEBERRY TIP: Success in one school can open the door to wider MAT adoption. Use existing relationships and references to boost your credibility.

• Communicate with Clarity & Purpose

Avoid jargon. Use language that reflects the realities of safeguarding, pupil outcomes, and welfare. Make it specific and relevant. An email titled “Helping Teachers Beat Burnout this Term” is more compelling than “Staff Wellbeing Demo”.  Back claims up with credible stats, case studies, and testimonials.

BLUEBERRY TIP: Frame your offer as addressing a specific gap, solving a pain point, or providing a needed resource – like arts materials for mental health projects, security services for student safety, sports equipment to promote activity. Make lesson planning easier and collaborate to customise your approach.

• Align Outreach with the School Year

Plan campaigns from September to December, using January for follow-ups, and target decision windows before budget planning in April. Avoid peak pressure times like exam season or the start of term. Engage during quieter review phases — post-SATs, early autumn, or post-Christmas. Offer low-risk trials or pilots with easy onboarding.

BLUEBERRY TIP: Tone, timing, and relevance matter. Use multi-channel methods to connect. Build trust through consistent, value-led contact. Be patient but persistent, following-up thoughtfully during free periods, break times or after school for instance.

• Demonstrate Your Impact

School leaders need to see the return on investment quickly. Present outcomes in terms they care about: reduced absenteeism, better learning results, time saved, or cost efficiencies. Demonstrate how alignment with statutory guidance and priorities such as Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), SEND, or Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIAs) is maintained. (Note, the future of PEIAs remains uncertain since the Government has no plans to prioritise future policies.)

• Build Through Champions

Leverage satisfied schools as advocates. Encourage them to share their experiences with peers. Consider hosting twilight sessions or webinars to showcase your business’s impact through relatable case studies.

BLUEBERRY TIP: Small, authentic stories often open more doors than big corporate pitches.

It’s More Than a Market – It’s a Mission

Schools are calling out for solutions, not sales pitches. They need partners who understand the pressures behind the classroom door. Businesses that show empathy, act with integrity, and deliver solutions will create lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships.

At Blueberry, we harness targeted data and a people-first approach to connect your business with schools in ways that build trust and drive change. Together we can help teachers teach, children thrive, and communities flourish. Let’s turn your solution into the next lifeline a school reaches for.

[Copyright © 2025 Angela Kunawicz & Blueberry Marketing Solutions. All rights reserved.]

Contact Blueberry Marketing Solutions today to unlock new growth opportunities.

Call us on +44 (0)113 487 7013 or email us at info@blueberryms.co.uk

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References / Further Reading

• BBC News (2025) ‘We don’t just teach – we clothe the kids, feed them and brush their teeth’, January.
• Department for Education (2025) Mental health resources for children, students, parents, carers and school/college staff – Education Hub.
• National Education Union (2025) State of Education: Teacher Stress and Wellbeing,
• Barnardo’s (2025) Tackling the greatest barrier to opportunity: What young people need from the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy – Changing Childhoods, Changing Lives, May.
• Action for Children (2025) How Teachers Fill Gaps in the System to Keep Children Learning
• Department for Work and Pensions (2025) Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024, May.
• Department for Education (2025) Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges
• Department for Education (2025) Holiday Activities and Food Programme 2024 (updated March 2025).