Anyone who has ever worked in a school knows the admin trail behind a simple resource order. You spot something useful on a supplier’s site, write a list of items, copy out the prices, work out the VAT, draft an email to the office, and wait. Then someone asks for product codes you didn’t include. Then someone else asks if the price is ex-VAT or inc-VAT. By the time the purchase order is raised, the original lesson it was for has been and gone.
That admin trail is exactly what the Learning SPACE Quote Tool was built to remove. The tool lives in the corner of every page on the site. You add items to your basket, click a red button, fill in your school’s details, and a fully formatted PDF quote downloads to your computer in seconds. Pricing, VAT, product codes, the lot. Ready to forward to your school office or finance team for sign-off.
We asked Niamh Hassan, a Primary 6 teacher in Northern Ireland and a regular Learning SPACE customer, to walk through how she actually uses the tool in practice. Here’s what she had to say.
A teacher’s view: how I use the Quote Tool
By Niamh Hassan, Primary 6 teacher
“As a teacher, ordering resources usually comes with more admin than it needs to. Before this, I would browse a website, write out a list of items, copy prices, try and convert into the ex-VAT into an email and send it to the office, only to be asked later for product codes or to confirm pricing. It all took time and often delayed the order.
“Using the PDF Quote Tool has made this much simpler. The pricing is correct, VAT is already worked out, and product names and codes are automatically included. The quote is professional and ready to send straight to the school office to be raised as a PO.
“I’ve worked with Learning SPACE before and they have always been efficient if anything needed clarified. This tool reduces the need for those niggly follow-ups altogether. Because all the details are right from the start, orders are processed quicker and resources are received sooner, which makes a real difference in a busy school.”
The six-step process, in Niamh’s words
These are the exact steps Niamh follows when she’s putting a quote together for her school office. They’re structured here so they can be marked up as HowTo schema for AI search and rich results.
Step 1. Browse and add items to your basket
Browse the Learning SPACE website as you normally would. Add anything you want quoted to your basket, in the quantities you need. Multiple items from different collections all sit in the same basket.
Step 2. Find the red “Download Quote” button
Once you have everything in your basket, look for the red “Download Quote” button in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. The button is available on every page of the site, including product pages, collection pages, and the basket itself.
Step 3. Fill in your school details
Click the button and a short form opens. Add your school name, full address, VAT number if your school has one, email address, and phone number. This step is technically optional, but completing it means the office receives a fully formatted quote with everything pre-populated, which saves them having to add the details manually before raising the purchase order.
Step 4. Download the PDF instantly
Click “Download PDF” and the quote downloads straight to your computer. No waiting, no follow-up email, no queue. The PDF includes every item you selected, the correct quantities, the unit pricing both ex-VAT and inc-VAT, the VAT total, the order total, and Learning SPACE’s product codes for each line.
Step 5. Email the quote to your school office
Attach the PDF to a quick email to your office or finance team. Because everything is pre-formatted, there’s usually no need for any back-and-forth on pricing, codes, or VAT figures.
Step 6. The office raises the purchase order
Your school office uses the PDF to raise the purchase order against your supplier budget. Once the PO comes back, send it to us at Learning SPACE and your order is on its way. Niamh’s point on this: “the office raises the purchase order using the attached quote, without needing to come back to me for corrections.”
Why it works, from a teacher’s point of view
Back to Niamh:
“From a teacher’s point of view, this saves time, avoids mistakes, and removes a lot of the frustration that usually comes with ordering resources. It’s a straightforward process that fits around how schools actually work. It’s simple, it works, and it saves teachers time, which is exactly what we need.”
And from the office: why finance teams like it too
The Quote Tool isn’t just useful for teachers. School office and finance staff often spend a meaningful chunk of their week chasing missing details on incoming supplier requests: product codes that weren’t included, VAT calculations that don’t match, prices that have changed since the email was sent. A PDF quote downloaded straight from the supplier’s site closes that gap.
Specifically:
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Pricing is locked in. The PDF reflects the live pricing at the moment of download, including any current promotions. No mismatched figures.
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VAT is calculated for you. Both ex-VAT and inc-VAT figures are shown on the quote, removing one of the most common follow-up questions.
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Product codes are included. Every line item has its Learning SPACE product code, which most school accounting systems require when raising a purchase order.
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School details are on the document. If the teacher filled in the form, the school name, address, and VAT number appear on the PDF, ready for direct upload into the procurement system.
Why teachers across the UK and Ireland choose Learning SPACE
If you’re ordering for a school, nursery, or daycare setting, the supplier matters as much as the products. Learning SPACE is set up specifically for educational procurement.
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Approved supplier across UK and Ireland. Learning SPACE is an approved supplier for the Education Authority (EA), Education and Training Boards (ETB), Health and Social Care (HSC), and Scotland Excel. That means procurement processes are familiar, paperwork is quick to turn around, and you can usually move from quote to PO to delivery without delays.
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Bulk and classroom packs. Beyond individual items, there are dedicated classroom packs for full-class sensory provision, and playground packs for outdoor play setups. If you can’t see exactly the pack you need, our team will build a bespoke quote.
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Sensory room installation. For schools planning a full sensory room rather than a kit of parts, our sensory rooms collection includes everything from bubble tubes to soft furnishings, and our team offers free site visits, CAD plans, and installation services.
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Educational Product Advisors. If something on the site needs clarification, or you’re planning a setup and want a second opinion, you can call our Educational Product Advisors on +44 28 9031 9360 or email us directly through our contact page.
Popular collections for school orders
If you’re putting together a quote for a SEND, EYFS, or general primary classroom, here are the collections teachers come back to most often:
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Inclusive sensory packs for classrooms. Curated bundles for whole-class sensory provision.
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Calmer Classrooms. Tools and resources designed for calm corners and regulation zones.
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Schools classroom furniture. Storage, soft seating, nooks, and modular furniture for primary and EYFS settings.
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Sensory rooms. Equipment and full-room solutions for school sensory spaces.
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Sensory toys. Fidget toys, weighted resources, chew tools, and tactile play, with options for every age group.
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Playground packs. Outdoor play equipment for nurseries and primary schools.
Try the Quote Tool
The quickest way to see how it works is to use it. Browse the Learning SPACE site, add anything you’re considering to your basket, and click the red Download Quote button in the bottom right of the screen. You’ll have a school-ready PDF within seconds.
If you’d like to chat through a bigger order, a full sensory room, or a bespoke classroom pack, get in touch or call our Educational Product Advisors on +44 28 9031 9360.
