Head v HeartPR for Senior Schools

Philippa Scudds

ISBI Conference17th September 2015

Format

• What drives the Senior School decision?

• What does ‘Head’ mean for Senior Schools?

• What does ‘Heart’ mean for Senior Schools?

• Winning the reputational war!

• About you

About Me

About Me

• Small independent, 3-16 with boarding

• Raised profile, increased senior numbers

About Me

• Prep School went co-ed

• Numbers increased from 320 to 550!

About Me

• Numbers highest in school’s history

• Only 3% foreign nationals

Some more numbers …

• 517,113 pupils at ISC member schools, representing 80% of independent schools in the UK

• 1,267 schools – 616 schools under Year 8 (153,612 pupils), 420 mixed age range (242,701 pupils), 231 11+ (120,800)

Why go private?

“Independent school pupils three times more likely to get top grades at A-level,

and five times as likely to go to Oxbridge.”

Daily Telegraph

Why go private?

“Sport, music, drama, dance, clubs, societies, community service, cadet forces, The Duke of Edinburgh Award and the Young Enterprise

scheme all provide enjoyment for many children, and this spills over into the academic side of

school life.” Barnaby Lenon – Chair, ISC

ISC Research

• Fulfil pupil potential

• High academic quality

• Reputation of school

• Quality of facilities

• Extra curricular activities

• Quality of teachers

• Good discipline

• Future prospects

• 83% said:

“Sending my child to a UK independent school rather than a state school is an investment in my child’s future”

• 81% said:

“The decision to send my child to a UK independent school required me to make financial sacrifices in other areas”

• 60% said:

“UK independent schools foster creativity and innovation”

ISC Research

• Value for money

• Academically strong

• Getting ahead in a competitive world

• Opportunities

• Location

• Friends

Head …

Gone are the days …?

• Don’t want a hot house

• A happy child

• Caring environment

• Opportunities for fun

• Development of character

• Friends

• Facilities and setting

What about Heart?

At 11+ and 13+

• Parent driven – 25+ months out

• Head with some heart?

• Very dependent on school, location, competition and parent body

At 16+

• Much more pupil driven

• Online is crucial

• Reasons often very focused

Public Relations

Lobbying

Website

News

Speeches

Events

Written Word

Audio Visual

Press and Publicity – Ways to Inform

Six PR elements

• The Prep Head

• Current Parents

• Online engagement

• Events

• Getting ‘out there’

• Written Word

1: The Prep School

• 22% find information from current prep school most useful

• Prep Head engagement is vital

• Former Pupils

• Exhibitions

• 70% word of mouth – parents and friends

2: Current CustomersSix ways current parents can spread the word:

• Experiences in their own words. This story can be shared in person and on the Web.

• Invite a friend to experience your school by visiting and touring campus.

• Write an online review of their experiences online at mumsnet• “Like” your school’s Facebook page • Direct friends to your website• Refer a friend to the admissions office by having a designated form

on your website that does this automatically.

Tell-Invite-Write-Like-Direct-ReferSource: www.enrollmentcatalyst.com

3: Power of Online• 75% of UK adults have broadband according to

OFCOM• 49% have smartphones• 41% use smartphones or tablets while doing

something completely different such as watching TV

• 15% of households in UK are mobile only!• ISC Research – 30% said school website was the

most useful source of information, with 14% audio visual material

www.

Impressions

“The relationship between promotional material and reality is not always close.”

Social Media

4: Events and Visits

• 85% said the most useful source of information when choosing a school was through a visit

• Should be single most important piece of publicity you do

• Only get one chance to make a first impression

• Head and Heart combine

At 11+ and 13+

• Open Days – pupil ambassadors

• Private visits with pupil tours

• Sports events

• Other workshops

• Social events

• ‘Another look’ opportunities

At 16+

• More tailored Open Day

• Video and film

• Q&As with pupils

• Creating a ‘buzz’

• Prep Head visits

• Exhibitions

• Staff lectures

• Individual workshops

• Competition judging

5: Getting ‘out there’…

“The language of school marketing is now so uniformly bland and meaningless that it would have Peter Mandelson nodding admiringly as he leafed through yet another prospectus describing the educational nirvana awaiting inside the classroom.”

The Guardian

6: Written word …

• Avoid exaggerations

• Keep it simple

• Facts are powerful

• Acknowledge successes

• Be confident about your school

• The power of what you don’t say …

Keep it simple …

Key Messages – Get Specific• We offer a wide range

of extra-curricular opportunities

• We have excellent pastoral care

• We focus on the individual

• We lead the way academically

• Our 1st XV are county champions for the 3rd

consecutive year

• We run over 30 activities for boarders every weekend

• Every pupil has an individual tutor

• We are in the top 5 …

Publicising the Intangibles

One of the things I noticed when looking for schools for the offspring was that all the brochures for the schools were more or less identical, despite ranging from medium town to rural. They all had the same bollox in about "helping every child to reach their maximum potential”

• “Men of distinction”

• “Ordinary men and women given extraordinary opportunities”

• “All educate all”

Distinctiveness

Review and Reflect

• Annual research

• Regular reviews with Admissions/Senior Staff

• What works? What needs more thought?

• Has the competition changed their strategy?

• What are your key messages?

• What makes you special?

• What makes you different and stand out from the crowd?

YOUR School …

Do your research• Market

Knowledge

• Customer Knowledge

• Target Knowledge

• Internal Communications

The Moments of Truth

• 50,000 Moments of Truth per day – every time contact is made between customer and company

Jan Carlzon – Chief Exec, SAS

“Right for child’s individual needs”