BBC
Internal Guide

Schools Outreach Campaign

Complete plan for emailing local schools to land partnerships: student referral discounts, assembly demos, and PE takeover sessions. Sent via Google Workspace, not Klaviyo.

Why Google Workspace, not Klaviyo

✅ Google Workspace
  • • Looks like a personal 1-to-1 email (high open rate)
  • • Schools won't trust marketing-platform footers
  • • Lets you reply naturally in a thread
  • • Can be tracked in Gmail with read receipts (extension)
  • • No "unsubscribe" footer that screams cold outreach
❌ Klaviyo (wrong tool here)
  • • Designed for consumer e-comm broadcasts
  • • Footer required by law: gives away the cold outreach
  • • Lower deliverability to school .gov.uk / .sch.uk addresses
  • • Schools' IT filters flag bulk-platform domains
  • • Reply rates drop ~70% vs personal Gmail
PHASE 1

Build the Target School List

~2 hours · one-time

1.1

Define your geographic target

Stay realistic — the gym is RG22 6HY, so schools where students/parents could practically attend.

  • Tier 1 (priority): Within 6 miles — Basingstoke + immediate villages
  • Tier 2: 6–10 miles — Tadley, Hook, Overton, Oakley, Kingsclere
  • Tier 3 (optional): 10–15 miles — Andover edges, Whitchurch (only if Tier 1 & 2 don't yield enough)
1.2

School types to target (in priority order)

  1. Secondary schools (ages 11–16): Best fit. Match your Teens Boxing class. PE departments often look for guest sessions and "off-curriculum" enrichment days.
  2. Primary schools (ages 7–11, KS2): Match your Juniors / Mixed-Kids classes. Decision-maker is usually the head or PE coordinator.
  3. Sixth Form / Colleges (16–18): White Collar Boxing fundraising angle works well. Good for charity events.
  4. SEN / Pupil Referral Units: Boxing has strong evidence base for behavioural support — these are gold for genuine impact (and word-of-mouth).
  5. Independent / private schools: Higher fee budget for enrichment programmes. Lower volume but bigger contracts.
1.3

How to find them and the right contact

Sources:

  • get-information-schools.service.gov.uk — official .gov.uk database. Filter by postcode, type, status. Free CSV download.
  • Each school's website — go to "Staff" or "Contact us" for the PE Head / Head of Sport / SLT
  • Hampshire County Council schools list — for state schools in catchment

Who to email (in order of preference):

  1. Head of PE / Director of Sport — best for PE takeovers and demos
  2. Head of Year 7/8/9 — great for assembly bookings
  3. Pastoral lead / Head of Wellbeing — angle: mental health, confidence, behaviour
  4. Headteacher — only if the school is small or you can't find a department contact
  5. Office / generic info@ — last resort, lowest reply rate
1.4

Build a tracking spreadsheet (Google Sheets)

Make a sheet with these columns. Use it to manage the campaign — never email twice without checking it.

School NameTypeTierContact NameRoleEmailEmail 1 sentReplied?F/U 1 sentF/U 2 sentStatusNotes

Status values: Not contacted / Contacted / Replied / Booked / Declined / Dead

1.5

Realistic targets

Schools cold outreach typical rates:

35–45%
Open rate
8–15%
Reply rate
3–6%
Convert to meeting

If you email 40 schools, expect 4–6 replies and 2–3 actual bookings. To get 5 partnerships, plan to email 80–100 schools across the term.

PHASE 2

Define the Three Offers

What you're actually pitching

Don't pitch "would you like a partnership?" — pitch three specific things they can say yes to. Always offer all three, let them pick.

Offer 1

Free Assembly Demo

15–20 min assembly. Coach + 1–2 athletes. Shows pad work, talks about discipline, mental health, where boxing took us.

Cost to school
FREE
Easiest yes. Good top-of-funnel exposure.
Offer 2

PE Takeover Session

60-min PE class run by our coach. Full beginner-friendly boxing session — pads, footwork, fitness drills. All equipment provided.

Cost to school
£100 per session
Or free for the first session as a "taster" with view to a 6-week block at £100/session.
Offer 3

Student Referral Deal

Any student from this school gets 50% off first month + free trial. Promoted via school newsletter / parent comms.

Cost to school
FREE
Lowest friction. School just shares the link. Track via unique discount code.
Pricing tip: The £100 PE session is intentionally accessible — it's a foot in the door. Real revenue comes from the student referral deal (recurring memberships) + word-of-mouth from kids who try the assembly.
PHASE 3

Google Workspace Setup

~30 minutes

3.1

Use the right sending email

Send from a real, named address — not info@. Best options:

  • liam@basingstokeboxingclasses.co.uk — best (head coach, personal)
  • schools@basingstokeboxingclasses.co.uk — second best (clear purpose)
  • Avoid info@ or contact@ — feels generic
Make sure the inbox you use is checked daily. School replies often come through 9am–4pm and lose interest if you reply 3 days later.
3.2

Set up email signature

In Gmail → Settings → See all settings → Signature → Create new:

Liam Greenfield
Head Coach, Basingstoke Boxing Classes
📍 Unit E7 Grafton Way, Basingstoke RG22 6HY
📞 01256 960431
🌐 basingstokeboxingclasses.co.uk
⭐ Rated 5.0 on Google (63 reviews)

Keep it simple. No banner image, no logo — schools' filters mark image-heavy emails as marketing.

3.3

Install a tracker (optional but recommended)

Free Chrome extension: Mailtrack or Streak. Tells you when a school opened your email.

Useful for: knowing when to follow up. If they opened it 3 times in 24h, send the follow-up sooner.

3.4

Send rules to avoid spam filters

  • Max 30 emails per day from a Workspace account. More = Google starts throttling.
  • No attachments on the first email. Attach the proposal PDF only after they reply.
  • No tracking pixel logos in the body. Plain text + your signature only.
  • Send between 9–11am Tue/Wed/Thu — best open times for school staff.
  • Avoid Mondays (inbox overload) and Fridays (mentally checked out).
  • Avoid school holidays entirely — emails sit unread for weeks.
PHASE 4

The Email Sequence

3 emails over 2 weeks · personal tone

Each email gets progressively shorter and softer. The goal of email 1 is a reply, not a booking. Personalise the [bracketed] fields manually for every send.

Email 1 · Day 0

Initial outreach

Send: Tue/Wed/Thu
9–11am
Subject line (rotate between these)
Free boxing assembly for [School Name]?
Boxing session idea for your PE department
Quick idea for [School Name] students
Hi [First Name],

I'm Liam, head coach at Basingstoke Boxing Classes — we're a 5-star rated gym just off Grafton Way (RG22 6HY) running boxing, Muay Thai and MMA for kids and adults.

I'm reaching out to a handful of local schools because I'd genuinely like to do more in the community, and there are three things we could offer [School Name] students:

1. A free 15-minute assembly demo — me and one of our athletes show pad work and talk about discipline, confidence and where the sport's taken us. Always a hit with Year 7–9.

2. A PE takeover session — we'd run a full 60-minute beginner boxing class for one of your PE groups, all gloves and pads provided. Free for a first taster.

3. A student discount — any [School Name] student gets 50% off their first month at the gym, promoted via your newsletter or however suits you.

No catch — we just believe boxing is one of the best things that can happen to a teenager and most never get to try it. Happy to do any combination of the three.

Would any of these be of interest? I can send a one-page PDF with logistics and safeguarding info if helpful.

Thanks,
Liam
Email 2 · Day 5

Follow-up #1 (if no reply)

Reply on the same thread
No new subject
Hi [First Name],

Bumping this in case it got buried — totally understand if it's not the right fit or right timing.

If it helps, the easiest yes is usually the assembly demo: 15 minutes, completely free, we bring everything. The kids love it and there's zero admin for you.

Happy to call instead if easier — 01256 960431.

Cheers,
Liam
Email 3 · Day 12

Follow-up #2 (final)

Reply on the same thread
Soft close
Hi [First Name],

Last one from me — I don't want to clog your inbox.

If now's not the right time, no problem at all. If you'd like me to circle back next term or there's a better person to speak to, just let me know.

Otherwise, I'll leave the offers open whenever [School Name] would find them useful.

All the best,
Liam
After email 3 with no reply: mark "Dead" in your tracker. Don't email again for at least 6 months. Move on.
PHASE 5

Handling Replies

What to send when they bite

5.1

When they say 'tell me more'

Reply within 4 hours if possible. Have a one-page PDF ready with:

  • Who you are (Liam's bio + gym credentials)
  • The three offers, clearly priced
  • Safeguarding: DBS-checked coaches, public liability insurance certificate
  • Sample assembly outline / PE session plan
  • Testimonials from any other schools you've worked with (or members)
  • Photos of the gym + a coaching session

Save as BBC-Schools-Partnership.pdf in Drive. Attach to every reply.

5.2

When they say 'we're interested in the assembly'

Hi [First Name],

Brilliant — really glad to hear it.

Quick logistics:
- 15–20 minutes works best (longer if you want Q&A)
- I'll bring one of our youth athletes (15yo, top of his age group)
- We need a hall or large space, no kit needed from your end
- Best for Year 7–9 but flexible

Could you share 2–3 dates that work for you and which year group(s) we'd be presenting to? I'll lock one in.

Also attached our one-pager including DBS + insurance details for your records.

Cheers,
Liam
5.3

When they say 'send us the discount link for parents'

Hi [First Name],

Perfect, thanks. Here's everything you need to share:

Discount: 50% off first month + free trial class
Code: [SCHOOL2026]
Booking link: basingstokeboxingclasses.co.uk/freetrial?utm_source=school&utm_campaign=[SchoolName]

If it helps, I can write a 80-word blurb for your newsletter or Parent Pay — just let me know which format you'd prefer.

Cheers,
Liam
Use a unique code per school (e.g. CRANBOURNE2026, FORT2026). Lets you track which schools actually drive bookings — critical for renewing partnerships next year.
5.4

When they say no

One short, gracious reply. Keeps the door open.

Hi [First Name],

No worries at all, thanks for letting me know. If anything changes or if there's a colleague I should speak to instead, just point me their way.

I'll circle back next academic year in case timing's better.

All the best,
Liam
PHASE 6

After the Booking

The bit most people forget

6.1

Pre-event prep (5 days before)

  • Confirm date/time/year group via email
  • Send a calendar invite
  • Confirm DBS + insurance is on file with the school
  • Brief any youth athlete coming with you on what to say
  • Print 30 leaflets/business cards with the discount code on for kids to take home
6.2

During the assembly / session

  • Take photos (ask permission first — many schools have media policies)
  • Mention the free trial + discount code at the end
  • Hand out cards as kids leave — cards will get home, leaflets won't
  • Get the contact's mobile so you can WhatsApp afterwards
6.3

Post-event (within 24 hours)

Hi [First Name],

Massive thanks for having us today — the kids were brilliant and a real credit to the school.

A few photos attached if useful for your social or newsletter (let me know if any aren't suitable to use).

If you'd like to do something similar again next term, or progress to a PE block, just say the word.

Cheers,
Liam
6.4

Track the conversion

In your spreadsheet, record:

  • How many kids attended
  • How many bookings came through that school's discount code (check 30 days, 60 days, 90 days)
  • Cost per signup (your time + travel ÷ signups)
  • Whether to invite back next term
PHASE 7

Campaign Calendar

When to actually do this

Best windows in the school year

🟢 Best — early Sept (week 1–3 of autumn term)

Schools are planning the year, PE depts haven't filled enrichment slots yet. Highest reply rate.

🟢 Best — early Jan (first 2 weeks of spring term)

New term, new budgets unlocked, "new year fitness" angle works. Aim for assemblies in Feb/March.

🟡 OK — mid-April to early May

Summer term planning. Avoid late May (exams). Good for booking June/July sessions.

🔴 Avoid — last 2 weeks of any term + all school holidays

Inbox dies. Emails get buried. Wait.

Suggested first push (for May 2026 onwards)

  1. This week: build target list of 30–40 schools (Tier 1 + 2)
  2. Next week: send Email 1 to all of them, 10/day Tue/Wed/Thu mornings
  3. Week 3: follow-up #1 to non-repliers. Handle replies as they come.
  4. Week 4: follow-up #2 to remaining non-repliers. Final push.
  5. Late May / June: deliver any assemblies booked + start summer term sessions
  6. Late August: repeat the campaign for the September window

What I can build for you when you're ready

  • A landing page at /schools for schools to learn about offers and book
  • A unique discount-code redemption flow that tracks which school each booking came from
  • The one-page PDF brochure (designed to look professional, not amateur)
  • A simple admin view to see which schools have booked, attended, and converted
  • Just ask any of these and I'll build it — they're each under an hour of work

Internal guide. Not linked from public navigation.

Last updated: May 2026

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