Blog by Jane Davies and James Leggett, mtm Research Analysts
The coalition government’s recent – and significant – reduction in the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme is likely to have knock-on effects through the education sector, including in independent schools…
The cancellation of over 700 state school rebuilding and refurbishment projects by the Department for Education will have a deep impact across the education sector including, we feel, the independent sector. The former Labour government had pledged to commit over £45 billion nationally to rebuild secondary schools and £1.9 billion to refurbish or rebuild primary schools, although this was expected to increase.
With dark clouds and thundery rumbles looming for the state sector, independent schools are able to offer welcome stability to parents
The scrapping of the BSF programme, combined with the possibility of further cost cutting, will surely introduce a strong sense of uncertainty amongst parents and encourage those on the periphery to be more inclined towards considering independent schools and their often superior facilities and buildings, independent revenue streams and inherent stability.
On a local level, many independent schools with neighbouring newly built state schools are likely to have suffered by comparison with them in recent years, especially amongst the undecideds. Moving forward, those independents who find themselves neighbouring schools with cancelled projects seem in a much healthier position to benefit from disgruntled parents seeking refuge in the independent sector.
In a significant proportion of independent school parental satisfaction surveys carried out by mtm, facilities are rated as one of the most important factors when choosing a school - often as important as academic outcomes. Indeed, the facilities ‘war’ between competing independent schools for at least the last 10 years has been well-documented.
The last government’s huge investment in maintained schools’ buildings and facilities has effectively increased competition in the marketplace, with independents altering their school marketing strategies accordingly to define alternative USPs (including small class sizes, individual attention and ethos). However, in areas where BSF projects have been cancelled, and with the cloud of further reforms looming for the state sector, independent schools appear to be in a good position to offer much needed shelter.
mtm is the UK’s leading provider of research, marketing and strategic advice for schools. To discuss our services please contact mtm.
“….facilities are rated as one of the most important factors when choosing a school.”
Hmm…not so sure. A large variety of facilities tends to come with a bigger bill for fees. In these straitened times perceived value for money and sound teaching might prove to be a better draw.