Marketing & Communications SIG Report – Engaging with our Wait List

More than 40 EducatePlus members took advantage of the Special Interest Group Round Table Session at Santa Sabina College on 16 June.

Facilitated by Yvette Graniero, Santa Sabina College’s Director of Community Relations, the participants split into six smaller groups after Yvette’s general presentation on the current drivers of school choice. Some participants were surprised to learn that enrolment processes (engagement, communications, support and relationship building) were key in achieving school of first choice status among prospective parents. The influence of engaging mothers (who drive 60% of enrolment decisions) and the ability of well-staged events/engagement to turn around 50% of school choice decisions were also noted.

The groups brainstormed and shared knowledge on how to get the best out of schools’ databases, communications, events, technology and relationship building strategies. There were different approaches as to how early and how often in the wait list cycle prospective families should be engaged. Using social media, posting video content on websites and staying in touch several times a year with prospective families via EDMs, invitations and publications were all cited as effective techniques.