Do your research

When pitching to buy new software it is vital that you have done your research. If you’ve only been able to trial a product as a teacher and not with the students, contact other schools you know who are or might be using it to help provide some evidence to reinforce your case. We can inform you if there are schools close by to you who you could visit or contact. If you have trialled the software with students, make sure that in that trial period you have planned a project and delivered it to provide measurable results which demonstrate the benefits.

If you don’t know already, find out what the yearly funding cycle is and the best time to apply. Remember that other departments will be doing the same. In some cases, bidding for the pot of money at the end of the year may be the only option. Use the experience of colleagues here – speaking to successful colleagues will guide you.