from The Telegraph, Wednesday 14th October 2009
mtmconsulting is quoted in an article appearing in The Telegraph reporting that “the number of sixth-formers abandoning private schools to take A-levels in the state sector has increased by a fifth, according to official figures”.
The article, by The Telegraph’s Education Editor, outlines that in 2002/03, around 10,000 pupils who sat GCSE examinations in UK independent schools were in state schools a year later to sit their A-levels. By 2006/07 and 2007/08 this number had increased to 12,000, representing 27% of 16 year olds.
It is suggested that the move away from independent education may be due to falling affordability amongst the sector’s target buyers, a factor that the mtmconsulting Independent Education Sector Report 2010 highlighted as a key concern for the UK’s private schools over the next two decades, especially in the wake of recession and with the potential advent of Swedish-style ‘free independent’ schools that is potentially a key part of Michael Gove’s Conservative education policy. The Telegraph article states that the average school fee for sixth-formers last year was £15,500.
mtmconsulting’s Principal and independent schools marketing and consulting expert, Melanie Tucker, is quoted in the article, saying “there had been a small shift towards state schools but numbers were now stabilising”.
Sue Fieldman, regional editor of The Good Schools Guide, is also cited. Ms Fieldman suggests that parental perceptions – which can be, to an extent, influenced by appropriate independent schools marketing strategies – may have a bearing on parental school selection. “Private school parents often perceive that there are fewer unsavoury elements (in state sixth-forms)… Generally, by the time you get to sixth-form, the only people left are those that want to work”.
Parental decision-making processes for choosing schools are frequently explored by mtmconsulting as part of our schools research and independent schools marketing work. The 2008 mtm report The Missing Million, explored how schools’ marketing teams might better promote schools to engage parents, and also explored the point in the decision-making process that parents decided against independent schools.
To read the article on The Telegraph website please click here.
For more information on mtmconsulting’s independent education sector publications click here.
To learn about our schools marketing and educational research work please contact us.
