Over the past few months, we have had the privilege of speaking with a great many Heads, Bursars, Marketing and Admissions Directors, Governors, and Development Directors about their concerns and successes. While each school is navigating its own path, many are grappling with balancing the books, future-proofing pupil numbers, and keeping staff motivated. Some are even planning significant expansion. But one common theme across all of these conversations is: “What are other schools doing?” In this article, we share some of these conversations (anonymously, of course) and explain how RSAcademics is assisting schools.
Joining a school as a new leader
As a new Head, one of the many tasks on the to-do list is gauging the temperature of the parent body. The very start of headship is an ideal time to seek frank and honest feedback about parents’ perspectives, priorities, concerns, and grievances, as well as what they most value and cherish. Typically, a new Head might hear from ‘loud voices’ or observe isolated incidents, which are unrepresentative. Conducting thorough research with current families adds context and delivers facts rather than relying on anecdotal feedback. It also sets a positive tone with parents. Parents often make comments such as:
“Pleased that the new Head is doing this survey and excited to see consistent improvement being prioritised.”
“We have been impressed with the openness and honesty that the new Head has shown, and this survey is an example of that.”
Schools appreciate that our tailored surveys paint a detailed picture of parent views using a mix of rating-style and open, free-text questions. They find it invaluable to have the findings presented and discussed by experienced consultants who provide sector context and guidance on next steps. One recent new Head shared:
“Our experience with RSAcademics was really excellent. Their tailored approach to our staff and parent surveys not only yielded invaluable insights but also fostered a positive approach to forward planning. The team’s professionalism, responsiveness, and expertise were especially noteworthy, and we’re grateful for the meaningful impact their work has had on our strategic planning.”
Winning families over and then keeping them
Pupil recruitment and retention questions have dominated our conversations and work so far this year.
Recruitment
- “How do we ensure parents join us and then stay through to our senior school or Sixth Form?”
- “What are parents really looking for from a school in this area, and do we deliver those aspects better than others?”
- “We would like to feel more reassured that our marketing and admissions functions are at the top of their game.”
Schools have also approached us with specific issues:
- Is there a trend towards flexi-boarding?
- Why are a higher-than-expected number of families leaving early this year?
- Would expanding our nursery feed through to pre-prep entries?
- We’ve heard that another local school offers a warmer and more personalised admissions process than we do—is that true?
How we answer these questions
Invariably, the help we offer in these situations comes down to the right blend of art and science.
We spend time with school staff to hear their views on the issues and talk to groups of relevant parents, and often pupils, asking carefully crafted questions to get under the skin of the one-line answers often offered to the school if they ask parents themselves.
Other more quantitative methods are used to stress-test what changes may be possible and where to best prioritise the school’s resources. We have been supporting schools with stakeholder research for over 20 years and our database of benchmark data is unrivalled. This, combined with the deep knowledge and expertise of our consultants, gleaned from our immersion in the sector, means you can be assured of a relevant, actionable report.
Any advice we give you is unique, tailored to your particular situation.
Retention
Attracting and keeping a few more families at key entry points can make a significant difference to the bottom line. This is particularly important for all-through schools that carefully shepherd parents from nursery and pre-prep through to Sixth Form while also appealing to new families in Years 3, 7, and 12.
Focusing on Sixth Form, shaping Sixth Form is on the agenda for many school leaders who are considering how best to prepare students for life beyond school with the right skills, experience, and character development. Are these bigger aims critical, or is it more about the Sixth Form freedoms, facilities, and university applications that still drive the choice to stay?
What we do
Conducting focus groups with students and bespoke survey research with parents leads to a better understanding of what changes will have the most impact and real content for marketing. Our skilled consultants work sensitively in partnership with families to enable you to get to the heart of what will create a compelling proposition.
Investing in understanding the attitudes and perceptions of all year groups is particularly important, because positive advocacy is the single most influential factor in your marketing. However, sixth form pupils and families are the group that you want to leave school as your greatest advocates and future supporters.
Understanding the local, or wider market
Schools tend to have individual questions about their local area, but all schools want to feel well-informed about how things have already shifted and have at least a well-educated picture of how they might shift again in 5 or 10 years’ time. Essentially:
- “What impact will declining birth rates have on us in the next few years?”
Entry point discussions are still very prominent and we are helping to answer questions such as:
- How do recent school mergers affect my pupil recruitment profile?
- What is the sustainability of our boarding model?
- Can I attract families from other, more affluent areas?
How we answer these questions
We use highly developed demographic profiling and market scan tools. The quantitative results, including catchment area maps and data tables, from these analyses are provided in a user-friendly and personalised report. We do the work for you and our reports always address the ‘so what’ questions. But there is no substitute for discussing the implications with our senior consultants, which is included as part of our service.
The team at a London senior school, a recent client seeking a detailed understanding of its market, wrote:
“RSAcademics undertook an important research project for us. They were a pleasure to deal with and produced work that was comprehensive and insightful.”
Parent expectations – on the rise or just changing?
Although most of the survey work that we do in schools shows there are many happy and appreciative parents, recent conversations with school leaders indicate that parent expectations are becoming more strongly expressed. They want, and sometimes demand, more staff visibility and contact and certainly much more detailed information about how their child is achieving in school, in all senses.
How we help
A good survey is an important first step to help ‘size’ the concerns—are they shared by many or a few—and to better understand the reasons behind the requests. Sometimes there is more the school can do, but often there is a gap in perception. Understanding the difference is key. We can then help develop an appropriate communication strategy that is seen as positive by parents but also manageable by busy school staff.
Many of the conversations we are having with schools are focused on gaining a better understanding of the right balance of provision, for example:
- How much technology use in school is right?
- How do parents feel about it versus the educational benefit and the investment required?
- What is the best approach to SEN support in terms of the proportion of pupils in school, the type of support required, and how it is paid for?
There are no easy answers, but our research and analysis provides evidence and a potential route map for schools to confidently design the best plans and policies to take forward for their school.
Staying on top of changing parent needs as new parents move from Generation X to Gen Y (Millennials) and then looking ahead to Gen Z (iGen) is of real value. Each group differs in their attitudes to parenting and education and our latest thought leadership brings this to life. When we present these insights and what they mean for day-to-day life in education to schools and school groups, there is inevitably an ‘a-ha’ moment for many school staff in the audience who recognise these shifts in their own school parent body. We will share more about our findings in a future newsletter.
Strategy development
For a small number of schools, this year has been extremely tough, and frankly, the stark question of “can we survive?” has been posed to our team. For a great many others, the question is more typically “how can we reduce costs and retain our position in the market?”
A thorough review of current operations, cost base, the school’s position in the market, and the possible options is critical.
We are uniquely placed to undertake these types of reviews, with our team of strategists, financial consultants, academic leaders and marketers who are experts in independent schools and the sector.
A recent review at one school involved consideration of a range of quite fundamental changes, including a merger or removing Sixth Form. One Governor wrote:
“As a Governing Body, we realised that our school’s current position was untenable and the school needed to change if it was to survive. We approached RSAcademics, which completed a Competitor Survey that provided good intelligence into the wider sector and the local market and identified different solutions for us to consider. The report was highly insightful and provided the options we needed to consider together with the necessary information to make a decision. RSAcademics’ knowledge, insight, and support were essential to our making progress with these changes.”
We work incredibly hard and smartly to be the intelligent and honest partner with all schools as they grapple with difficult questions and reach informed decisions.
What our client schools tell us
Our clients consistently praise our approach and the impact of our work. They remark on our knowledge and experience, our genuine interest in them and their school, and our warmth.
“The team really got to know the school and staff well and were very understanding and sensitive to where we were on our journey. The result of the consultation was extremely helpful and has already had a big impact at the school.”
“The promise of great service is always beguiling to busy Heads and senior leaders, but sometimes promises turn to dust. RSAcademics are the only company I have found in eight years as Head who are 100% reliable, and who deliver a 5* performance every time. Their team are experienced, knowledgeable and pay attention to the details that matter. I recommend them unreservedly as educational consultants.”
We are committed to helping schools succeed by providing expert advice, strategic insights, and a warm, people-driven approach. If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Find out more about how we can support you and your school and request further information.