Kedleston Group

Kedleston Group – Case Study

The Challenge

For a multi-school group like Kedleston, the challenge isn’t simply handling complaints well at individual school level - it’s doing so consistently, while supporting headteachers and maintaining appropriate group oversight.

Complaints sit with heads in the first instance, and any system introduced at group level needs to help them rather than feel imposed. At the same time, regional leaders need visibility and assurance that processes are being followed.

Sophie was clear that headteacher buy-in was critical:

“Our priority was making sure our headteachers saw the benefit of the system, so getting them involved early was key.”

The Solution

Kedleston joined Companion as an early group partner, piloting the platform with real cases and deliberately involving headteachers from the outset.

1) A trust-wide demo environment

Sophie was given access across Kedleston’s schools (plus a demo school), allowing her to explore the platform before introducing it more widely.

This meant she could speak to heads confidently and avoid surprises later.

2) Getting heads involved early

Senior colleagues and headteachers were added as admins across their schools, giving them the opportunity to explore the system themselves with Sophie’s and the Companion team’s support.

“We didn’t position it as something being done to heads - it was about showing how it could support them.”

“Companion supported us in making sure heads could see the system for themselves before buying.”

3) Hands-on training and feedback

Following the pilot, Kedleston rolled Companion out across 14 schools, supported by in-person training sessions with headteachers.

“Having the Companion team come down and sit with our heads made a huge difference. It wasn’t generic training - it was grounded in what our schools actually deal with.”

“They really listened to feedback. It felt like a partnership, not a product being sold and left behind.”

The Results

Kedleston moved quickly from pilot to rollout because the approach worked at both school and trust level:

• Headteachers felt supported

• Kedleston Group leaders like Sophie gained clearer oversight without chasing teachers for updates

• Complaints were easier to manage using a shared system

• Onboarding across schools was straightforward, with hands-on support

“Once heads were on board, the trust-level benefits followed naturally”, says Sophie.

“Other groups of schools shouldn’t be put off by rolling something like this out - if you get heads involved early, the transition is much easier.”

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The Partnership

For Companion, Kedleston reflects the reality many groups of schools face: multiple schools, different contexts, and the need for oversight without micromanagement.

“Working with Kedleston helped us see the full picture of complaints at scale,” says co-founder Sam Flood.

“Sophie and her team showed us what trusts really need - clear oversight, strong auditability, and confidence that schools are being supported rather than scrutinised. That learning has been central to how we’re building Companion for the future.”