You have a new Head starting this term and are aware that this can bring a large dollop of unsettlement and speculation amongst a school community – what will the new Head be like? How will they lead the school? How will they compare to the previous Head?
Well, the key is to make them visible and here are 3 great ways of achieving this:
- Organise in-person ‘meet and greets’
Host a series of ‘Breakfast with the Head’ mornings before school, or afternoon tea or after-school receptions, a few weeks into the term, to give parents the chance to meet the Head in a relaxed environment and get to know them a little better. Don’t forget to give parents plenty of notice by setting and communicating the dates for these events well in advance. Avoid creating just one date and expecting all parents to show up – this date may not suit a lot of parents, AND it would be unwieldy for the Head to chat to a potentially large number of families meaningfully. A series of two or three opportunities will be valuable.
- Create a series of Instagram stories
This is a super way to create a connection with your school community. The series can include stories such as an initial introduction to the Head (background), their vision and values and educational outlook, what they’re looking forward to and so on. What’s also really powerful in showing a Head’s warmth and charisma is ‘behind the scenes’ content. For example, a video of them talking through their day ahead, doing a walkabout around school, lunch or breaktime chats with pupils, and more. Ongoing, make your Head a regular feature on your Instagram stories – your school community wants to hear from the captain of the ship!
- Nurture relationships
Get dates in the diary for the Head to meet key feeders who send many of their children your way – namely, the Nursery school managers and the Heads of the feeder schools. Send an individualised video invite from the Head via email, followed up with a voicenote to each person. Ideally, this can be followed up with opportunities for your new Head to introduce themself to the families at those Nurseries and feeder schools too.
As with any good school communications, consistency is KEY, so remember to make ‘head of school’ content a strategic part of your marketing content for the coming school year.
Need some help with creating your Marketing Strategy? Get in touch for a chat.