Campaign: Support, not Sanctions
audience reached
total media hits, including broadcast, online, print and influencer
responses from the Department of Education, with 3 discussions of Speech and Language UK and the campaign in parliament
The challenge
Speech and Language UK’s latest research revealed a stark reality for children with speech and language challenges in schools:
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78% of teachers said these children are punished for behaviours linked to their difficulties
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Nearly half reported insufficient training to support them
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46% felt their school’s behaviour policy doesn’t do enough to prioritise speech and language needs
These findings pointed to systemic injustice—and a lack of adequate leadership and support from the Department for Education. Speech and Language UK needed a campaign that would not only bring attention to these issues, but also demand urgent, meaningful change.
Our approach
We created a bold, human-led campaign that put the issue in the spotlight and made it impossible to ignore.
We crafted a hard-hitting press release built around the research findings and enriched with powerful case study anecdotes, grounding the statistics in lived experience. Lauren, a Midlands-based teacher, played a central role in the campaign—sharing her story across regional and national platforms.
To strengthen the message, we supported both Lauren and Chief Executive Jane Harris in writing letters to editors, adding authoritative and emotional weight to our call for change. We also reached out to aligned influencers who could amplify the campaign and add to its momentum.
A three-week targeted media outreach campaign followed, securing wide coverage and putting pressure on the DfE to respond.
The result was a powerful and focused campaign that brought national attention to the issue, united key voices across education and policy, and called for the urgent reforms that children so clearly need.
