from BBC News, 5th October 2008
A report on the BBC news website about the impact of the credit crunch on independent school businesses and, more specifically, pupil recruitment into schools.
The report suggests that the ever increasing popularity of free grammar schools is likely to be due to falling levels of schools affordability in the fee paying sector.
The article cites evidence presented in the mtmconsulting School Fees Payment Survey (2007) that shows that independent school fees have increased by around 40% over the past five years, prompting parents to look to new sources for school fees payment.
mtmconsulting’s Head of Education Research and Strategy, Dick Davison is quoted in the article as saying “there’s a high proportion of parents committing a high proportion of their income to fees – those putting about 40% aside are the most vulnerable”.
The implications of schools’ falling affordability on pupil recruitment over the coming years are likely to be significant, and school business strategies must account for this – the forthcoming mtmconsulting Independent Education Sector Report 2010 will explore forecasts for the next decade against a backdrop of recession, decreasing public sector spending and falling affordability of independent schools.
mtm has recognised how school and colleges marketing must also serve to continually highlight the benefits of independent education in general and individual schools’ ethos in particular to continue successfully recruiting pupils.
To read the article on the BBC website, please click here
