“As a news organisation, we expect high standards from any PR support and we have been impressed with Pedroza’s understanding of the news agenda, their creative approach and unrelenting enthusiasm.”

- Nicky Cox, Editor First News

We’ve worked with First News, the only children’s national newspaper, since 2015 to help promote First News as a tool for literacy and citizenship, raise awareness with teachers and help to build links with influencers.

We have worked with First News on a range of projects including the Children’s EU Referendum, BETT, iHub launch and social media strategy. We’ve secured coverage in national broadcast and print media, and the education sector media. We’ve surveyed teachers, researched and written case studies, and brokered partnerships with leading education organisations including TES, MumsNet, Rising Stars and Primary Rocks.

“The Pedroza team provided great insight and guidance when forming the plans for our digital communications with teachers for Wellcome’s first public version of Explorify, a science activity resource for primary teachers. We really appreciated their flexibility and dedication to engaging our first cohort throughout the programme across email and Facebook, adapting plans in line with our agile delivery methods.”

- Louise Brown, Primary Science Product Lead – Wellcome

We provided email marketing strategy and support to Wellcome to help them promote their new primary initiative, Explorify. This major initiative, aimed to help primary teachers develop their confidence in teaching science.

We developed an email communications strategy to engage primary teachers in the first public pilot of Explorify. The plan supported the on-boarding of Explorify teacher participants, created expectation and interest in the run up to the pilot, encouraged participation during the pilot, and ensured participants provided feedback. We also helped to set up and manage a Facebook group where primary teachers could share their experiences and provide feedback.

During the four-week pilot we sent 22 emails to participants and published regular content in the Facebook group. The emails were very successful. We delivered a 47 per cent open rate and a click-through rate of 24 per cent, both significantly higher than industry rates for the training and education sector.

PrimarySite works with schools and trusts to build websites and provide advice on brand and strategic comms. They asked Pedroza Comms to help them to build their profile with multi academy trusts (MATs).

Our strategy combined new research with listening to MAT leaders and working with stakeholders. It was designed build brand awareness and enable PrimarySite to make a useful contribution to discussions about MATs and forge new relationships.

Starting with the research, we spoke to MAT leaders and key influencers and identified that sustainable growth of a MAT was a key priority and focused the research on this topic.

Using our network, and PrimarySite’s contacts, we appointed a Steering Group of MAT leaders and experts.  We undertook a literature review, interviews and a survey to gather insight and consulted regularly with the steering group on the findings and drafting of the report.

We launched the report in June 2020. We needed to reach a very targeted audience of MAT leaders and influencers so, as well as coverage in the Tes and Schools Week, we worked with  the Association of School and College Leaders, the Institute of School Business Leaders, and the National Governance Association who shared the research findings in their member magazines and newsletters.

This secured a 1.74 million reach for the campaign. The report was downloaded more than 250 times in the first week and there was positive feedback from MAT leaders.  Our work also resulted in PrimarySite building closer relationships with ISBL and ASCL, and further interviews and speaking opportunities about the research.

Rachel Panther, Managing Director, PrimarySite said:

Pedroza Comms has helped us to increase our profile with multi academy trust leaders by producing new research, building relationships with key stakeholders and securing editorial and speaking opportunities. We’ve valued their education expertise and network of senior contacts as well as their ability to contribute both strategically and tactically. We’d recommend them to any organisation wanting to strengthen their position in the education market.

Download the report here.

Read the launch press release here.

“Pedroza Comms helped us to promote the BAFTA Young Game Designers initiative to teachers and the wider public. We’ve been very pleased with the coverage they’ve secured in education sector media, regional press, and broadcast media. They’ve also helped us to build new relationships with some social media influencers which has helped us to engage young people directly. We’ve enjoyed working with this small, specialist agency.”

- Niyi Akeju, PR & Learning Campaigns Manager, BAFTA

Young Game Designers (YGD) is a competition for 11 to 18 year olds, which aims to inspire the UK’s games creators of the future. It gives young people the opportunity to design or make their own game. BAFTA works closely with the games industry and with teachers, and others in education.

Our remit was to promote YGD to young people, teachers, and parents. We worked closely with BAFTA to create a three phase campaign: the competition launch; announcement of the finalists; and the red carpet winners’ ceremony held at BAFTA HQ.

To launch the campaign and engage teachers we secured coverage in the education sector media and with education bloggers. This included Schools Week, Education Today and SecEd, Teacher Toolkit and Heads’ Office. We also got some great national attention from First News, The Week Junior and BBC Asian Network.

We then rolled up our sleeves to spread the word about the 60 BAFTA YGD finalists located across the UK. We talked to journalists wherever there was a BAFTA finalist, from Aberdeen to Caerphilly to Wimbledon, and secured widespread coverage in regional and local media including radio and TV coverage.

Finally, we shared the announcement of the YGD winners with the media. You can check them out on the YGD website. They are truly inspiring and we secured coverage in local and regional media as well as further pick up in First News.

Throughout the campaign social media was really important and we worked closely with a number of influencers including teen influencer Amazing Arabella and tech blogger and author Emma Gannon.

The campaign secured 61 pieces of coverage and a reach of 4.9m from national radio and print, regional TV, radio and print, and education sector media. 

“Anna and her team secured great pick up in the sector media including the Tes and Schools Week, as well as coverage with leading education podcasts. Most importantly, Pedroza Comms helped us to secure the highest number of downloads for any of our reports.”

- Ernest Jenavs, CEO, Edurio

Edurio enables schools and trusts to create custom surveys, gather anonymous staff feedback, and benchmark results nationally to improve education quality. They work with over 150 trusts and 2000 schools. and regularly publish state of the nation reports based on substantial data sets of student or staff survey information.

Edurio approached Pedroza to increase the reach of a report they were launching called Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Amongst School Staff.

Strategy

We reviewed the results of previous launch campaigns and found that, although there was national coverage, reach in the sector media was limited. Together, Tes and Schools Week are the most popular titles with teachers and school leaders so securing coverage in these was a key priority. We also felt there was scope for more pick up in stakeholder newsletters, magazines or blogs.

We worked with the team to identify the most news worthy findings in their research and interviewed two MAT leaders to get their views on the findings. We drafted a press release with a clear call to action to download the report from the landing page.

Our sell in initially focused on the news story and we then followed up with selling in expert comment from our MAT leaders, the CEO of the Confederation of School Trusts, and Edurio’s CEO and Head of Research.

Results

Our work drove traffic to the landing page and we helped Edurio to secure their highest number of report downloads.

The campaign reach was 3.1m. We secured coverage in the Tes and Schools Week and a further 10 education sector publications, blogs and podcasts, plus coverage in the regional media. The report also prompted discussion by commentators including additional articles in Schools Week.

Feedback from Edurio

Ernest Jenavs, CEO of Edurio was delighted with Pedroza’s support and said: “Pedroza Comms brought solid PR expertise, creative thinking and enthusiasm to their work with us. They provided great support throughout the planning period and we felt they went the extra mile in developing ideas, reaching out to contacts and providing advice. Their understanding of education helped them to get to grips with our research and identify the findings which were most newsworthy.

“Anna and her team secured great pick up in the sector media including the Tes and Schools Week, as well as coverage with leading education podcasts. Most importantly, Pedroza Comms helped us to secure the highest number of downloads for any of our reports.”

“We needed inspiration and direction and this is exactly what we got. Anna brought a wealth of experience and fresh ideas that truly reinvigorated the campaign, extending its reach and its impact.”

- Sam Henson, Deputy Chief Executive, National Governance Association

The National Governance Association is the membership organisation for governors, trustees and governance professionals in state schools in England. The charity aims to improve educational standards and wellbeing of young people by increase the effectiveness of governing boards and promoting high standards.

The NGA asked Pedroza Comms to help them reactivate their Visible Governance campaign which had been impacted by the pandemic. Help was needed to produce and launch a new film and to increase the profile of governance with employers.

Our approach

Working with the NGA, and an animation company, we scripted and produced a 2 minute film explaining the role of governance volunteers. Designed to be accessible to everyone, the film used animation to create an engaging story about why governance was worth it and to encourage viewers to find out more.

To launch the film we recruited existing school governors and trustees to talk about their role. We used new research from the NGA’s survey of their members to build a news story about the fact that governance vacancies were at their highest since 2016. We targeted the sectors that our case studies were employed in, as well the education sector media.

To increase reach, we produced a comms toolkit for the NGA to share with their key stakeholders including graphics, the video and copy for social media posts and news items.

Results

We secured a reach of 1.9m with more than 10 pieces of coverage and the story featured in the Tes, Schools Week, Education Executive, the CIPR’s Influence Magazine, Construction Management and a host of education podcasts including the popular Education on Fire.

Feedback from the NGA

“Working with Anna and Pedroza Comms has been an absolutely fantastic experience, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Anna came in at a crucial time for us as we wanted to enhance a campaign dented by the pandemic.

We needed inspiration and direction and this is exactly what we got. Anna brought a wealth of experience and fresh ideas that truly reinvigorated the campaign, extending its reach and its impact. We have learnt a huge amount in our time working with Anna, the team really enjoyed the experience and we have all come away feeling better equipped for future projects.”

Sam Henson, Deputy Chief Executive, National Governance Association

Background

Leiths Education teaches students of all ages to cook from scratch – from schoolchildren learning practical cookery skills to students on its flagship Culinary Diploma, which has trained some of the world’s most talented chefs, entrepreneurs, recipe developers and food stylists. Founded by Prue Leith in 1975, the school has a longstanding commitment to helping schools deliver the very best cookery teaching to children.

To strengthen its work with primary schools, Leiths asked Pedroza Comms to help build stronger links, deepen market understanding, and develop relationships with key education organisations.

Our approach

Following research and discussions with the Leiths team, we scoped a pilot project for primary schools in England. Leiths had created a comprehensive online cookery resource and wanted to understand how schools used it and what support they needed to deliver hands-on cookery within logistical and budgetary constraints.

We agreed that offering primary schools free access to the Leiths resources through a structured pilot would generate valuable insight and evidence. The pilot would also create case studies, testimonials and research findings to support PR and content marketing activity.

Designing the pilot

Pedroza Comms defined the pilot’s purpose and value to Leiths, developing an offer that set out what schools could expect, how long the project would last, and what participation would involve. We created a detailed timeline and project framework to guide delivery.

We drafted copy for the pilot’s landing page, invitation emails and stakeholder updates, ensuring a consistent and engaging tone. To support recruitment, we connected with key organisations including school improvement services, subject associations and local primary hubs. Recruitment was closely monitored so we could refine our approach as the project evolved.

Recruiting primary schools

To attract and retain participating schools, we produced a suite of communications including welcome emails, onboarding invitations and registration materials. A clear communications plan helped maintain strong engagement across the project.

We coordinated more than 20 tailored email templates to stay connected with schools, providing encouragement, reminders and updates at key stages. Regular analysis of email open rates allowed us to track engagement and adjust communications to ensure continued participation.

Research and evaluation

Pedroza Comms designed and analysed the initial survey for pilot participants. Working with the University of Roehampton, we refined the survey design to ensure robust and meaningful feedback. We also included a SEND school to ensure a diversity of perspectives and sourced schools willing to take part in case studies to capture in-depth insights into how the resources were used and the impact on teaching and learning.

Results

The pilot successfully recruited 80 primary schools, each now connected with Leiths Education. More than 40 responses were gathered from the initial survey, offering valuable insight into teachers’ motivations and the current status of cookery education in primary schools. More than 60 responses were secured in the final survey.

The project generated opportunities for Leiths to share its work through the education media, raising its profile and credibility in the sector. It also led to new relationships with organisations such as the Design and Technology Association, strengthening Leiths’ position as a leader in food education.

Client feedback

“Pedroza Comms has played a key role in our work to engage with primary schools. They combine education and marketing expertise which means we’ve been able to rapidly engage with schools and to develop new ideas, such as our primary pilot.

Pedroza Comms brought planning and strategic thinking, as well as practical support, which has boosted our marketing capacity. A year on we have worked with 80 primary schools, have forged links with key organisations, secured valuable editorial coverage, and have far greater insight about primary schools and cookery. If you are looking for a small, smart agency who can work alongside your in-house team, I’d recommend them.”

Alistair Turner, Commercial Director, Leiths Education