No-one likes a show off, but tomorrow morning that’s exactly what we will be doing at our autumn Open Day. The sun always shines on The Beacon and tomorrow morning the school will be resplendent in all its glory as we showcase the very best of a prep school education. A presentation from me and the Head Boy Team, a bit of Beacon showbiz from Performing Arts and then the real stars of the show, our Beacon boys and girls who will tour over 70 families around their school. One of our most impactful days of the year but always the one that makes me the most proud to be Head of this school.
I have been at the annual IAPS conference these past few days and there was lots of talk about marketing and communication with the ‘modern parent’. As much as we are a ‘Smartphone Free School’ for the pupils, communicating on WhatsApp over email, making sure your website and videos are smartphone friendly and having an authentic and regular presence on social media were absolutely front and centre. I gave myself a telling off for not having posted on my @BeaconHead Instagram so far this term but that was softened during the coffee break by a local Head who, having seen our promotional film on a television commercial break and at the Rex Cinema in the past week, noted ruefully to me that they and their school needed to raise their game.
All the above pales into insignificance though, because we know that you, our parents and your children, are undoubtedly our best marketing. How the boys and girls present themselves around school, in the wider community and at the senior schools they feed into, is the best endorsement of a Beacon education. And all the support you give to us with your recommendations; almost all of our prospective parents come to see us from speaking to someone already in our community. That feedback, in the modern age, is viewed as the most powerful marketing and for that we are truly thankful – we are all Team Beacon.
Have a good weekend,
Nick Baker