3. ISC Seminar
Head for 4 years –
aim to be approachable.
Interest in Marketing:
AMDIS:Marketing Diploma
Help in preparing for headship
Love ICT and gadgets!
4. ISC Seminar
Key Themes:
1. Aims of a Communications strategy, communication
not broadcasting.
2. Aligning your communications strategy with the
strategic goals of the School. Embedding good
communications into everything you do as a school.
3. What has worked? Innovation. Use of blog and
Twitter. Importance of key messages. Potential
hurdles.
4. Next steps
6. ISC Seminar
Aims of a Communications strategy:
Head has to set a lead. If not you will meet
barriers and will not achieve as much.
When I started:
2 staff on Twitter, both had a blog.
Now:
13 official school twitter accounts, and a further
30 or so staff on Twitter.
Over 25 school blogs.
Have to overcome cynicism at start!
Must trust your staff!
7. ISC Seminar
Aims of a Communications strategy:
From Twitter:
“Schools should communicate more on how
pupils interact in class, peer respect, relations,
relationships, attitudes etc not just grades.”
“By as many methods as possible, impossible to
over-communicate.”
“Not by a note in a child’s bag.”
“By as many methods as possible, impossible to
over-communicate.”
8. ISC Seminar
Aims of a Communications strategy:
Importance of listening – we have two ears and
one mouth for a reason!
Approachability as a school, break down barriers,
show that you mean your marketing messages.
Openness – people appreciate this. Why do we
hate automated messages?
9. ISC Seminar
Aims of a Communications strategy:
Newsletters, Website, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin,
Facebook,Speech Day, local radio, walking the talk
e.g. refreshments at sports fixtures, blogs, as live
trip reports, VLE, Notice boards, Assembly, role of
Head, internal briefings, parents’ evenings,
parents’ associations – good for listening.
10. ISC Seminar
Aims of a Communications strategy:
In setting strategy:
Key decision:
How open do you want to be?
How much do you want to listen?
Blog/Twitter: Authentic voice, not marketing speak
Important: Don’t just broadcast, build a
relationship with your followers.
11. ISC Seminar
Aims of a Communications strategy:
Key for us was openness:
Walk the talk!
Thus:
All staff email addresses on website
Response times, especially from Head.
Tutors give out home numbers.
Starts with tutors contacting parents before boys
start.
All comments replied to.
Allow staff to speak!
12. ISC Seminar
Aligning your communications
strategy with the strategic goals
of the School. Embedding
communications into everything
you do as a school.
13. ISC Seminar
Strategic Development Plan:
Strategic Direction 1: Nottingham High School as an
Academic School
Strategic Direction 2: Continued Excellence in Pastoral Care
14. ISC Seminar
Strategic Direction 3: Continued Excellence in Extra-curricular Programme
Strategic Direction 4: Encouraging Innovation
Strategic Direction 5: Looking after the Staff of the School
Strategic Direction 6: High School in the Wider Community
Strategic Direction 7: First class Customer Relations
Strategic Direction 8: A Sense of Style
Strategic Direction 9: Superb Facilities and Strong Finances
Strategic Direction 10: Leadership and Governance
15. ISC Seminar
Research – Part of a conversation and
thus communications:
Underpins the development plan
Governors, staff and parents
Electronic questionnaire
150 page report every two years.
Non-joiner research
All of these ask about success of our
communications strategy
16. ISC Seminar
Benefits of Research:
Put things right!
Deal with misperceptions – opportunity
to communicate.
Ownership of the plan by all – all can
share the vision.
Great to hear marketing messages
quoted back at you!
Research impact of changes made.
17. ISC Seminar
Use every opportunity:
Speech Day:
Plan from a communications
perspective.
Decide key themes.
Choose speaker to develop a key
theme.
Key opportunity for talking to whole of
internal audience. Put pupils first.
18. ISC Seminar
What has worked? Innovation. Importance of key messages:
Use of Blog and Twitter:
25. ISC Seminar
What has worked? Innovation. Importance of key messages:
Advantages of Social Media:
Approachability
More personalised
Source of information
Generates real conversations
Forward looking
People can eavesdrop!
26. ISC Seminar
What has worked? Innovation. Importance of key messages:
Our Key Messages:
Advantages of a boys only education
Academic excellence
Wide ranging extra curricular activities
Strong pastoral care
Active charity work
Innovation
Approachability
27. ISC Seminar
What has worked? Innovation. Importance of key messages:
Key Messages:
Openness
Supporting local community
Modern and high quality facilities
Great place to work
28. ISC Seminar
What has worked? Innovation. Importance of key messages:
Key Messages - Importance:
Take every opportunity to promote
them.
Audit of success.
33. ISC Seminar
It works!
HM Blog:4200 visitors in 15 months.
HM Twitter: 1023 followers
School blogs:4431 visitors in 18
months.
Youtube: 9500 views of school video.
34. ISC Seminar
Concerns:
Persuading your senior Staff!
Setting parameters for staff blogs
and twitter.
Danger of negative replies.
Ever more demanding parents.
Monitoring social media presence.
Time – Not as much as you think.
35. ISC Seminar
Next Steps:
Write the plan down! It has evolved
rather than been planned.
Look at School apps – particularly if
can pick up news from blogs and
twitter
More personalised homework help –
planner live a start.
Development of Well Done blog.
Briefing papers for parents on key
topics.
Quick online surveys
Greater personalisation.
Diversification of communications
for different audiences.
