April 2024
Tips for generating inbound leads.
Hello, I hope everyone had a restful Easter break. This month I share the schooling choices we make as parents and how adding VAT to independent schools will reduce that choice; tips for generating new leads and, a look at award entries including a handy list.
Best wishes
Lucy
VAT on Independent Schools Will Reduce Choice
With first-hand experience in the independent school sector as a parent, pupil and employee, I’ve seen how nurturing, supportive and tailored independent education is and how independent schools play a vital part in educational choice.
For many families it is not a case of selecting ‘state or independent’ but more of a mix depending on the individual child’s needs, the stage of their education and the family’s circumstances at any given time.
When our eldest child moved to secondary school, we chose an independent school because we wanted small class sizes and a better teacher-pupil ratio. Teachers knew every student well and pupils were afforded a high level of support. Our younger son attended the same school up to GCSEs and then chose to move to the local Sixth Form College. With 2,000+ students, the College can offer a broad curriculum including A-levels, T-levels, BTECs and Diplomas. Our daughter went to a fee-paying prep school where I worked as her older brothers were nearing the end of their time at the local primary school.
In all settings, the academic support and guidance plus opportunities for drama, sport and other extra-curricular activities were exceptional and worked well for each child at that stage.
Many families move between state and independent education at different times as they weather the ups and downs of family circumstances, income fluctuations and job movements and to cater for the individual needs of children as they progress through their education.
Independent school parents often work full-time and prioritise education above other expenditures. For most families, affording independent school fees is challenging without expecting an additional 10-15%.
It is about having a choice and adding VAT to school fees will reduce that choice. Some independent schools may close and pressure will mount on the stretched state sector. All schools need support, not because they are state or independent, but because they educate children to achieve their best outcomes and because parents and students need different choices at different times.
Learn more…
The Week, March 24 | What Will Happen if VAT is Added to School Fees?
Financial Times, Feb 24 | Labour’s School Fees VAT Threat Sends a Chill Through Parents
Considering an Award Entry?
Having previously written and submitted entries to the awarding bodies below with each submission being either shortlisted or winning, we’d love to craft your entry for you. You’ve done all the hard work, let us create a powerful award entry.
TES Independent School Awards
Independent School of the Year Awards
Learning Age Awards
Business Procurement Leaders Awards
Here is a handy list (with website links) of key education and ed-tech industry Awards you may like to consider. I am sure there are plenty of others too. I hope this is useful!
School Award Links and Entry Deadlines
Education Business Awards, May 24
National School Awards, May 24
Independent Schools of the Year Awards, June 24
Independent Schools Association, July 24
Education Today Awards, Aug 24
Pearson National Teaching Awards, March 25
Edtech and Education Business Award Links and Deadlines
Learning Technologies Awards, July 24
Global Edtech Startup Awards (GES), Sept 24
Education Resources Awards, Feb 25
EdTech Breakthrough Awards, March 25
online and Offline Lead Generation
Lead generation is the cornerstone of gaining interest in your organisation and delivering valuable leads is essential.
It encompasses a mix of online and offline strategies which can be determined based on your budget and marketing strategy. Before you think about generating leads, it is important to consider who you want to target and what information is important to your target audience. How will you add value?
Once this is clear, you can create events, open days, demos and webinars that resonate with that particular audience. Here are some suggestions I've used successfully in the past.
Online lead generation ideas
Form links in email marketing (Hubspot, Salesforce, Google or MS Forms)
Video content with email capture (Vimeo)
Online event registration forms (Eventbrite, Google or MS Forms)
Online demos and webinars with email capture (Zoom, Teams)
Easy open-day sign-ups for schools (Eventbrite, Google or MS Forms)
School online admissions forms (Applicaa, Eventbrite, Google or MS Forms)
User-friendly enquiry forms (Eventbrite, Google or MS Forms)
Offline lead generation could include…
Important word-of-mouth referrals - testimonials are gold!
Strategic partnerships - align with businesses of similar values
In-person events - nothing replaces conversations with people
There are numerous platforms to help with lead capture. Some options are shown above in brackets. To ensure a healthy pipeline, a mix of these ideas will help engage people, promote your school or business and capture all-important enquiries. Of course, meeting GDPR and data capture regulations is key in determining your lead generation strategy, this will be covered in our May newsletter.