taken from the mtm Independent Education Sector Report 2010
Households in Great Britain can be classified into different types – one such classification is the Acorn system (developed by CACI Ltd) that is used in mtm’s Mandarin (market and area intelligence) catchment area analysis service. The Acorn system divides individual postcodes into one of 17 different groups. What’s particularly striking in looking at independent school buyers is that typical buyers make up just one third of households but four fifths of independent school pupils.
There are five groups (1A-2E in the following list), making up 33% of households, which are particularly relevant to independent schools since they account for an estimated 78% of the sector’s pupils. A sixth group (3H below) is under-represented in independent education, but is important because of its large size. The groups are:
1.A Wealthy Executives – the largest group comprising an estimated 38% of independent school pupils. These are people who live in wealthy, high status suburban, rural and semi-rural areas of the country. Given their wealth, this type of household is over five times as represented in the independent school sector since they comprise only 8% of all UK households.
1.B Affluent Greys – 13% of pupils. These are older, prosperous people often living in rural towns and villages who, if they are employed, are typically in a managerial or professional role.
1.C Flourishing Families – 12% of pupils. These are wealthy families living in established suburbs, new housing developments around commuter towns and rural areas.
2.D Educated Urbanites – 7% of pupils. These are younger city dwellers in professional and managerial roles.
2.E Prosperous Professionals – 8% of pupils. These are the most prosperous people living in the main cities and working in senior managerial and professional occupations.
3.H Secure Families – 9% of pupils. These are families living comfortably in suburban and semi-rural locations and employed in a range of occupations. Incomes are at least of average levels and many earn well above the national average. Within this group, there are also some neighbourhoods with high numbers of comfortably off Asian families. Although Secure Families are under-represented in independent education, they are important because of their large number.
This table shows, for example, how large a proportion of independent school buyers are formed by Wealthy Executives Group, despite a lower proportion in the base population
The table to the left shows how independent school pupils are distributed amongst the key Acorn groups.
The first column shows the estimated number of independent school pupils in each Acorn group, the second column the share of the total that this accounts for. The third column shows how all households in Great Britain are divided between these groups and the fourth column shows how well each Acorn group is represented in independent education compared to its national size.
mtm helps clients throughout the UK with school strategic planning and marketing. Our Mandarin research is the only product available to give schools a thorough and scientific understanding of their potential market. For a conversation about how Mandarin can help you, please contact mtm.
