New school funding rules in the UK could lead schools to illegally turn away children with special educational needs (SEN). The funding changes require schools to cover the first £6,000 of resources for children with education statements from their own budgets, rather than receiving funding from local authorities as in the past. This has already put some schools £70,000 in debt. The story has heads and parents willing to discuss the problems caused and potential implications for SEN children being denied access to schools. It meets journalists' criteria of being new, having scale, tension, debate, and examining the human effects of political policy changes.

1. Pitching masterclass….
How to give journalists/editors the kind of
stories they want, when they want them
With Janet Murray

2. What I’m going to cover...
What editors are looking for
Why most pitches don’t work (and what you can do about it)
Stories that hit the spot
The perfect email pitch

5. What journalists are looking for
● New and/or unexpected
● Scale
● Drama/tension
● Debate
● Politics (the human effects of policy)

6. Why most pitches don’t work...

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16. +

17. Stories that hit the spot...

18. Stories that hit the spot...

19. Stories that hit the spot...

20. Story idea: why changes to school funding arrangements could lead to SEN children being
turned away from schools illegally
Dear X
Would you be interested in doing a story on why changes to school funding arrangements could lead to
SEN children being turned away/excluded from school, which is illegal.
This is due to new funding rules for SEN, introduced in April, under which schools are expected to fund the
first 6k of the resources needed for children with statements from their own budgets (previously this would
have been provided by the local authority).
This has already created financial problems for schools and I have several heads who are willing to talk to
you about it - including one whose school is 70k in the red as a result of the changes. I also have a number
of parents who are willing to be photographed with their children to talk to you about what this might mean
for them. can you underline ‘a number of parents who are willing to be photographed with their children.’
I’m looking to get coverage for this story around the first week of April (when the new legislation comes into
force) so if you could let me know if it’s something you’re interested in covering by tomorrow afternoon, that
would be great.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Jan
‘Ronseal’
‘hook’
‘politics’ ‘policy’ ‘scale’
‘new’ ‘unexpected’ ‘tension’ ‘debate’

23. ● New and/or unexpected
● Scale
● Drama/tension
● Debate
● Politics (the human effects of policy)
To recap...