Toast yourself

Celebrating your school’s successes will have an impact on everyone associated with your school community – staff, parents, pupils, governors and partner organisations. Macia Grebot reports

Embracing success raises morale and makes everyone connected with the school feel good and positive – success breeds success. However, the degree to which it is successful is dependent on how much consideration goes into what should be a planned, ongoing and strategic campaign.

Over the last few years, there has been a sea change in schools’ awareness of the need to manage their reputations. Schools increasingly understand that, whether it is called marketing or PR, it is about managing the flow of information about the school, and that its success is largely dependent on the degree to which it is integrated, planned and sustained.

So, the glossy prospectus is produced, an interactive and informative website developed and regular open events are held throughout the year. Possibly, a press schedule is put in place to ensure a regular drip-feed of good news stories into the local and, on occasion, the national press. All of these should be used to celebrate success not just to convey information.

Good, but...
All of this is good and valuable and could be even better with a clearly considered and strategic approach. What is unique about your school? What makes it stand out? What are the outcomes you are looking for? What are the messages you would like to convey? Who are your target audiences and how are you going to reach them?

Celebrating success can enhance your school in a number of ways. It has a strong morale-raising impact on everyone involved and enables your school to promote itself and its achievements. Inside school, celebrating success supports the delivery of good education, helps the school to manage issues and crises, makes staff feel valued and involved and helps to establish the whole school population as ambassadors for the school, reinforcing the positive messages on your behalf.

Take the time
Schools have many opportunities for celebrating success. Visitors to your school should be greeted by evidence of your success, whether this is a display cabinet of cups or shields, positive news stories, school newsletters – please not the nits, lost property and warnings about behaviour variety. Displays with photographs about performances, concerts or trips not only celebrate success but also the richness of what you offer. Parental tours and all open events offer an outstanding opportunity – your school, your site, your facilities, staff and pupils – all should serve as a celebration.

While there may have been a sea change in schools’ understanding of proactive reputation management, there has been an equal sea change in the political, social and economic context in which schools operate. The sector is becoming increasingly competitive, with diversity of choice across the maintained sector being the new buzz word; parents opening their own schools, outstanding schools being invited to take on academy status, thus offering many of the advantages of the independent sector. All of which is happening as increasing numbers of independent schools fall victim to the recession or, perhaps, quite simply to the changing landscape.

In such a climate, implementing a coherent PR and marketing strategy makes sound business sense. Celebrating success is fundamental and recognises that with an ever-increasing range of choice, those schools that lead the way in promoting what they do, in implementing an integrated and proactive PR and marketing campaign and which are most proactive in managing their reputations, are likely to be seen as outstanding, because they stand out.

All together
Everyone likes being part of a success story and staff – pupils and parents are no different – and this virtuous circle of celebrating success underpinning success should not be underestimated. In terms of recommendations, those from friends, family, parents and pupils are trusted more these days than anything else and so it is your audience that holds the power while you have the responsibility to ensure you are communicating directly and regularly with it: an up-to-date website, regular high quality newsletters and social media are all tools that can be used. A review and audit with perception surveys and/or focus groups are invaluable starting points because it is only through feedback that you can understand whether your messages are being heard and, if not, how you can address this.

As we move into the unknown world of a new coalition government, we know that adjustments will be needed. This is without question the time to seize the momentum with clear messages and a strong voice. Plan your strategy, celebrate your successes and shout about what makes you different – use those unique qualities and your strengths to make your school stand out.

Macia Grebot is the co-founder and managing director of Grebot Donnelly Associates. Macia can be contacted on 020 8892 2242 or info@grebotdonnelly.com or through www.grebotdonnelly.com.

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