The business of marketing your school

Filling classrooms is becoming increasingly competitive with schools expected to provide high academic standards in an innovative and creative learning environment that also encourages pupil participation and well being. These factors are all part of a complex mix to attract new customers (pupils and parents) and to keep them, the inspectorate and local community satisfied.

Parents in Wales have instant access to the ‘My Local School’ database, Estyn inspection reports and Banding tables to compare the performance of one school with another. However, such data alone cannot be expected to reflect the ‘character’ of a school, and it could be its ‘character’ that determines the parent’s final choice.

For this reason it is important that a school makes parents fully aware of its broader activities and most recent achievements (inspection reports can be a number of years old). This evidence together with opportunities to experience the learning environment through visits or videos will enable a more in depth and up to date appraisal of a school.

To identify and successfully promote a school’s character, or unique selling points, in a competitive market requires an understanding of the basic principles of marketing and how to implement them.

Budget restraints make it even more necessary for schools to generate income streams from innovative funding schemes and to minimise costs wherever possible. Fund raising schemes need to be marketed efficiently to maximise returns and supplier sponsorship opportunities fully explored.

Still at School aims to provide a source of information and ideas for schools to share, see features, and for more specific advice if required, see our ‘at school’ presentations below.

An introduction to marketing
Promoting your school
Fundraising and supplier sponsorship
Inspirational learning environments

For for an informal discussion please tel: 01446 771220