We are all aware that the British population is expanding and the fact that we have an increasing population should be good news for all education providers, including the independent education sector.  There will indeed be more children but factoring this in to planning your future school strategy should be done with care.

How will population growth affect your catchment? What does your mtm 'Mandarin' say?

As a proportion of the population, children are not increasing as rapidly as the number of people retiring, and growth is projected to be very regional. Some areas are even projected to experience declining populations in the short term. Even if there is projected to be an increase in the child population in your area, the raw data will not be able to tell you whether they will be from the types of families most likely to consider independent education.

There are, however, tools which can combine projected changes in child population with socio-economic indicators. Here at mtmconsulting we have data on population change, household incomes and lifestyles, allowing us to accurately predict the likely effect of this population growth on your recruitment at our fingertips and the expertise to fine tune the information to your individual circumstances. Our ‘Mandarin’ Market and Catchment Area Analysis reports go one step further, factoring in the relative competition from other similar establishments in your area, giving you the most detailed picture of your catchment available today.

If this sounds interesting, give us a buzz and we’ll do our best to help.

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1. Population change and effects on schools
2. Blog post – Market segmentation and its value
3. Blog post – The power of friendship networks, and implications for schools

There’s sometimes an odd symmetry in historical coincidences. 2012 will mark the centenary of the most celebrated nautical disaster of modern times, the loss of the Titanic. The Titanic had a sister ship, named the Olympic. And this year will also bring, of course, the Olympic Games to London.

So – Titanic or Olympic – which will prove to be a more apt epithet for the year? A year of celebration and renewed confidence in the future? Or a year when all our confident assumptions about progress and growth hit an iceberg?

We asked an assortment of experts – heads, bursars, journalists, entrepreneurs – for their own forecasts and published their responses in this term’s issue of School Matters, which should have reached schools’ in trays in the last few days.

Unsurprisingly, most took a bleak view of the immediate future for both the economy and for independent schools. Here’s Richard Cairns, headmaster of Brighton College:  “Continued economic gloom in 2012 will see a further flight to quality in the independent sector. Leading schools will  take an ever increasing share of the diminishing pool of parents able to afford independent education while those that fail to innovate and adapt will be forced to merge or go out of business altogether.”

Other heads joined Cairns in foreseeing a “flight to quality”, as did IAPS chief executive David Hanson, who added: “Good schools and in particular, those that are known as a centre for excellence (arts, sport languages, boarding) will buck the recession as report modest growth.  At the same time, schools that are perceived as being less good will experience accelerating decline.”

Wellington’s Master Anthony Seldon and Good School Guide publisher Ralph Lucas both linked their pessimistic outlook for independent schools with a prediction that the best state schools would leap ahead.

“2012 will be hard for the independent sector … The state sector in contrast will forge ahead, with more Academies and Free Schools, putting the independent sector under further pressure,” said Seldon, cheerleader-in-chief for the Government’s Academy project.

Lucas forecast: “There will be growing confidence in the qualities of the best new Free Schools and Academies, and a growing consciousness of the disadvantages that independent schools face in UK university access. Independent schools will need to find new ways to convince parents that they are worth the fees.”

For Mark Semmence, assistant head of Rugby School, “2012 could bring the ‘perfect storm’ for the independent education sector, pushed from one side by an ever worsening economic climate and squeezed from the other by the fast pace of structural change within the state sector.” Independent schools needed to respond, he said, by being more strategically focused with their offer and controlled costs efficiently.

But others took an altogether brighter view.

Andrew Maiden, editor, Funding for Independent Schools magazine, and organiser of the Independent School Awards, said: “The fee-paying independent school sector will be the one bright spark in British education in 2012: the recession has culled the weaker performing schools and the rest of the sector is embracing strategic and financial change,” adding: “Academies/free schools will begin to realise that ‘independence’ also means freedom to fail.”

Taking inspiration from the Olympic theme, Alice Phillips, headmistress of St Catherine’s, Bramley, acknowledged that the challenging economic climate would persist, but “in its midst we must make the most of an international celebration of sport as the UK hosts the Olympics and inspires our wonderful young athletes to achieve PBs of all kinds:  sporting, academic, musical, career, and so on.”

But let’s give the last words to headmaster of The Dragon School, Oxford, John Baugh, whose tour d’horizon took : “Olympic bubble; recession (again); Manchester City; droughts, floods, earthquakes; euro collapse; Andy Murray; Syria; Libya (again); Apple iTV; space tourists; first prep school academy; Orang Utan technically extinct; Iran goes nuclear; honeybee population collapse; the world won’t come to an end on December 21 and 2013 will be a great year.”

Read the predictions in full in mtmconsulting’s School Matters. And make sure your school is ready to face anything by reviewing your strategic plans for the future. Contact us for the most expert help available in the independent sector.

Related posts:

1. Sector Report 2012 trend 1: Academies, free schools and independents
2. New Year Offer! mtm is offering a free initial visit to schools
3. Sector Report 2012 trend 2: recession and the flight to quality

It’s a new year and schools’ marketers’ thoughts turn to the Open Day season, and how to encourage potential students through your doors and onto your roll for the coming September.

This is your chance to really sell your school – the pay-off for the past year’s promotional activity (and budget) that has made sure your school’s name is familiar to those families you are most keen to attract. Now is the time to convert that raised awareness into full classrooms, and the open day is a vital step that warrants careful planning.

It’s not an easy task, but the aim of the open day is to give visiting families a snapshot of your school – its ethos, its approach to the academic and co-curricular programmes and extra activities, as well as a feel for the school campus, the learning areas and resources, dining hall, boarding if applicable, outside space and even the drop-off and car parking arrangements. Parents’ eyes and ears are open and in fact Mtm’s parental research shows that most parents make up their minds about the suitability of a school for their son or daughter on the strength of their own first-hand experience of the school. The key is to be co-ordinated and to plan well in advance.

Booking ahead to shout about your open day to the general public in the local press is of course essential, but it’s also worthwhile dropping a personalised line in plenty of time to the parents who are already on the school’s radar – those who may have requested a prospectus over the past year, whose child may have come along to an activity day held at your school, or the members of clubs and societies with whom your school has established a tie. Keeping good contact information throughout the year is crucial as these families are likely to be your school’s target market.

Ads and invitations must always make clear the schedule for your open day. If you’re planning a welcome by the head perhaps, or talks by members of staff and pupils throughout the day, then the timings for these must be publicised well in advance so that parents do not miss out. Alternatively, a less structured day should also be flagged up – parents may be disenchanted to find that they have made an early start for no reason.

It’s likely that a certain amount of orchestration will be necessary if visitors are to leave your open day with the desired impression of your school. Changes to the timetable might be required to avoid the less spectator-friendly activities and perhaps substitute for those your school is known for, or ideally offers uniquely in the area.

Briefing the main players in your open day is vital. Speakers, young and old, may benefit from guidance and ideally your approval of their script to make sure they are all ‘on message’. Student tour guides should be thoroughly prepared, not just with recommended routes, but also the answers to any questions parents are likely to pose, as well as information on your school’s particular areas of pride to drop into the conversation whenever appropriate. Presentation is also an important matter to parents – your older students are a peek into their younger child’s future, so make sure every pupil looks like a young person a parent could be proud of.

Vitally, all involved must know the arrangements for recording visiting parents’ contact details, so that their positive impression at open day can lead to the registration of their child to join your school.

To find out how mtm can help your school plan for an effective open day, just call 0843 308 7548

Related posts:

1. Planning to open a new school?
2. Open days: mtm asks “how are they working for your school’s marketing?”
3. Part 1: Seven Stages of Marketing Planning in your School

mtmconsulting’s UK Education Sector; Forecasts, Challenges & Opportunities 2012 – 2020 is the authoritative independent commentary for the charitable, for profit and state-funded independent education markets.

Produced by mtmconsulting biannually, this is an objective review of these fast-changing sectors. It includes statistics, trends, forecasts and scenarios, providing a valuable information source for decision makers or those wishing to enter the sectors.

The report is essential reading for Heads, Chief Executives and Governors who need to have an objective review of the sector to inform their strategy and for the increasing number of individuals and organisations who are seeking to enter the market or build on their existing portfolio.

The report is based on qualitative and quantitative surveys and opinion from our panels of experts. It forecasts the prospects for the sector for the next 10 years and presents some visionary scenarios for 2030.

Areas covered include:

Sector overview

• Pupil trends
• Income and expenditure
• Structural trends
• Impact of Government legislation
• Analysis by segment
• Trends in demand for the next ten years
• Analysis of who buys by family type and income
• Demand by age
• Identification of the services that are subject to most significant change
• Coverage of the fast-growing Academies sector (including free schools), school numbers, pupil numbers and current trends.

Forecasts on future demand

• The impact of recession
• Government policy
• Public sector unrest
• Falling affordability
• Impact of independent state-funded Academies, demography & social trends
• Forecasts to 2020 and scenarios to 2030
• Updates on chains and their impact on the sector and school groups to watch.

To order your report, either download the order form, email Barbara Bardick, or telephone 0843 308 7548.

Terms and Conditions
Report purchases are non-refundable. We recommend you read the content pages or index first where available.
All fees are fully inclusive of postage costs where applicable. Hard copies of reports are dispatched by Royal Mail first class post within one week of receiving payment. Copying, forwarding or promotional use of licensed work is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.

Related posts:

1. Coming soon: The 2012 Education Sector Report
2. Independent Education Sector Report 2007/08
3. Independent Education Sector Report 2010

Last week I was invited to take part in the All-Party Group for Education debate – ‘The changing schools landscape: what can maintained schools, free schools and academies learn from one another?’ It looked like a great opportunity to identify ways in which educationalists could co-operate and exchange expertise, but sadly it turned into an argument between those who want to give comprehensive education more time to succeed and those who run free schools.

The battle between 'comprehensive' and 'free' education continues. . .

Fiona Millar, co-founder (with Melissa Benn and others) of the Local Schools Network, led the attack on free schools, and Adam Dawson, co-founder of the Etz Jewish Primary Free School, responded. Fiona presented the usual arguments questioning the balance of intake into free schools, what she sees as a secretive process of application and lack of accountability.  She wants to see a middle tier, and perhaps a move back towards School Boards, as advocated by Melissa Benn in her recent book ‘School Wars’. Adam Dawson responded, saying that application is a carefully structured process laid down by Government, that free schools have to adhere to the admissions process, and that they are responding to demand for more school places.

Sadly, free schools are political. There are real concerns on the part of those who think that market forces are detrimental, and would prefer some form of control and see free schools as a threat. But there are indications that free schools are raising the game and prompting improvements in areas where they are being established. 

In our region alone, innovative new free schools have started, like the Norwich Free School, which is open 51 weeks of the year with PE facilities provided by Norwich City Football Club. There are also dynamic new schools that have approval to open in Saxmundham and Beccles in 2012, with the aim of raising standards in an area of low aspirations and mediocre academic outcomes.  The free school debate has turned into a battle, but there is an element of detractors protesting too much. However, there is evidence of a groundswell of support for free schools on the part of parents, teachers and pupils. One London free school Head tells me that 5,000 people came to his open day last month, and that he has 400 applications for every teaching post advertised.

The new market in education is here to stay and it looks as if there is no going back. There is certainly much debate, but as Lady Howe said on Wednesday, these are exciting times, and she is much encouraged by the greater involvement by parents, teachers and pupils.

For more information on how mtmconsulting can help your free school, contact us. 

Related posts:

1. An Oscar for Andrew – Dick Davison attends the Independent School Awards
2. mtm/vwv Autumn Conference Report 2011 – Practical Strategies for a New Education Market
3. “State school pupils ‘do better at university’”? Independents shouldn’t panic!

With the UK heading inexorably, it seems, for another recession and the economic news unremittingly gloomy, we all need a bit of good news.

So full marks to Andrew Maiden, publisher of Funding for Independent Schools (http://www.fismagazine.co.uk), who had the good idea a couple of years ago of launching the sector’s own awards event to give some recognition to enterprise, imagination, energy and leadership in independent schools.

Andrew Maiden's Independent School Awards recognised some key achievements

The second annual Independent School Awards event was held a couple of weeks ago, at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham, and a very upbeat affair it was, celebrating some remarkable achievements.

Like Kilgraston School in Perthshire, for example. Ten years ago Kilgraston, one of that apparently endangered species, the small, rural girls’ boarding school, would have been high on most people’s lists of schools unlikely to survive. When the current principal, Michael Farmer, took over in 2004, the roll stood at an all-time low of just over 200 and the boarding was barely half-full.

Seven years later, low-cost adaptation of existing plant has given the school new facilities, the school is full, with 340 pupils, and has seen an 80% increase in boarding numbers to 150. A worthy winner of the night’s top award, independent school of the year.

Or take New Hall School, in Essex, reported to be the fastest-growing independent school in the country. The first girls’ school to adopt the ‘diamond’ model in admitting boys, New Hall has doubled its roll from 580 to 1,150 in five years – and doubled its boarding numbers too.

What these and the other award-winners have in common is outstanding leadership, vision and the courage to take the long, strategic view when others are content simply to repeat the annual routine. If you are thinking about how to ensure your school survives the next difficult few years, or believe it should be re-shaping itself in response to new demands and expectations, mtmconsulting’s strategic advice can help. We have been supporting schools making these sort of decisions for over a quarter of a century now.

Oh, and an Oscar for Andrew for having such a good idea.

Related posts:

1. School Wars – Melanie Tucker attends the All-Party Group for Education debate
2. Is your school in a ‘Nappy Valley’?
3. White paper shows recession’s impact on independent school markets

It’s vital to assess the status quo before your school can even think about moving forward, and at mtmconsulting we believe so passionately in the value of incisive market research that we spend much of our time and energy carrying out bespoke survey projects on behalf of schools that are serious about unlocking their future business potential.
But how to ensure that market research really answers those burning questions?

Effictive research requires effective planning

1) Know your objectives at the outset

Identifying the key aims of the market research before the project begins is time well spent. This ensures that the survey can be tailored to meet your school’s needs exactly, and that the results will provide all the information required to make decisions on those anticipated next steps. Once the project has begun it is not possible to add or amend questions without skewing the outcome and rendering it more or less useless.

2) Decide on your sample

Knowing who is to be surveyed is essential if the research is to be formulated to elicit the most useful response. Appropriate phrasing of the questions, the sequence of questions and even whether an incentive might be appreciated all depends on the type of people being asked for their opinions. It’s worth bearing in mind that a school’s current parents are always more willing to share their views than parents who elected for their children not to join the school. Typically response rates of online surveys are around 40% for current parents while non-joiner levels hover around 10%.

3) Keep it brief

Avoid the over-long questionnaire, which is likely to bore your respondent and perhaps discourage them from sticking it out to the bitter the end. Once the objectives and the sample are set, it’s possible to keep the number of questions to the bare minimum. Fewer than 50 questions is recommended to ensure your respondent remains engaged and willing to share throughout.

4) Keep it relevant

Potential parents are not likely to know about the quality of teaching at your school, nor how good the catering is, so don’t ask them. Similarly, the parents of pupils who have left or are leaving the school after seven or 14 years are unlikely to remember their specific reasons for choosing the school, or why they opted for yours over the competition.

5) Know who will use the output

We regularly undertake research on behalf of one department, only to hear that the output has been used by another. For example, mandarin catchment areas analysis is often commissioned by the marketing department, however the bursar finds it most helpful when planning budgets. It is useful to identify which departments are likely to benefit from the results of your school’s market research, as this may inform the way we formulate our report and analyse the issues that arise. Our aim is to make sure that the market research proves to be of the utmost value to your school and will form the basis of its future success.

I’d love to hear how your school makes the most of its market research – please email me on jleggett@mtmconsulting.co.uk

Contact mtmconsulting to find out more about our how our extensive research services can benefit you.

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2. Marketing: making the right appointment
3. 5 research tips for new Headteachers

Hold the date! Our annual practical strategies conference in partnership with Veale Wasborough Vizards will be held on Tuesday 18th September 2012. More details to come…

Please contact Barbara Badrick to provisionally book your place.

Related posts:

1. mtm/vwv Autumn Conference Report 2011 – Practical Strategies for a New Education Market
2. The 2009 mtmconsulting / Veale Wasbrough Conference: Practical Strategies for Challenging Times
3. Headlines from mtm’s Practical Strategies Annual Conference,

No related posts.

You can read a summary of Sir Ewan Harper’s remarkable account of how the United Learning Trust was transformed from a small and struggling independent school group into a thriving organisation, with more than double the pupil numbers, and went on to become the nation’s biggest sponsor of Academies.

Other topics covered include the opportunities and pitfalls of extending your school age range, a summary of the mtmconsulting UK Education Sector Report 2012 – 2020: Forecasts, Challenges and Opportunities and Tom Packer’s account of his white knuckle ride through the process of opening the West London Free School.

Alternatively, download the full report here.

Date for your diary – the 2012 Practical Strategies Conference will be held on 18 September, once again at the Institute of Directors, London, W1.

Related posts:

1. The 2009 mtmconsulting / Veale Wasbrough Conference: Practical Strategies for Challenging Times
2. mtm/vwv Annual Practical Strategies Conference 2012
3. Headlines from mtm’s Practical Strategies Annual Conference,