The bell tolled for yet another small independent school last week, as notice of closure was given at Fosse Bank School in Tonbridge, followed closely by Daniel Radcliffe’s former prep school in Chelsea, Redcliffe Gardens School, which has this week announced it will be closing at the end of the summer term.
News of such closures are now almost a weekly occurrence, and even the alma maters of the famous and infamous are not exempt. Ashdown House, Boris Johnson’s former prep school also announced its closure in June 2020. The list goes on, The Minster School in York, Ashbrooke House in Weston Super Mare, Ockbrook School in Derbyshire, St. John’s College in Southsea, amidst tens of others, with the figure now in excess of fifty closures since the onset of the Covid pandemic.
“These obstacles put the very existence of the smaller independent school at risk.”
Almost every presentation I have delivered to heads, bursars, governors and marketing directors over the last 24 months has begun with the same slide: an image of an arid desert and an overview of the current economic climate. I obviously mix it up a little. Sometimes the desert is an inferno, or a giant gaping chasm, or a dried-up riverbed, but the message is the same. And it’s not a pretty one: Brexit, the Covid pandemic, the threat of VAT on fees, the war in Ukraine, Teachers’ Pensions, inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, to name but a few challenges thrown at the sector in recent years.
These ever-increasing obstacles put the very existence of the smaller independent school at risk. It’s a perfect storm, and one which those schools who were already in financial difficulties are going to struggle to ride out.
Every time I hear of another closure, my heart sinks. But in truth, I also feel a growing sense of frustration. Growth, or at least maintenance of pupil numbers at small independent schools can and does happen amidst this volatile climate, and some small schools are thriving. Why? What do they know that others don’t?
“These ever-increasing obstacles put the very existence of the smaller independent school at risk.”
Undeniably, some schools are propped up financially by a trust, an umbrella school group, or have extensive property portfolios. Some schools have prudently spread their business interests and diversified, ensuring that they are not wholly reliant on fee income to remain viable. But others have activated a different game changer. They have been proactive, planned well ahead and invested in their longevity over other financial pulls on their resources.
So what is this game changer? Well, it’s no magic wand, for sure. But I do believe that a significant part of why some schools are thriving amidst this current chaos is that the key decision makers realised long ago that marketing, to use a surfing analogy, is a tool best employed when the school is approaching or riding the crest of the wave. It is not nearly as effective after the wave has plunged.
If I had a pound, or let’s be more realistic, a ten-pound note, for every time a bursar or head over the last twenty years has said to me, “we don’t need to market our school, we’re full to capacity”, I would by now be surfing in Bali and not on a train to Coventry.
But it’s a brave bursar or head who takes this stance now. We have all seen too many good schools fall at the Covid fence.
“So many heads and bursars say they don’t need to market their schools as they’re at full capacity.”
Back in May 2020 the Tes forecast that as many as 30 per cent of the UK’s private schools could face insolvency in the near future. And should VAT be added to independent school fees under a change of political party, that figure could be realised. We need to wake up and act now.
Those who know me will have heard me talk about the three Rs. Not reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic, but recruitment, retention and reputation. And the savvy school acknowledges, understands and appreciates, that excellent and effective marketing is the way to bolster all three of these Rs.
Marketing will differentiate you from your competitors. In the right hands, targeted, segmented and customer focused marketing will have a positive impact on your school’s enrolment figures. But it has to be timely, it has to be proactive, and it has to be brave.
“Schools that are able to stay ahead of the curve and innovate in their marketing will be better positioned to thrive.”
Forward thinking, courageous marketing adapts to our ever-changing circumstances and challenges. As the education landscape evolves and new trends emerge, schools that are able to stay ahead of the curve and innovate in their marketing will be better positioned to thrive. There are brilliant examples of bold marketing in our sector; personalised, tailored customer journeys, pupil and parent- led video testimonials. I even hear of hologram welcomes in your living room from the head. Heaven forbid, I hear you exclaim.
But brave and innovative marketing helps schools to communicate their vision and plans to stakeholders in a way that captures hearts and minds. Marketing helps to build a community, and that community will become loyal supporters, strong ambassadors for your school and we all know that Word of Mouth marketing is the very, very best kind.
“Proactive marketing can enhance your reputation beyond belief.”
Good marketing can improve pupil numbers. Proactive marketing can enhance your reputation beyond belief. Excellent marketing can work small miracles.
Of course, marketing is not the only life-saving device. There are, and will be, many other factors that determine the likelihood of a school to withstand financial and political turmoil. But for a relatively small investment, and gargantuan return on investment, surely it is worth a punt?
My final word of wisdom? Shout about your school now, don’t wait for the wave to crash on the littered shore.