Five ways to drive engagement in independent schools.
The independent schools landscape is competitive, with both student attraction and conversion, alongside alumni engagement, being paramount to balancing commercial drivers and educational excellence. Early years adoption is often key to longer-term school commitment within a senior setting, as well as further sixth form study.
Not only is an independent school reliant on its academic curriculum and results, but also, the role of personal development is becoming increasingly important; whilst location and fees also play a significant role. It’s this requirement in shaping each individual student that demands a brand experience that provides both functional and emotional reasons to choose one school over another.
Truth has considerable experience in supporting providers of quality education, with past and present clients including prestigious independent day schools and some of the UK’s best-known further and higher education establishments.
Here are five ways that Truth can support your independent school in attracting parents and pupils, whilst providing alumni engagement and delivering widening opportunities to students through bursaries.
Truth Labs
Truth Labs utilise the power of design thinking to focus on specific pillars of an organisation’s success. They can be particularly helpful for educational institutions that might not be ready to fully commit to working with a new agency, but would like support in understanding opportunities to strengthen their brand or develop a specific piece of marketing activity. There are a number of potential ways we could support your organisation through a Truth Lab, including stakeholder engagement, clear and defined marketing output, and support with your wider strategic objectives. Visit Truth Labs for more information.
2. Take prospective students on a virtual tour
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s the increasing importance of an accessible online presence. There were times recently when restrictions meant that many educational establishments were off limits to potential students and their parents, with physical open days unable to go ahead. Our work for independent schools includes the provision of film content and digital outreach, making it much easier to provide people with a flavour of the experience at your school wherever they are in the world, and at any time of day or night. Truth has supported a number of independent schools with digital outreach, including Bridgewater School, which provides independent education for boys and girls aged 3-18. You can find out how we supported previous client Manchester High School for Girls with a virtual open day and marketing activity here.
3. Keep in touch with past, present and future pupils
The best advocates for a brilliant educational establishment are often the people who were educated there. Some will send their own children to their ‘alma mater’, or provide recommendations and support through mentoring and advice. That’s why keeping in touch with past pupils through an alumni newsletter can be invaluable; not only for engagement but also for student recruitment – showcasing what previous pupils have achieved. Truth can help by providing strategic branding, design and communications support; planning, curating and creating content; and handling technical aspects of any newsletter, including design and distribution of digital newsletters. Find out more by getting in touch here.
4. Increasing engagement and improving communications
A Truth client, Manchester High School for Girls had three core objectives when they asked us to support them in increasing engagement and improving communications. They wanted us to engage and attract lapsed, current and prospective donors to the Pankhurst Bursary Appeal. Following appointment, Truth developed the school’s annual bursary campaign raising £30,000. To find out how we could help your independent school, get in touch here.
5. Education, education, education
Truth has worked on behalf of some of the UK’s most innovative and exciting education establishments, including University Academy ‘92, Manchester High School for Girls, Salford Business School, Bridgewater School and Newcastle University London. To find out more about our work in the education sector see our case studies here.
For further information, images and interview requests contact Jo Scott on jo@truth-design.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Truth Design
Established in 2006, Truth Design is part of the Truth Creative group and is co-owned by Darren and Jo Scott. The group also consists of Truth Digital and Truth PR. Truth provides creative, digital and branding solutions for clients within a diverse range of sectors, including retail, hospitality, luxury, education and charity.
Find out more at www.truth-creative.co.uk or on Twitter @Truth_Creative.