Why Public Relations?

They call it 'doing a Ratner' - in memory of the famous gaffe committed by Gerald Ratner back in 1991, when he admitted selling "crap" in his High Street shops.

Why marketing? A Headship question?

• A good reputation is important to the success of the school• Students generate resources.. Need to attract and retain

students

Definition• Marketing is about effective communications..

Communicating what your school stands for its strengths and how it wants to be perceived by your community

The Golden rules

• Understand the importance of word of mouth• Ensure every person is an ambassador for the school• Every contact with the school leaves an impressions• Ensure you are visible in the community• Understand the need for the school to communicate

with decision makers and influencers• A number of small changes can be more effective than

one large one

The marketing cycle• Review research and audit• Define and redefine a school’s service• Establish a marketing plan• Implement a marketing strategy• Consider channels of communication• Consider promotional approaches• Back to review and evaluate

Reviewing and AuditingWhat can I use?• Ofsted Questionnaire• Focus groups• Parents questionnaire• Staff questionnaire• Children’s questionnaire• Coffee mornings• Student council• Parents Association/ Parent Partnership

Areas to audit continued

• Prospectus• Website• Newsletter• Stationery• Recruitment and adverts• Events• Photography

Publications The Prospectus Should it be digital or both?

Old fashioned /traditional? New and moving forward?

Newsletters

WEBSITES? http://www.ursulinesixthform.com/

Check list for the website

• Update weekly• Highlight current news and events• Show a range of extra curricular and out of school activities• Publish your newsletter on the website• Use photos• Have up to date links• School calendar• Weekly events• Curriculum information• Staff recruitment• PTA information• A Blog??• Update on past students• Update on staff

Front of desk?

• Sloppy/ familiar or professional and welcoming?• Diction clear, loose slang? Reassuring and assertive or

verging on rude and aggressive?• Phone calls on a loop for ages or is the call answered.

Return of call 24 hours or a day too late?• Texting / emailing service?

Managing school events?• Parents in control or are we?• Who sets the standards?• School productions and facilities.. Coat hangers,

refreshments, seating, expectations• Good manners• Order and structure.. The school knows what it is doing.

Efficient, no loss of time

Environment

• Celebrates children’s achievements?• Celebrates children’s work?• Children can see themselves achieving and doing well?

How about a ‘learning walk’ with a colleague from another school?• Is the approach and entrance, clean tidy and welcoming?• Is school signage up to date visible and branded?• Is the reception areas warm welcoming and is marketing

information readily available for visitors?• Are displays of work up to date and visible? Are there

pictures of current children?• Do students welcome visitors?• How do support and teaching staff welcome visitors?

Your Brand and strapline

• Serviam• I will serve

• Academic excellence• Service in the Spirit of St Angela Merici• Addressing individual need• Developing young women as leaders

Press releases

• Short sentences no more than 30 words• 5 lines for websites and press releases• Photographs that can be emailed digital to a news desk

that can be cropped• Active photos not lines of people• Ensure pictures are accurately captioned• 3 to 4 sentences in each paragraph for a prospectus

Media Opportunities

Make journalists’ jobs easy!!• Have one named media contact at school• Send a high quality press release that is newsworthy• Invite the press to photo calls and other events• Follow the press release up with a phone call• Send in a picture, stories get better coverage with a good

photo.• Have a named contact in the media

Ideas• Unique selling point• Core message• Your story and telling it time and time again• Parent surveys• Tea and cakes• Hopes and aspirations• Dripping tap• Good news stories file/ plasma• Local journalist tour of the school• Sporting /charity visits• Twitter and to tweet?• Marketing and communications officer

Getting organised

• School Calendar• Weekly calendar/ briefing meeting with senior team for

next week in detail and actioning anything for the following week

Publications Welcome

Other schools/ PartnersFront of desk/ Plasma

Environment/ Ethos/ BrandingNewsletters

Local CommunityParents

Children as ambassadorsLocal Papers dealing with the media

Media contactsSocial Networking

Website & prospectusKnowing your local councillorsPersonal Profile letters TES TV

Unions/ other professional organisationsVisitors to the school

Management of school eventsPreparing and managing OFSTED

Relationships with GovernorsRoles and responsibilities for public relations

How important are each of these?

-

Activity

• Using the cards rank them into a diamond shape 11 cards only. Add any additional areas.

• Start with the most important to least important• 2 pairs to feedback• Reorder them now according to affordability

Strategic Plan Year 1

Priorities Mechanism /How Who

1.2.

Strategic Plan Year 2

Priorities Mechanism /How Who

1.2.

Strategic Plan Year 3

Priorities Mechanism /How Who

1.2.

A Draft Marketing Calendar?

• Autumn: Open evening advert, Open evening Mystery shopper Christmas card Christmas newsletter Press release once every half term

• Spring Prospectus review Photography Staff recruitment pack Parental questionnaires Review of parents evening Easter newsletter Press release once every half term

• Summer Open evening leaflets/ posters / Parent handbook/ Staff handbook / Induction days/ end of year performance / Summer newsletter Press release every half term

Roles and responsibilities?

• Who does what and how?• How can the Head do it all?• A Job description ha! Ha!• Challenges and issues?

Managing Ofsted

• Prepare parents. Give them the questions and answers and arrange a mock interview

• Prepare Governors. Briefing sheet for Governors Give them the questions and answers. Discuss beforehand perhaps a mock interview

• Prepare student council/ EAL/ FSM Children. Mock question/ answer session. You brief your member of staff to do it or do it yourself

• Prepare SLT. Question and and answer sheet and then discuss.• Prepare Middle leaders Question and Answer sheet and ensure no leader

is on their own in the interview who you are not 100% sure of• Briefing sheet for staff. Go through at a staff meeting with opportunities

for questions.• Single point of contact for feedback• Communicate all strengths to your parents and children asap in person

where possible• Ofsted Parent questionnaire a real strength use it!