Alex Horner, Director of Communications, Admissions & Marketing, Ardingly College
On my first day at Ardingly, the results of a recent RSAcademics parent and non-joiner survey were waiting for me on my desk. The insights from the survey were invaluable in shaping my communications and marketing priorities over my first couple of years in the role.
By 2025, I was keen to repeat the parent and non-joiner survey to see where we stood two years on. I was particularly eager to see whether we had managed to move the dial on some of the key metrics where we had been shown as performing under benchmark in the original survey – and I’m delighted to say that is exactly what we found!
RSAcademics’ ability to compare our parent survey to a benchmark of 50 or so other comparable schools is extremely useful. This comparison allowed us to measure our performance, not in isolation, but in the context of the sector as a whole. The interviews they facilitate with non-joiners are particularly insightful and I’m not aware of another company that offers such a thoughtful/qualitative approach to non-joiner research. Finally, I appreciate the way that RSAcademics were able to provide a summary report of initial results very quickly, so that we could see the headline findings in time to share them at an upcoming Governors’ meeting.
The findings of the most recent parent survey were extremely helpful in helping our Governors shape the ongoing fee strategy; using the responses to the survey questions about the balance between keeping fees as low as possible and investing in new facilities. Various departments have drawn on the individual comments in the survey about what the College should focus on, and a combination of the parent comments and the non-joiner findings were particularly useful in shaping our new marketing strategy. We will be welcoming a brand new Head in September and I am confident he will find the survey data invaluable as he gets to know the College and sets his strategic priorities.
If your budget allows, I would definitely recommend RSAcademics’ parent and non-joiner surveys. I’ve found the data and insights they provide invaluable in driving our communication and marketing priorities as a College.