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The Essential MAD Mix: Marketing, Admissions, and Development at the Heart of Your School

Learn how to effectively integrate marketing, admissions, and development strategies to promote your school, increase competitiveness, and build a strong community. Expert Rachel Hadley-Leonard shares practical insights and tips.

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The Essential MAD Mix: Marketing, Admissions, and Development at the Heart of Your School

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  1. The Essential MAD MixAre Marketing, Admissions and Development at the Heart of your School?

  2. Rachel Hadley-Leonard • Background in education & marketing • Teacher & Senior Leader– Maintained & Independent Schools • Marketing – John Lewis, AbA • Head of Marketing • Alumni Relations Manager • Development Director • Schools’ marketing consultant • Currently: • Immediate Past Chair of Admissions, Marketing & Communications in Independent Schools (AMCIS) • Foundation Development Director Princethorpe College

  3. Allsorts

  4. The Changing Landscape Challenges Ahead… Financial Increased Competition Reputation

  5. The Changing Landscape A Possible Solution… Marketing Admissions Development

  6. Definitions • Marketing: The action or business of promoting and selling products or services • Admissions: The process by which pupils are admitted to/join a school • Development:

  7. What is Development? • Fundraising • Part of the School Development Plan • Word of Mouth marketing • Alumni Relations • Stakeholder involvement Involves ALL stakeholders: • Parents & former parents, pupils & former pupils, staff & former staff, friends of • You WILL already have a development office or department

  8. Why do we need Development? • Builds relationships • Generates goodwill, cementing a sense of community • Provides opportunities and benefits through new facilities & bursaries • Provides a conduit for grateful families and alumni to show their appreciation • School income alone doesn’t build! Helps to deliver big projects, and secure ‘nice to have’ projects • Acts as a bridge between the school and the wider community • Helps to articulate the school’s overarching ethos • Creates opportunities for parents and alumni to volunteer their skills in a new way • Bolsters word of mouth marketing

  9. Marketing, Admissions & Development MAD

  10. Creating Governor Buy-In • Share research, benchmarking & CPD feedback • Involve Governors in creating your Key Performance Indicators • Head of M/A/D on SLT • Present (at least) annually to Governing body • Invite (and expect) attendance at events • Send Governors on relevant course e.g. Marketing Advice for Schools/IDPE ‘Fundraising for Trustees’ • Trustees and Fundraising A Practical Handbook – IoF • Invite key Governor/s onto Marketing Committee/Development Board/meetings

  11. Key Performance Indicators • NOT a bad thing! • Prove your worth • Softer targets eg number of families at events, number of thank you letters, number of Facebook likes • Boost your confidence • Grounds for a pay rise!

  12. Creating Staff Buy-In • Ask staff to events • Involve staff in event planning • Encourage staff to tell you stories about your pupils, parents and alumni • Find out and use their skills - from proof-reading to music to video creation • Let staff know how marketing/admissions/development is going – Regular slot at INSET • Involve yourself in the wider school life • Wish lists for departments • Put out a plea for alumni archive material • Feature long-serving staff in alumni newsletters • Make time to go to the staff room at break/lunchtimes AND the Christmas party!

  13. Marketing & Admissions on a Budget (With a little help from Development) • Running G and T/More able workshops for feeder schools • Use of students, parents & alumni for photography (DBS) • Local history days with feeder primary schools using historian staff/former staff/alumni • Local sports clubs training at school • Junior school pupils (now alumni) visit their infant school or invite Infant school Headteacher into school • Texting parents on the first day with a photo of their child/update on the day • Parent advocate schemes eg current parents, PA calling prospects • In house video and social content– an inexpensive way to engage your community • Utilising all stakeholders within the school community

  14. Development on a Budget (With a little help from Marketing & Admissions) • Using Excel and School Information Management System rather than commercial relationship database • Emailing rather than posting (GDPR/PECR) • DIY prospect research using staff knowledge (GDPR) • Using volunteers – former staff, pupils, parents • Philanthropy assemblies • Development prefects • Use alumni links to secure cheap/free venues

  15. Do we know what parents want? • Atmosphere & Ethos • Teaching facilities & resources • Academic standards • Discipline and manners • Staff and pupil opinions • Ask your parents! • And • They also want us to love their child!

  16. A word on Customer Service

  17. So… • Integrate Marketing, Admissions & Development into the school’s vision and strategy • Ensure the most senior MAD member is on SLT • Set SMART KPIs with the MAD team & have soft as well as hard metrics • Request regular reporting to Governors/Trustees • Have fun!

  18. Help!Professional Organisations • Marketing Advice for Schools https://www.marketingadviceforschools.com • The Institute of Business Leaders ISBL https://isbl.org.uk/ • The Independent Schools’ Bursars Association ISBL https://www.theisba.org.uk/ • Institute of Development Professionals in Education IDPE www.idpe.org.uk • Admissions, Marketing & Communications in Independent Schools AMCIS www.amcis.co.uk • Council for Advancement and Support of Education CASE www.case.org • The Information Commissioner’s Office https://ico.org.uk/ • www.sofii.org (Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration) • The Fundraising Regulator https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk

  19. Get in Touch! Please do get in touch if you have any questions! rachelhadleyleonard@hotmail.com Tel: 07817 957724

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