About Us

Who Are We?

Born of a desire to provide students with exceptional presentation products, School Smart aims to deliver high-quality creations that reflect the hard work and effort put in to earning an achievement.

In 1998, with an interest in typography and a background in letterpress printing, Michael Charles Layton founded Challenge Supply Co., now known as School Smart Products, building the business from the ground up.

Fast-forward 20 years and School Smart is a thriving, well-respected business providing specialist foil-blocked products to the education sector.

Why Choose School Smart?

At School Smart, we believe in rewarding students with premium foil-blocked folders, wallets and display files they can be proud of.

Our entire range of customised presentation products are created in-house by our talented team and can be personalised with your school name or logo.
We oversee the entire production process from start to finish at our Doncaster-based workshop, ensuring each item is perfectly designed and manufactured with the utmost care and attention.

‘The files are of excellent quality and the service we have received has been exemplary.’

We pride ourselves on delivering a personal service and professional finish, always striving to impress with fast turnarounds and helpful support and advice.

Our friendly and knowledgeable team are always on hand to assist you, building long-lasting relationships that stand the test of time.
And what’s more, we give a percentage of our profits to charity each month and hold regular fundraising events throughout the year. So, you can rest assured that by supporting School Smart, you are also supporting some very important charities!

You can also find out more about our sports hall flooring supply options too.

Our Team

Charlie

Charlie goes with us to far off lands, so if you see him, take a picture and tag us on social media with #charliesadventures!

Charlotte Layton

Michael’s granddaughter, Charlotte, is kind, gentle and will always offer you a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit if you decide to pop by our workshop. She likes the simple things in life – “Love good chats with good friends…and lots of good food, of course!”

Havana Clark

Toby’s daughter, Havana, graduated from the University of York with a Masters of Psychology in 2018. She has turned her knowledge of academic literature into the information conveyed in our blog posts. She likes reading in a coffee shop (because she hates the silence) and is learning to surf! Her favourite time of the year is Autumn and loves to get wrapped up in a comfy blanket with a hot chocolate and a good movie.

Jonathan Layton

Jon loves being surrounded by positive people! He has a deaf sister, so has a keen interest in the deaf world, and he enjoys translating Christian community events to deaf groups. His biggest thrills are huge seas and crashing waves! Jon is fond of meditating and listening to country and western music, and has goals to ride on Flying Scotsman and visit a log cabin in Denmark and experience that hygge feeling. Fun fact, he can name the Liverpool 1983-1984 squad!

Katie Layton

Katie is from New Zealand, therefore, is well versed in travelling. She likes reading maps and travelling by train, but, you’ll find her taking any opportunity to walk rather than use the car! And her favourite colour is yellow.

Ken Wiltshire

Ken attended St Albans Joinery College for 3 years, and absolutely loves building work (Ken and his son have built numerous things in our office, so we can attest that they’re very good!) He can’t rest until a job’s complete! Also, he’s related to William Shakespeare (Shakespeare’s sister married a Hargreaves, who is a relation of an Ashley who married a Wiltshire), enough said.

Michael Layton

Michael started life in Croydon, living not far from the Trinity School of John Whitgift, later demolished to make way for the Whitgift Shopping Centre (if it’s still there!) He’s lived in Doncaster now for many years. He did City & Guilds training at Sheffield College of Printing after starting work at a local print firm. He has a simple lifestyle, walking for exercise and gardening for therapy.

Paul Stuart Hancock

Paul has been with the company since 2008. He supports Manchester City Football Club and loves watching them on TV (as well as other sports). He also enjoys walking and travelling throughout Europe! His weekend is second-to-none though, on Fridays he tucks into fish and chips, on Saturdays he munches on a meat-feast pizza, and on Sunday he appreciates a traditional carvery. Paul is super-friendly and loves to talk to anyone, so if you see him with a drink on a Friday and Saturday be sure to ask him about politics.

Ryan Jeavons

Ryan is our resident Tube Specialist. He likes playing games on his Xbox and he loves his dog, Roxy. Every Sunday his grandma rustles up a mean steak and chips dinner!

Sidney T. Da Silva

Originally from Brazil, he moved to Italy, before settling in the UK. Sidney is one of the bravest people we’ve ever known, because he has travelled 7,174 miles to live here. You can also hear him laughing from the same distance! Sidney likes to fish and play football, and he would tell you to try the Brazilian delicacy, coxinha.

Toby Clark

Toby likes to think he’s an energetic 60-year-old. He joined the company in 2016, after a 30-year career with the South Yorkshire Police. He is also a part-time spinning instructor (you might see him at the Dome on a Wednesday evening). He is married with two children, and he loves his food and drink almost as much! Toby enjoys working at School Smart, particularly because he gets to travel all over the country!

Zoe Summerill
Accounts