What Makes Education Copywriting Different?

Education copywriting? I mean how hard can it really be?

After all, we’ve all been to school. And lots of us went to university. Some of us even have our own kids at school now – what more do we need to know… right?

It’s one of those topics that feels so familiar to people, that there can be a LOT of armchair experts making assumptions about what it entails.

‘Just write a few blogs about teaching.’

Or ‘See what’s going on with school funding and post that somewhere.’

So far. So easy.

But… unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for me and my business), being familiar with the inside of a classroom and checking term dates on the official school website, does not an education copywriter make.

It’s one of the reasons I now specialise in education copywriting and content strategy for schools, universities, edtech and education-focused organisations — helping brands communicate more clearly with the audiences they actually need to reach.

So… what does?

Well – definitely not chucking in the latest buzzwords in the hope that some of them get picked up by Google. ‘Student-centred approach’ and ‘teacher retention rates’ might actually be meaningful – but only in the right context. And only when that usage comes from a place of understanding.

I can tell you without missing a beat, that anyone working in education will switch off from generic marketing waffle without a second thought.

Because when you see stories about teachers being busy, colleges being underfunded, and senior leadership teams being blindsided by budget cuts, they can sound like just words.

But if you have been part of that world, you know they are not just words.

You know how overwhelming the workload can be.

You know how skewed the media representation of education often feels.

And you know how challenging it can be to keep children and young people front and centre of your decisions while firefighting on every other front.

That’s the bit that is hard to understand from the outside.

And so the challenge of being an education copywriter is to create a message that says something that someone working in the sector needs to hear. A message that understands that no matter what, the students and their well-being, their goals and their aspirations have to come first.

Education audiences are tough to narrow down

I spent fifteen years in schools as a teacher, leader and child protection officer. I worked in state-maintained schools and academies, and witnessed the journeys of multi-academy trusts as they emerged.

It didn’t take me long to understand that the pressures of the education system are multi-faceted. And that the different audiences associated with any one school or trust often have competing – or even conflicting – priorities and challenges.

A school website, for example, needs to work hard on different fronts.

It might need to:

• reassure a nervous Year 7 parent
• attract prospective staff
• communicate important safeguarding information
• support student recruitment
• satisfy statutory requirements
• showcase results and achievements
• explain learning plans and a varied curriculum clearly

All at the same time.

As anyone in education knows, good communication is not about sounding clever or impressive. It’s about helping people feel informed, reassured and understood – whatever their questions, priorities or individual needs.

And education copywriting is no different.

You can usually spot someone who’s been in the classroom

Some of the best education copywriters I know have been teachers.

Harsh? Maybe. But it makes sense.

And how do you recognise copy written by those of us who have been in the trenches?

(Wartime metaphor used very much on purpose.)

Well, it’s because we know exactly what life is like when you work in a school.

Yes, I loved teaching. Yes, I adored working with teenagers – especially the challenging ones. And yes, it was a total joy to see those kids grow up, thrive in my subject and head off to exciting next steps.

That’s what teaching should be all about.

But at the same time:

Was the workload overwhelming? Absolutely.

Was there enough funding to support pupils’ needs effectively? Nope. Followed by an eyeroll.

Was working in a constantly changing academy culture challenging? At times. See above – more eyerolling.

And did I feel as though there was a healthy balance between what I could give the children in my classroom and what I could give my own children at home?

Unfortunately, no.

And ultimately, that was one of the reasons I left teaching.

So yes – I understand teaching. The highs and the lows. The motivations and the pressures. The teachers. The parents. And of course, the children.

As an education copywriter, that gives me a deep understanding of why it’s all so important – and why it can be so very challenging.

What I can say with absolute certainty is that polished, bloated content has no place in education marketing.

No-one has time to read it, for a start.

Instead of ‘unlocking potential’ or ‘elevating the ever-evolving education landscape’, make your writing matter.

Talk to the pressures of the profession. Offer support that will make life easier and outcomes better. Say something useful, in a clear and human way.

That’s what good education copywriting should do.

Education content is all about timing

Lots of sectors have seasonal trends. Hospitality has Valentine’s Day and Christmas. Retail has summer and winter collections.

In education, content marketing doesn’t just follow seasonal trends. It is – or should be – planned carefully around the annual academic cycle.

Open events. Induction days. Admissions. College applications. University applications. Clearing. Exam season. Results day. September recruitment. Student finance deadlines. Teacher recruitment windows. Academic calendars. Parent communications.

And how your audience feels changes throughout the year too.

How a Year 7 parent feels on the first day of ‘big school’ is different to how a Year 9 parent feels when it’s time to pick GCSE options. And different again to how a Year 11 parent feels on results day.

The messaging strategy changes from primary to secondary, from colleges to universities, and across every stage in between.

A university campaign during Clearing is completely different from a long-term brand awareness piece.

Even SEO strategy shifts depending on where audiences are in the academic cycle.

So, in reference to the start of this blog, education content strategy is not just about ‘posting some blogs’.

The best education strategists and copywriters consider timing, audience and priorities within the sector they work in.

Read my blog to find out why it’s better strategy – not more content – that matters in education.

Education messaging really matters

The experiences I had as a teacher and child protection officer, working with some of the most vulnerable young people in the country, will never leave me.

Working in education carries responsibility.

As a teacher or school leader, the work you do every day – and the relationships you form with young people and their communities – have a direct and powerful impact.

As an education copywriter, you need to understand and support the communication between schools, colleges, children and families.

Your message has to be clear, trustworthy and inclusive.

Even in further and higher education, where learners may be adults, there is still a responsibility to offer the best experience possible to those in your care.

There is always a place for creativity in content and marketing, but not at the expense of accessibility and understanding.

Particularly when topics involve wellbeing, safeguarding, inclusion, SEND support or student outcomes.

That awareness shapes the way I approach education writing now, whether I’m working on website copy, campaigns, SEO content or strategic messaging.

We Are Futures | Social impact campaigns that actually connect with schools

The client: A brand and social impact agency

We Are Futures works with The National Schools Partnership and major brands including Unilever/Dove, NatWest, Rexona/Sure and Southern Water to create social impact campaigns, educational events and resources for teachers, schools and young people.

The work: Campaign copywriting, landing pages and email sequences

I worked extensively on campaigns for NatWest’s MoneySense and CareerSense programmes, the Dove Self-Esteem Project and Body Confidence programme. I also created landing pages and social media copy.

The goal across these campaigns was to encourage sign-ups and downloads for free resources and lesson plans tackling issues facing young people today.

How my teaching background helped:

The biggest pressures facing teaching staff are time and workload. Any messaging aimed at schools has to recognise that quickly, clearly demonstrating both the benefit to students and the ease of engagement for staff.

Having worked in schools myself, I understood:

• academic calendar pressures
• timetable constraints
• safeguarding sensitivities
• staff workload
• how teachers engage with external resources
• what makes schools trust a campaign
• the importance of making resources genuinely usable

The work was shaped by a clear sense of practical classroom value, ease of use within the current education framework and academic calendar, and accessibility for both teachers and students.

Read my case study for my work with We Are Futures.

Aston University | Making higher education messaging more human

The client: A leading UK university

I’ve worked with Aston University across a wide range of projects including alumni case studies, editorial features, heritage and anniversary content, campaign materials and strategic university messaging.

The work has involved taking often complicated ideas or wide-ranging material and creating human stories that were part of the university’s mission and journey.

The work: Editorial content, university storytelling and campaign copy

Projects included:

• Interviewing inspirational alumni who have created real-world impact and writing their stories for the Aston Made campaign.
• Researching Aston’s rich history through interviews with historians and archivists to create physical and digital copy for a heritage trail across the campus.
• Compiling material from a range of sources, copyediting and writing a commemorative photography-led coffee table book, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Aston’s Royal Charter.

Much of the work focused on highlighting real student and graduate journeys, alongside Aston’s wider mission around employability, innovation and real-world impact.

How my teaching background helped:

One of the challenges with higher education content is balancing professionalism with personality.

Universities often have incredible stories to tell – and a vision that sets them apart from their competition but institutional, dense, and academic language can cloud the power of the messaging.

My background in education helped me understand:

• how students and families engage with educational institutions
• the importance of accessibility and clear communication
• the pressures and anxieties students face when making life-changing decisions
• how to create strong brand-led narratives that make the institution unique in its mission and identity

The work was always shaped by the understanding that education is ultimately about people, opportunities and outcomes – not just statistics and rankings (although Aston excelled in these as well!).

Read my case study for Aston University.

Access Education | Creating an edtech campaign that actually spoke to schools

The client: A software and technology provider, with an education-focused solution

Access Education creates software solutions designed to support schools, colleges and education providers across areas such as communication, administration, student engagement and operational management.

I worked on a major campaign focused on education software and AI tools for multi-academy trusts.

The work: Campaign messaging, SEO content and strategic education marketing

The campaign included hero messaging, flagship guides, planning and writing SEO content, nurture emails, website copy, downloadable resources and strategic content planning.

The challenge was not just explaining what the software did, but communicating why it mattered to growing multi-academy trusts.

How my teaching background helped:

One of the biggest mistakes in edtech marketing is focusing too heavily on product features without fully understanding the day-to-day realities of schools and colleges.

Schools are not looking for software because it sounds ‘innovative’.

They are looking for solutions that:

• reduce workload
• improve communication
• save time
• support staff
• improve outcomes for students
• work realistically within existing pressures and systems

Having worked in education myself, I understood:

• the operational pressures schools face
• how difficult change management can be within education settings
• the importance of trust when schools invest in external providers
• how education staff evaluate products and resources

I created a campaign strategy and content that spoke to real challenges faced by staff and leaders in growing multi-academy trusts.

Read the case study for Access Education.

No longer a teacher. Still invested in education.

I loved being a teacher. I loved working with young people. And I still believe in working hard to make sure the system is set up to support those who need it most.

I’m still invested in education. No question.

Like most ex-teachers, my reasons for leaving education were complicated – but not caring was never among them.

So now, in my new career as a copywriter and content strategist, getting to work with clients in the education sector is the best blend of both worlds.

I still use my communication skills to help people access the world of education.

But instead of boisterous boys learning to love Macbeth, it’s creating website messaging for a college that will speak to students in areas that are often forgotten.

Or writing inspirational case studies of normal students who went on to change the world.

And engaging teachers with resources and programmes that address challenges of mental health and real-world problems.

Good education copywriting, like good teaching, is – at its heart – about understanding people and helping them achieve their goals.

Contact me to talk all things education copywriting and content strategy.