About Us

A Big "Hello"

We’ve been creating books and stationery for schools and parents since 1994, right here in Lancashire, UK. This page tells you more about us, how we do things, and our focus on sustainability and quality.
Welcome to our site, we hope you enjoy getting to know us a little better.
Our Planet

Creating products to help children learn, working mostly with paper, means we have to take our environmental responsibility really seriously. We want to make sure that what helps educate them also helps preserve the planet they inherit.

Our Director Joe leads our sustainability drive, and loves to chat with our customers about sustainability in school supplies.

Click below for some info on a few of our initiatives:

To best serve our customers, we are constantly exploring new avenues to find the resources that best benefit schools and colleges.

Nothing but the highest quality of product will do for our customers. This thinking begins at the raw material level, continues throughout the printing and finishing stages, not stopping until the product has been used for its purpose

In today’s economy when budgets are tight, our customers seek a partner that they can trust. It is our number one aim to fulfil all our customers’ orders as promised.

Our customers do not always have the luxury of time. It is our job to make sure that our systems are efficient so that we can strive to deliver every order in a timely manner irrespective of the customer’s time of order.

Our customers want to provide consistently high levels of education to the public year-on-year. We must ensure that they can expect the same from us, receiving nothing but the best from us on every order they place.

Our Story

Proudly Made in Lancashire Since 1994

We started out in Blackburn before settling in Accrington. By 1997, we began manufacturing all our products ourselves, right here on Dale Street, UK. It’s how we ensure top quality, fast customisation.
Good Exercise Is Great For You

In 2004 we started producing customisable exercise books. They are now the house speciality at Direct Ed, with their very own video. We love being able to cater for 4,000+ schools around the UK.
A Class In Supply & Demand

Our exercise books got so good that in 2007 we were approached to make them for other suppliers too. Maybe you were using them all along?
Time To Get Really Creative

Renowned artist and designer Tim Perkins joined the team, supercharging our design offering and spearheading our Creative Curriculum products.
Moving Towards A Greener Future

In 2020, we were awarded our Green Mark, in recognition of the care we take to ensure our products don't damage the planet of the children they are for.

Direct Ed Today

Direct-Ed is committed to supporting schools as they navigate the ever-changing landscape of learning and development across different age groups – through the provision of high-quality learning resources and tools.

By assessing the educational field and keeping up to date with changes, we are able to fill the gaps left by so many other school suppliers, not only providing the core basics for everyday learning but also delivering a series of supporting resources which bring lessons and school messages to life in innovative and efficient ways.

Our mission is and always has been to always give schools the quality and value that they need to be able to rely on for consistent learning support. This means that our schoolbooks and in-school resources are matched with home learning packs and supporting tools for the benefit of parents and guardians.

One of our latest ventures is our Creative Curriculum collection which taps into the need for engaging learning and creative outlets for pupils of all ages – introducing them to different styles of learning and brightening up the classroom and the curriculum for both primary and secondary students. Not only does this make the classroom a more inviting environment to learn in, but it allows more visually expressive pupils to thrive and determine their own style of learning.