Case study · Baker Dearing Educational Trust
From closure stories to growth headlines
We shifted the media narrative on UTCs from closures to growth: landing Lord Baker on Times Radio and driving positive coverage across The Daily Telegraph, FE Week and Schools Week.
pieces of coverage
outlets and editions
country
audience reach*
Outlet by outlet
Every row an outlet, every cell tells its own story
- 01
82022-07 to 2023-05 - 02
72022-07 to 2023-04 - 03
Schools Week32022-07 to 2023-02 - 04
22022-09 to 2023-02 - 05
22022-06 to 2023-02 - 06
12022-10 - 07
12023-03 - 08
12022-05 - 09
12022-10 - 10
Digital Health12022-10 - 11
Education Technology12022-07 - 12
12022-05
12 of 20 outlets shown, ranked by pieces of coverage; the other 8 outlets carry 8 pieces between them and are listed in the index.
Brief
The brief
The brief
Bridgehead was appointed to raise awareness of the progress made by the UTC network, promote new delivery models including UTC Sleeves, and counter a persistent media narrative focused on historic closures, while showcasing the value UTCs offer to employers, universities and students.
The national developer and promoter of 44 University Technical Colleges across England, delivering employer-led technical education to over 19,000 students aged 14–19.
Objectives
- 01Improve sector perception of UTCs following historic coverage focused on closures.
- 02Highlight improvements in enrolment and Ofsted ratings across the network.
- 03Promote the UTC Sleeve model and landmark NHS partnership.
- 04Provide crisis and reputation management support where required.
The approach
How we approached it
A proactive media and stakeholder engagement programme, leading with concrete initiatives and timed to key moments in the education calendar to shift narrative from closures to growth.
Lord Baker on Times Radio
We secured a Times Radio speaking opportunity for Lord Baker, positioning BDET's leadership as an authoritative voice on technical education at the highest media level.
Initiative-led news hooks
Press materials around UTC Sleeves and the NHS partnership (30,000 digital health professionals by 2030) gave journalists concrete, forward-looking stories, shifting the narrative from closures to national ambition.
Crisis communications
We managed all communications surrounding the Watford UTC closure, drafting messages to students, staff and parents and handling media enquiries, ensuring consistent, sensitive messaging during a difficult period.
Coverage
Selected coverage
Here are the coverage highlights
The shift
From closure stories to growth headlines: a narrative reset across national and sector press.
By leading with concrete initiatives and securing the head of the network on Times Radio, we gave journalists a positive story to tell about UTCs. FE Week coverage changed in tone, and The Daily Telegraph ran the network's ambitions as a national education story.
The outcome
37 pieces and a measurable narrative shift: from UTCs as a story about closures to UTCs as the answer to Britain's skills crisis.
The impact
- 01Improved awareness of progress across the UTC network in sector and national media.
- 02Lord Baker placed on Times Radio reaching 1M+ weekly listeners.
- 03Positive FE Week coverage marking a notable shift from the sector's prior closure narrative.
- 04NHS partnership story elevated UTCs as an answer to healthcare workforce challenges.
Every piece
All the coverage
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
Student engagement with STEM employers holds key to inspiring the next generation and plugging the skills gap, new report finds
DA 48
UNITED KINGDOM
Addressing aerospace skills shortages
DA 41
UNITED KINGDOM
Secondary schools must embrace greater choice
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
Apprenticeships: Creating a culture of employer engagement
DA 70
UNITED KINGDOM
Founder of a pioneering education programme returns to Yorkshire’s first University Technical College
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
Somerscience festival will showcase the breadth of STEM opportunities available to south-west's youth
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
Young people’s career readiness rising as result of careers education
DA 49
UNITED KINGDOM
Pre-16 technical education pathways proposed
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
UTCs group seeks millions from DfE for ‘sleeves’ in schools
Schools WeekDA 75UNITED KINGDOM
UTCs group seeks millions for mainstream school 'sleeves'
DA 64UNITED KINGDOM
University Technical Colleges (UTCs) gathering support to create new hubs
DA 43
UNITED KINGDOM
University Technical Colleges – Educating today’s young people for tomorrow's careers
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
Bids for at least 6 'elite' sixth forms formally submitted
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
Government urged to tackle £1.5bn engineering skills shortage through primary and secondary education drive
DA 53
UNITED KINGDOM
Lord Baker, founder of university technical colleges, visits Berkeley
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
T levels are popular with young people - now for everyone else
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
UTC chief eyes new institutions and wants ‘sleeves’ in schools
Schools WeekDA 75UNITED KINGDOM
UTC chief wants ‘sleeves’ in secondary schools
DA 93UNITED KINGDOM
Senior advisor Stephen Leahey speaks to Libby Purves
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
Former Skills Minister, Gillian Keegan is appointed Education Secretary
DA 48
UNITED KINGDOM
Grant Shapps gets business brief and Gillian Keegan gets education
Digital HealthDA 57UNITED KINGDOM
Health Education England awards funding to support digital workforce
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
The latest data of 16-18 destination measures
AT TodayDA 33
UNITED KINGDOM
£52k funding to support a new generation of digital health professionals
DA 58UNITED KINGDOM
Health Education England awards funding to support digital health course
DA 56UNITED KINGDOM
NHS targets UTCs for 'digital health' skills shortfall
DA 64
UNITED KINGDOM
Analysis reveals design and technology student numbers have fallen
DA 37
UNITED KINGDOM
Industry comment on appointment of prime minister and education secretary
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
Kit Malthouse is announced as Education Secretary - Sector Reaction
Education TechnologyDA 54
UNITED KINGDOM
Technical school programme celebrates 10 years amid calls to prioritise tech subjects
DA 56
UNITED KINGDOM
The need for a careers-led education system is staring us in the face
DA 55
UNITED KINGDOM
Michelle Donelan Resigns as Education Secretary, just two days into the Job!
Schools WeekDA 75UNITED KINGDOM
Legal enforcement isn't the end for the Baker Clause
DA 49
UNITED KINGDOM
Careers advice: New rules crackdown on schools flouting Baker Clause
DA 51
UNITED KINGDOM
The education sector has an integrated future
DA 59
UNITED KINGDOM
'Immensely gratifying': Newham college celebrates Ofsted grade
DA 54
UNITED KINGDOM
Queen’s Speech: Sector responds to measures announced for children and young people
Results
The results, 2022-05 to 2023-05
37 pieces across 1 country
continent
broadcast hits
estimated readers*
*audience reach and estimated readers, Portal Coverage Builder, September 2026. Portal Coverage Builder: one audience-reach figure per outlet domain (the maximum reported), summed across every domain; estimated readers is the sum of views across every piece. Figures reproduce the portal's own method exactly; a title that carries several pieces is counted once for reach (its highest reported figure) but every piece counts toward readers.
PIECES PER MONTH, 2022-05 TO 2023-05
The October 2022 spike of 8 pieces is the busiest month in the book. Months with no coverage stay at zero.
On air
1 broadcast and video item from 1 broadcaster in London.
Times Radio, London
“Senior advisor Stephen Leahey speaks to Libby Purves”
Broadcast, 27 Oct 2022
Index
Index of coverage
All 37 pieces, by outlet
1 piece · DA 93Senior advisor Stephen Leahey speaks to Libby Purves · United Kingdom broadcast
27 Oct 2022
2 pieces · DA 64University Technical Colleges (UTCs) gathering support to create new hubs · United Kingdom
16 Feb 2023
Analysis reveals design and technology student numbers have fallen · United Kingdom
13 Sep 2022
7 pieces · DA 56Apprenticeships: Creating a culture of employer engagement · United Kingdom
5 Apr 2023
UTCs group seeks millions from DfE for ‘sleeves’ in schools · United Kingdom
16 Feb 2023
Bids for at least 6 'elite' sixth forms formally submitted · United Kingdom
6 Jan 2023
T levels are popular with young people - now for everyone else · United Kingdom
20 Nov 2022
UTC chief eyes new institutions and wants ‘sleeves’ in schools · United Kingdom
14 Nov 2022
NHS targets UTCs for 'digital health' skills shortfall · United Kingdom
15 Oct 2022
The need for a careers-led education system is staring us in the face · United Kingdom
15 Jul 2022
1 piece · DA 51The education sector has an integrated future · United Kingdom
24 May 2022
1 piece · DA 48Grant Shapps gets business brief and Gillian Keegan gets education · United Kingdom
25 Oct 2022
1 piece · DA 41Secondary schools must embrace greater choice · United Kingdom
9 May 2023
Schools Week
3 pieces · DA 75UTCs group seeks millions for mainstream school 'sleeves' · United Kingdom
16 Feb 2023
UTC chief wants ‘sleeves’ in secondary schools · United Kingdom
14 Nov 2022
Legal enforcement isn't the end for the Baker Clause · United Kingdom
1 Jul 2022
1 piece · DA 58Health Education England awards funding to support digital health course · United Kingdom
17 Oct 2022
8 pieces · DA 55Student engagement with STEM employers holds key to inspiring the next generation and plugging the skills gap, new report finds · United Kingdom
26 May 2023
Somerscience festival will showcase the breadth of STEM opportunities available to south-west's youth · United Kingdom
17 Mar 2023
Young people’s career readiness rising as result of careers education · United Kingdom
7 Mar 2023
Government urged to tackle £1.5bn engineering skills shortage through primary and secondary education drive · United Kingdom
7 Dec 2022
Former Skills Minister, Gillian Keegan is appointed Education Secretary · United Kingdom
25 Oct 2022
The latest data of 16-18 destination measures · United Kingdom
20 Oct 2022
Kit Malthouse is announced as Education Secretary - Sector Reaction · United Kingdom
6 Sep 2022
Michelle Donelan Resigns as Education Secretary, just two days into the Job! · United Kingdom
7 Jul 2022
2 pieces · DA 49Pre-16 technical education pathways proposed · United Kingdom
20 Feb 2023
Careers advice: New rules crackdown on schools flouting Baker Clause · United Kingdom
22 Jun 2022
1 piece · DA 37Industry comment on appointment of prime minister and education secretary · United Kingdom
7 Sep 2022
1 piece · DA 70Founder of a pioneering education programme returns to Yorkshire’s first University Technical College · United Kingdom
20 Mar 2023
1 piece · DA 59'Immensely gratifying': Newham college celebrates Ofsted grade · United Kingdom
23 May 2022
Digital Health
1 piece · DA 57Health Education England awards funding to support digital workforce · United Kingdom
20 Oct 2022
Education Technology
1 piece · DA 54Technical school programme celebrates 10 years amid calls to prioritise tech subjects · United Kingdom
22 Jul 2022
1 piece · DA 54Queen’s Speech: Sector responds to measures announced for children and young people · United Kingdom
10 May 2022
1 piece · DA 53Lord Baker, founder of university technical colleges, visits Berkeley · United Kingdom
5 Dec 2022
1 piece · DA 48Addressing aerospace skills shortages · United Kingdom
9 May 2023
1 piece · DA 43University Technical Colleges – Educating today’s young people for tomorrow's careers · United Kingdom
30 Jan 2023
AT Today
1 piece · DA 33£52k funding to support a new generation of digital health professionals · United Kingdom
18 Oct 2022
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