Marketing your School Gillian Allen Business Manager Churchill Community College North Tyneside Marketing your School  What is marketing? “the means by which the school actively communicates and promotes its purpose, values and products to the pupils, parents, staff and wider community” (Davies and Ellison, 1997) Why market?       Improve (or manage) the school’s reputation Raise the school’s profile Schools with a positive image tend to have better student behaviour/attendance A positive image improves morale Attracts quality staff Develops a sense of pride Why market?  Some schools have use marketing strategies to overcome challenges, such as falling pupil numbers and poor reputations  The power of a positive image should not be underestimated! Why market? Marketing needs to be • central to school business management • embedded into school development planning • the remit of all staff Above all – marketing needs to be .... Given high status – at leadership level Who is the market audience?  Internal Market      Staff Governors Visitors/helpers Current pupils Current parents  External Market       Prospective pupils Prospective parents Prospective staff Community LA Ofsted Developing a marketing strategy  The Marketing Matrix Product  Price  Place  People  Promotion  Positioning  Developing a marketing strategy 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Agree a Vision Identify your school’s “Unique Selling Point” Devise a Mission Statement Audit existing situation Set up a Marketing/Publicity team Agree actions to realise Vision Implement the actions Monitor and evaluate Developing a marketing strategy 1. Agree a Vision   What kind of school do you want to be? What are your goals, aims and objectives? Developing a marketing strategy 2. Unique Selling Point    Identify the things your school does very well already Stress these unique features wherever possible Promote them in marketing materials Developing a marketing strategy 3. Devise a Mission Statement   Articulate the Vision and communicate the Unique Selling Points of your school Needs to be clear and concise eg “Everyone learning together” or “Success through achievement” Developing a marketing strategy 4. Audit existing situation      Important to establish current perceptions Helps to evaluate current strengths and weaknesses Determine who will carry out the research External expertise or in-house? Look at what is available already Developing a marketing strategy 4. Audit existing situation        Open days / parents meetings Questionnaires / attitude surveys to key stakeholders Focus groups Media reports Ofsted reports PANDA’s, performance and assessment data School self-evaluation documents Developing a marketing strategy 5. Set up a Marketing/Publicity Team The team should include:      At least one member of the SMT Governor Support Staff Parent Community representation Developing a marketing strategy 6. Agree actions   Use outcomes from research and input from stakeholders to agree an Action Plan The Action Plan should include:         Priorities Actions required Timescale Costs Who is responsible How progress will be monitored How it will be evaluated Success criteria Developing a marketing strategy 6. Agree actions  Marketing/Publicity activities include: Publications  Media  Events  Website  Research  Photography  Primary links  Internal Communications  External Communications  Developing a marketing strategy 6. Agree Actions Priority: Media - Increase the number of press releases Action Identify key events in school diary Create a half-termly programme of press releases Write press-releases and send out Take digital photos of events Timescale Costs Who? Monitoring Evaluation Success Criteria Developing a marketing strategy 7. Implement the Actions AUTUMN TERM SPRING TERM SUMMER TERM Publications Prospectus Student Planner Termly Newspaper Staff recruitment Termly Newspaper School Calendar Termly Newspaper Advertising Open Day Staff Recruitment Summer Fair Website Development of Contents Website Update Review Contents Primary links Roadshows in primaries Workshops for Years 4/5 Visit of Year 6 intake Research Student questionnaire Staff Survey Parental Focus Group Etc etc Developing a marketing strategy 8. Monitor and Evaluate   Monitoring allows you to check things are progressing according to the Plan Consider your monitoring systems and how they could be improved eg    Have a feedback section on website Simple questionnaires to give feedback on school events Ask telephone callers and visitors about their experiences Developing a Marketing Strategy 8. Monitor and Evaluate        Have visitors to the website increased? Is press coverage increasing? What’s staff turnover like? How many applications are you receiving? Are school events well attended? Have pupil numbers increased? Are there improved links with local organisations? Marketing Techniques and Activities •People •Publications •Media / News Releases •Events •School Website Marketing Techniques and Activities People: The 4 P’s: • Pupils • Parents • Professionals • Public Marketing Techniques and Activities Publications include: • • • • School Prospectus – statutory requirement Brochures – other promotional material Flyers – flat or folded sheet (cost effective) Newsletters – home/school communication Marketing Techniques and Activities Media  Make the media work for you Have a named contact  Find out the ‘copy deadlines’  Invite journalists into school  Set up interesting photos  Send a regular flow of high quality articles  Do they want fax, phone or email contact?  Marketing Techniques and Activities Media continued  News releases should have             A good quality photo and caption The date and time A descriptive headline Factual information (eg about the school) Include What, Where, When, Why, Who Avoid jargon (eg HOD, SMT etc) Contact information for the journalist to get more information Send to newspapers, radio and television Use to update the school website Include in school newsletters Display where they can be seen by community or visitors to school Keep a file Marketing Techniques and Activities Events Consider: • How you meet and greet visitors • Use students as guides (ensure they are well-briefed) • What information is available? • Is there a range of appropriate displays? Marketing Techniques and Activities Website Golden Rules: • Update the site regularly • Remember the “Three-Click Rule” • Use short paragraphs and avoid overcrowded pages • Include a section highlighting current news and events Marketing your school References Best, B., Donnelly, I. and Grebot, M. (2006) Promoting Your School, Hampshire: Teachers’ Pocket Books. Davies, B and Ellison, L. (2003) Strategic Marketing for Schools. London: Pearson Education Ltd. Devlin, T., (1998) Public Relations & Marketing for Schools. London: Pitman Publishing. Lockhart, Johanna M. (2005) How to Market Your School. Lincoln, USA: iUniverse. 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