As PA Media’s lead education journalist, Busby exposes systemic barriers in UK schooling through data-rich investigations and community-centered storytelling. Her reporting consistently drives policy debates, particularly around SEND provision and admissions fairness.
Busby prioritizes stories demonstrating measurable impacts on student outcomes. Successful pitches include:
“Real change starts with understanding whose voices aren’t being heard.” – Busby, 2024 Education Journalism Conference
We’ve followed Eleanor Busby’s career as she evolved from a local education reporter to a respected correspondent at PA Media, where her work shapes national conversations about schooling inequities. With a laser focus on systemic challenges, Busby combines data-driven analysis with human-centered storytelling to highlight gaps in England’s education system.
Beginning as The Independent’s Education Correspondent, Busby established herself through investigations into school funding disparities. Her 2025 move to PA Media expanded her reach, syndicating her reporting to regional and national outlets. She’s developed particular expertise in:
This March 2025 investigation exposed how geographic disparities in specialist school capacity leave SEND students underserved. Busby paired Department for Education datasets with emotional parent testimonials, revealing that 17% of families waited over a year for appropriate placements. The piece directly influenced parliamentary questions about SEND funding allocations.
Demonstrating her range, this 2024 first-person account gave voice to survivors of economic domestic abuse. Busby’s unflinching portrayal of coercive control mechanisms in educational settings – including abusers manipulating school communications – became a key resource for the Women’s Aid advocacy group.
Her personal blog offers insights into the journalist’s process, including a 2025 post detailing the challenges of verifying SEND placement statistics across 152 local authorities. This transparency builds trust with both sources and readers.
Busby prioritizes how legislation affects classroom realities. A successful 2024 series tracked the rollout of the Schools Bill through case studies in Bristol, Leeds, and Norwich. Pitches should include concrete examples of policy impacts, such as timetables showing reduced specialist support hours.
While she frequently cites Department for Education datasets, Busby always grounds statistics in personal narratives. The 2025 “Postcode Lottery” piece paired national admission rates with a Brighton family’s 18-month wait for autism spectrum support. PR professionals should provide both quantitative metrics and vetted case study contacts.
Despite covering education broadly, Busby’s work concentrates on pre-tertiary institutions. A rare 2023 piece on university mental health services was framed through sixth-form transitions. Effective pitches might address how college prep programs affect GCSE outcomes rather than higher education itself.
“The most dogged chronicler of England’s education gaps since the pandemic.” – 2024 Education Journalism Awards judging panel
Busby received the 2024 Special Investigation Award from the Association of Education Journalists for her year-long series tracking COVID learning loss recovery. The judges noted her innovative use of FOIA requests to compare regional tutoring fund distribution.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Education, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
