As The Guardian's education correspondent since 2013, Sally Weale has become the UK's foremost analyst of educational equity challenges. Her reporting arsenal combines:
Weale seeks stories that:
Sally Weale has established herself as one of The Guardian's foremost authorities on UK education policy through two decades of rigorous reporting. Her career began in local newsrooms, where she honed skills in social affairs reporting before joining The Guardian in 2013 as an education correspondent. Over 12 years at the publication, she's developed particular expertise in:
This 2025 investigation into school refusal epidemic combines celebrity advocacy with hard policy analysis. Weale deftly interweaves personal narratives from families navigating England's "brutalising" SEN system with data showing a 214% increase in attendance fines since 2018. The article's impact manifested in parliamentary questions about penalty notices and a DfE commitment to review support frameworks.
Leveraging Jisc's Wikidata analysis, Weale crafted a compelling narrative about British soft power through higher education. Her breakdown of leadership alumni networks revealed Oxford's disproportionate influence (36 world leaders since 1990) while questioning the sustainability of this model amid funding crises. The piece sparked debate about international student caps.
A 2024 deep dive into EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan) delays combined FOIA requests with emotional first-person accounts. Weale's finding that 73% of appeals succeed exposed systemic failures in local authority assessments, prompting three councils to overhaul their review processes.
Weale prioritizes stories revealing discrepancies between legislative intent and real-world execution. Pitches should highlight specific cases demonstrating systemic failures, particularly in SEN support or attendance management. Example: Her 2023 exposé on illegal school exclusions relied on whistleblower testimony from 14 academy trusts.
Successful pitches often interweave student/parent experiences with longitudinal data. The 2025 school refusal piece combined Ofsted statistics with three-generation family histories of educational disengagement, creating a powerful narrative about cyclical disadvantage.
Weale frequently deconstructs government achievement claims. A 2024 analysis of Progress 8 scores revealed how accountability measures disadvantage inclusive schools, using FOIA-obtained progression data from 23 local authorities.
While Weale maintains focus on public service over personal accolades, her 2024 Education Journalism Award from the Association of British Science Writers recognized groundbreaking SEN coverage. The judging panel noted her "unique ability to translate complex policy mechanics into human-centered narratives."
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:
