Our Blog
Feast your eyes on our blog: news, tips and handy hints, as well as free resources and special offers…
Have You Seen What ‘The Most Exciting School in England’ Is Doing?
Our ‘Friday Find’ this week comes from Hurtwood House, a Sixth Form-only school that evidently knows its audience. See how they demonstrate their key message in just 15 seconds…
One Simple Task to Boost Your School’s Social Media Content
You’ve all got plenty of great stuff happening in your schools, yet we’re always asked about which aspects to talk about in school marketing & social media. We’ve got one simple and hugely effective task for you…
See Strathallan School’s Unique Take on Boosting Pupil Opportunities
We love school marketing ideas that stand out from the crowd and our latest ‘Friday Find’ from Strathallan School is certainly an example of that, boosting their differentiation and pupil opportunities at the same time.
See How Terra Nova School Builds Excitement for an Event
In this week’s ‘Friday Find’ we’ve discovered a great example of how to build excitement for something at your school and create a real sense of anticipation.
3 Ways A School Marketing Strategy Will Positively Impact Your Budget
It’s about the time of year for school budget planning. Find out how a school marketing strategy will make your budget work SO much harder with measurably BETTER results.
Thumb-stopping Content on Instagram from Aldro School
This week’s ‘Friday Find’ from Aldro School really made us pause in our Instagram scrolling.
See How Daiglen Prep Power Up Their Key Messages
Our latest marketing inspiration comes from Daiglen Preparatory School who put their eye-catching, rich purple branding to very good use.
5 Tips to Health Check Your School Website
The pandemic speeded up the ‘digital first’ approach to school enquiries, driving families to investigate potential schools online to a greater degree than ever before. Parents are likely to form their first opinions of your school through visiting your website. Act on our top tips to review how this all-important shop window appears to prospective families.
Read How St Michael’s Prep is Showcasing Past Pupils in its Marketing
Take a look at our latest ‘Friday Find’, a 5-star example of great school marketing from St Michael’s Prep.
I’m the Only Person Responsible for Marketing in my School – How Do I Share the Load?
All too often, school marketers are the sole person in the school with ‘marketing’ in their job description. It is easy to feel alone in what you are trying to achieve. If this is you, you’re far from alone, and we’ve got some tips to help…
See How St Margaret’s Prep School is Employing Beautiful Photography
We wanted to share a ‘Friday Find’ from St Margaret’s Prep School that really caught our eye when scrolling through Instagram. It’s the school’s beautiful photography of its pupils at work and play.
Finding EPIC Content for Your School’s Social Media
Do you always know what to talk about on your school’s social media? Struggle to pinpoint the gold dust among so many stories and so much potential content? Or perhaps the opposite: find it difficult to track down news and images from around your school (you KNOW they’re happening)? Either way, the answer lies in your key messages…
How To Get Staff To Support Your School Marketing
Do you struggle to get support from your teaching colleagues? This isn’t because your teaching colleagues aren’t co-operative, it’s simply because they are – just like you – incredibly time-poor. This means that any requests relating to school marketing come in at...
How To Convey What’s Unique About Your School
One of the most common things schools tell us is that they struggle with knowing how to get what’s unique and special about their school ‘out there’ to the outside world. There are so many great things going on, how do you know what to talk about in your marketing? It’s all about honing your messages.
VIDEO: Stickman Chat With Our Friends at WCBS About All Things School Marketing & Admissions
Emily Richards, Founder & Director of Stickman and Stephen Bilboe from WCBS share some juicy school marketing and admissions insight in their chat on this Instagram Live.
How Do I Work Out The Best Marketing Channels For My School?
You’ve probably tried this, that and the other – nothing seems to be working. But – and, sorry to be blunt – this ad hoc approach is about as good as throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks. You need to do some audience research…
No Time To Market Our School – Help!
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to implementing great school marketing is lack of time. It is time to step back and re-appraise your marketing and admissions ‘To Do’ list.
How To Boost Admissions With Zero Budget
School budgets have been blown to pieces by the pandemic, and “we don’t have money to spend on marketing” is a common refrain. But there are plenty of improvements you can make to your marketing and admissions activities for little to zero cost.
Why Parent Moans on WhatsApp Could be the Best Thing For Your School
Some schools choose to leave parents to it, accepting WhatsApp as another unfortunate cross to bear. But sticking your head in the sand is a dangerous strategy.
Puzzled about how to make your school marketing more effective? Try this.
What does ineffective school marketing sound like? “Why does no one seem to know we’re here?” “Why are other schools gaining pupils and we’re not?” “We can’t recruit a Teaching Assistant until we’ve filled more school places and secured the additional revenue.” ...
Stickman Director Talks to Independent School Management Plus Magazine About How To Manage Marketing In These Tumultuous Times
ISMP magazine talked to Stickman Founder & Director, Emily Richards, about the marketing and communications for schools this term and why it’s not all about Covid-19.
3 Essentials for Maximising Primary School Admissions
Time waits for no one and nothing – not even a pandemic – and it is that time of year again: the primary school admissions cycle is now well underway for entries into Reception for 2021. Alongside the challenges of recent months and with no end in sight, schools...
Living and Breathing Schools
Stickman team member Karen talks about living at day and boarding schools across the past 20 years and how this contributes to her marketing support for schools at Stickman
Headteacher Claims Stickman’s Input was “Transformational” for his School
When schools respond brilliantly to our support, we couldn’t be prouder to see them thrive. Find out why this primary school thinks our help has been transformational.
VIDEO: Stickman Chats to Lucy Barnwell about her Role as ‘Head of Keeping People Happy’ at Rossall School
Lucy Barnwell, Director of External Relations at Rossall School, Lancashire, speaks to Stickman about her passion – top notch customer service in independent schools – and why listening is the most important element.
VIDEO: Is Your School Marketing Generating Results?
In this short video, we talk about the importance of all your marketing activities coming together and of them driving results. Think of us at Stickman - with our strategic marketing support - as the 'glue' that ensures all of your marketing activities are...
Stickman Can Help Your School Stick to Social Distancing
Many schools are getting ready to re-open, in whatever form that may be. Here at Stickman we’ve partnered with a print team to offer a range of fully brand-able signage to help you keep safe.
How We Helped a School to Enrol 17 New Pupils Worth £680,000
Create a buzz for your next, new-look Open Morning when the school gates are open again. Here’s how our help makes a real impact on enrolment.
Is Your School Promoting Itself to Families Who Didn’t Get Their First Choice Primary School?
Does your school have pupil places to fill for September? Are you effectively promoting this to prospective families in your area?
Webinar: How Can Schools Use Social Media Effectively?
Watch Stickman founder Emily Richards as part of the panel on this webinar. Grab a coffee, learn and enjoy.
A Big THANK YOU to Schools!
VIDEO: We want to say THANK YOU to schools for all the wonderful work you’re doing during these extraordinary times!
Our BIGGEST Tip for Schools for Engaging Effectively with Parents During School Closures
Lend us your ears and eyes for just 1 min 16 secs to hear our BIG tip for engaging effectively with parents during school closures, while supporting remote learning.
Time-limited special offers and services for the challenges that lie ahead.
Great Examples of School Social Media Content in the Time of Covid-19
We’re enjoying some great social media posts from schools, keeping up communication with school communities and making us smile while they’re at it.
3 Essential Marketing & Communication Activities During Independent School Closures Due to Covid-19.
https://youtu.be/0IwCAM0wo-k Independent schools! During these unusual times, many independent school families will be wondering whether next term's fees are affordable, or indeed whether school fees should be paid at all in view of school closures. Additionally,...
SCHOOL CLOSURES MARCH 2020: We’re Looking for Ways to Support Schools for Free
Following the announcement on 18 March about school closures, Stickman are allocating 2-3 hours each day to help schools free of charge.
Why Creating a Marketing Plan is Crucial for School Marketing Success
Mapping out your school’s marketing activities is essential if your efforts are to be REALLY effective.
VIDEO: Maximising School Funding in 3 Steps!
Watch our 8-minute video to see how you can boost funding at your school using our proven method for effective pupil recruitment.
2 Vital Marketing and Communications activities that will help secure a Good or Outstanding Ofsted judgement
School leaders naturally focus on teaching and learning to secure a favourable Ofsted judgement. But don’t forget that marketing and communications can make a REAL difference too.
How Local Authority primary schools CAN impact pupil applications
There are HEAPS of ways to drive pupil applications for your primary school, even if admissions are administered by the Local Authority.
[VIDEO] Primary schools – need to boost pupil numbers but funds are tight? Or perhaps don’t know where to start?
Primary schools – you need to do some marketing but have no money, don’t know where to start or just don’t have time to think about it? We have the answer…
Stickman’s round up of 2019 (part II)
Dip into part II of our round up of 2019 to catch some brain-fizzing school marketing tips and ideas that you may have missed first time around.
Stickman’s round up of 2019 (part I)
2019 has been an exciting year and we’d hate to think you missed any of our insights and inspiration. Here’s (part I) of our annual round up.
3 Essentials for Maximising Primary School Pupil Recruitment
At a time of increasingly squeezed school budgets, maximising pupil recruitment is key.
VIDEO: Stickman talks to Head of The King’s School Chester, George Hartley, about why he is optimistic about the future of independent schools, and the importance of marketing
Stickman’s Chief Cheerleader, Karen Smith, had the opportunity recently to talk to George Hartley, Headmaster of The King’s School Chester, one of the leading co-educational day schools in the country. A hugely experienced educator, George joined King’s as Headmaster...
We won ‘Pupil Recruitment Services of the Year’ award!
Here at Stickman Towers we are ever-so-slightly bursting with pride to announce that we are an AWARD-WINNING company! Those lovely people at Corporate LiveWire have awarded us Winner of Pupil Recruitment Services of the Year in the 2019 Manchester Prestige Awards. The...
VIDEO: Stickman interviews the splendid Ackworth School about the importance of marketing ☀️
Tom Shennan-Barker and Nicola Gilbert, Director of Marketing, Admissions & Communications and Business Development Manager respectively at Ackworth School in West Yorkshire spoke to Stickman recently about their roles.
Meet the mini Stickman team! (17 second VIDEO)
We just love involving our mini Stickman team in what we do at Stickman Towers. We therefore thought it only courteous to introduce them to you! Click below to meet the minis: https://youtu.be/FpEzGf-JP0E
8 Reasons why great school marketing is worth its weight in gold
Be clear and determined to show budget-holders why great marketing and communications are crucial to the success of a school.
Does your school marketing need to be more premium?
Do your school communications properly reflect the quality and excellence of your school? If you’re using Comic Sans for everything, then probably not.
3 ideas to fill your school places for September: it’s not too late!
If you still have places to fill for September, don’t panic! the Summer Term is full of opportunities to increase pupil numbers, if you act NOW.
Stickman launches new service packages!
We’ve listened, digested and developed our core services to suit your school’s challenges and budget. The only problem is, which to choose?
Curating parent ambassadors for your school: 5 essential TOP TIPS
Parents will be talking about your school whether you like it or not; by engaging with them their influence can be a mighty powerful positive force.
Stickman gets coverage by WCBS – leading online school admissions system!
Here at Stickman Towers we believe in joined-up thinking for the best possible outcomes. You know it makes sense…
5 point checklist to drive pupil recruitment on a limited budget
A decrease in your pupil numbers tightens the purse strings, just at the time when you need to spend to recruit pupils? We offer a fresh perspective on the chicken and egg of school marketing.…
“We knew the school was right – we got ‘the feeling'”: 3 ways to create that intangible WOW feeling for prospective parents
For so many parents, the ‘it just felt right’ feeling is a decisive factor in choosing a school. Take practical steps to create that intangible ‘wow’ for your prospective families.
5 top tips for communicating effectively with parents
How well is everything your school does communicated to the outside world and, in particular, to parents? Getting it right can make a huge difference to your school’s reputation and we’re here to help.
Does your school have a strong USP?
Whether you know it or not, your school has Unique Selling Points (USPs) – do you know how to identify them and use them to your advantage?
Mystery shopping: a critical tool for pupil recruitment
Mystery shopping can provide powerful insight into your admissions process, enabling you to fix the gaps and embellish the good.
FREE e-book: 7 Steps to Fill School Places and Banish Admissions Headaches
As expert schools marketers, we at Stickman know the admissions challenges you face and we’re sharing our strategies for encouraging enquiries, for FREE.
You’re welcome.
VIDEO: Stickman’s fireside chat with the Headmaster of Terra Nova School, Cheshire
Recently, founder of Stickman, Emily Richards had the opportunity for an insightful chat with Philip Stewart, Headmaster of Terra Nova School, a leading 21/2 to 13 day and boarding prep school in Cheshire.
What you might have missed from Stickman in 2018…
Here at Stickman Towers we’ve been busy sharing tips and tricks, insights and inspiration on all things marketing and admissions all year. If you’ve missed our missives, a) where have you been? and b) fear not, for we bring you glad tidings and a round-up of our...
The power of involving pupils in your school marketing
Without looking, we at Stickman would wager that your school's prospectus is packed to the rafters with pictures of pupils: smiling, playing sport, looking studious, climbing trees... all wonderful images of your school in action. We are less confident however, of...
WEBINAR: Post Covid-19 Independent School Marketing – What Does It Look Like?
Watch our timely, free marketing webinar for independent schools – essential for school leaders and school marketing teams right now.
“Working with The Stickman Consultancy has helped me to understand my local market and how best to reach them”
Sarah Lowe, Instructor, Kumon Education.
