The Department for Education has revealed that costs for mainstream schools rose by almost 6% during the 2025-26 financial year. For 2026-27, however, core school funding will increase by just 2.6% (£1.7 billion) to £67 billion, while high-needs funding will rise by 2.5% to £12.2 billion.
According to education services provider Protocol Education, these increases are being absorbed by rising special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pressures, energy and transport costs, alongside higher staffing expenses. For those responsible for spending, budgets continue to be squeezed from all sides.
Core stationery and writing instruments
What’s selling: In the current climate, everyday essentials remain the safest bet. Exercise books remain, in the words of Sinclairs Brand Manager Gemma Bassett, “at the forefront of any classroom purchase”; while Stabilo’s education customers report consistent demand across ballpoint pens, pencils, whiteboard markers and paper – in other words, products used daily in every classroom.
Justin Kingseller, Head of B2B, Education and Trade at Staedtler, sees the same trend: “HB pencils continue to perform exceptionally well as an essential item across all age groups, alongside handwriting pens and colouring products. Compact whiteboard markers are becoming increasingly valued for their versatility in both classroom teaching and collaborative learning environments.”
Growth within the category is being driven by performance rather than novelty. Zebra Pen Marketing Manager Lawrence Savage says that quick-drying gel ink pens continue to grow in popularity, supporting uptake for the Sarasa Clip range; while Pentel is also seeing year-on-year growth across oil pastels, markers and Hybrid gel pens, along with its Floatune rollerball.
Meanwhile, Maped Helix Head of Marketing Lianne Fletcher flags consistent, curriculum-led demand for maths and geometry equipment – including compasses, rulers and maths sets – alongside ergonomic pencils that support handwriting development and teacher essentials such as marking pens.
At 3M, sticky notes and index products remain strong performers, with the brand maintaining category leadership and gaining volume share during Q1, according to Jamie Carruthers, North Europe Shopper Marketing Executive – Office & Education, 3M UK.
Dealer tips: “The biggest opportunity lies in balancing value offers with trusted branded performance. Dealers should combine competitive entry-price lines, core high-rotation SKUs and a clear good-better-best range,” says Carruthers.
Classroom furniture and equipment
What’s selling: Flexibility is shaping the future of classroom furniture as schools seek spaces that can be adapted throughout the day. Dynamic Office Solutions Managing Director Nicola Speers says the call for multi-purpose environments – from dining halls becoming exam spaces to corridors being transformed into focus areas – is now standard rather than exceptional.
“The fixed classroom – one layout, one purpose, used the same way every day – is becoming genuinely rare,” she explains. “That puts pressure on furniture to be lighter, more reconfigurable and better at dealing with acoustics.”
Bi-silque is seeing the same shift away from traditional layouts towards collaborative, project-based learning environments. Breakout areas, informal learning zones, libraries and multi-use rooms are now widely viewed as extensions of the classroom, fuelling appetite for products that combine functionality, mobility and aesthetics.
This is translating into investment in configurable tables, lightweight seating, height-adjustable furniture, soft seating for informal learning, acoustic furniture and privacy booths, modular storage, mobile presentation solutions and foldable or stackable furniture designed for adaptable environments.
Spending is not, however, being distributed evenly. Morleys Marketing and Communications Director Janinne Taylor says the strongest investment continues to be in capital-funded refurbishment projects, new builds, SEND provision, sixth-form spaces and specialist teaching environments.
Dealer tips: While budgets remain under pressure, schools are becoming more focused on long-term value rather than lowest upfront cost.
Bi-silque says products that can “serve multiple purposes, withstand intensive daily use and reduce maintenance requirements” are gaining attention. Taylor adds that understanding how a product contributes to teaching, learning and operational efficiency is becoming just as important as understanding its technical specification.
For dealers, the opportunity lies in demonstrating how furniture supports teaching, learning and operational efficiency – not simply in highlighting product specifications.
SEND and wellbeing
What’s selling: SEND-focused design is now shaping product development across almost every category, as schools seek solutions that improve accessibility, comfort and confidence.
Maped Helix points to the need for ergonomic pens and pencils that support grip and control, alongside sensory stationery featuring tactile zones to help pupils to release excess energy and maintain focus. Head of Marketing Lianne Fletcher says there is also growing interest in inclusive tools, including left-handed products such as the Visio Pen and Helix left-handed ruler, and finger-grip pencils that support fine motor skill development.
Its Kidy Learn Erasable Learning Pen reflects the wider move towards handwriting support, with Fletcher noting that products which reduce frustration and improve ease of use can help students to feel more confident in the classroom.
Zebra Pen’s Savage says that suppliers are responding by adding ergonomic, noise-reduction and sensory elements to traditional stationery. The Zebra Pen CLiCKART retractable felt-tip pen, for example, which uses ink technology that absorbs moisture from the air, is gaining interest.
Pentel Key Account Manager for Education Tim Gilmore adds that even ink colour can play a role in product selection, with shades such as violet perceived as neutral and potentially beneficial for SEND pupils. “A knowledgeable account manager or sales rep will be able to advise dealers of the most suitable products to address SEND requirements,” he says.
Paper remains an important part of SEND provision. Premier Paper Sales Director for Office Papers, Paul Bussingham, draws attention to the role of tinted Papago paper in supporting learners with dyslexia, visual stress and sensory differences.
With no single colour suitable for every learner, flexibility is essential: options include cream and off-white to reduce glare, yellow to improve reading comfort, blue for a calming effect and green to reduce eye strain. “Papago offers a wide range of pastel, mid, deep and fluorescent tints, allowing educators to select colours that best suit individual preferences,” he states.
Sinclairs’ Bassett sums up the trend: “Schools are supporting SEND teachers and SEN students, resulting in an increase in demand over the past 12 months for SEN-related products.”
Dealer tips: The opportunity is not simply stocking SEND-focused products but helping schools to be aware of the challenges that they address. As requirements grow, translating features into practical benefits matters more than ever. Stabilo notes that clearer benefit-led descriptions would help teachers to quickly realise product value, while Savage believes that manufacturers and dealers should work together to create specialist teacher and student packs, supported by guidance materials.
That need for expertise is echoed by Staedtler’s Kingseller, who suggests that the dealer role lies in moving beyond just offering a broad product range. The real value comes from communicating “how a product addresses a specific need, solves a problem or supports a pupil or teacher”.
Sustainable products
What’s selling: Sustainability is gaining traction when built into products that already deliver everyday value. Schools are increasingly looking for responsible sourcing, practical performance and affordability rather than environmental claims alone.
That is reflected across stationery categories, from 3M’s Post-it Notes made with recycled paper to Staedtler’s upcycled wood Noris pencils and handwriting pens, whiteboard markers and highlighters made from 97% recycled plastic. Kingseller reports that these products are “proving especially popular”, although schools are becoming more cautious about environmental claims and are rightly wary of greenwashing.
This demand for credibility is influencing product development. Maped Helix highlights rising interest in recycled materials, refillable designs such as its Infinity colouring pencils and reduced or plastic-free FSC-certified packaging. Fletcher says that schools want recognised certifications, transparent product-level claims and reassurance that sustainability does not compromise product quality or lifespan.
On the paper front, Premier Paper’s Papago tinted range combines FSC certification across its A4 and A3 sizes, EU manufacturing to reduce transport distances and fully recyclable ream wrappers – something the company notes is not standard across the tinted paper market.
Environmental credentials still need to be balanced with commercial reality, however. Victoria Stapley, Trade Marketing Manager – UK & Ireland at ACCO Brands EMEA, points out that sustainable products can struggle to gain traction where they carry a price premium, so any environmental benefit needs to be delivered alongside clear commercial value.
Furniture suppliers report a similar shift, with Bi-silque observing that sustainability is “no longer viewed as an optional benefit… [it] has become an important procurement consideration”.
Dealer tips: The proposition is not simply selling sustainable products but helping schools to understand the evidence behind them. As procurement teams face greater scrutiny, knowledge around certifications, materials and environmental impact is becoming a valuable differentiator.
According to Dynamic’s Speers, sustainability has moved from being a passing consideration to a key part of purchasing conversations. “Schools want to see the specifics,” she explains, adding that dealers that can provide clear information are opening doors. This need for clarity extends across categories. Morleys’ Taylor says that dealers should be prepared to discuss certifications, environmental management systems, recycled content, carbon reduction initiatives and product warranties.
In furniture specifically, she points to growing demand for FSC-certified timber, recycled or recyclable materials, long-life modular designs that can be refurbished rather than replaced, and British or European manufacturing that can reduce transport emissions.
Ultimately, sustainability is becoming less about making environmental claims and more about demonstrating measurable value – an area where informed dealers can play a key role.
Dealer viewpoint – Lee Kellett, Managing Director, Class Office Equipment
The education sector can be a tough nut to crack and understanding how it works is essential. Without that insight, it can become a costly exercise, with significant time invested for limited return. In many cases, supplying high volumes of low-margin products is the route into the categories where the real profit lies.
Success, however, depends on building relationships with schools willing to develop genuine partnerships. If a school prefers to cherry-pick suppliers, creating a profitable relationship becomes much harder.
Establishing trust early is therefore critical, giving schools confidence to provide visibility of, and access to, wider purchasing requirements. Without that partnership approach, generating sustainable profit can be challenging.
