AGM 2018 Graduates for September 2018.
Development Plans for the Climbing Wall are signed off and a schedule of works has been completed. Work will take place over the summer and the wall will be ready for the school to use on 1 September 2018. Fundraising continues and we have strong support from PSFA via school initiatives (such as climbing the height of Mount Everest) and the May Ball. Due to financial constraints major development is more limited however there will be the ‘usual’ summer schedule of works. At this moment, plans for the re- development of the pavilion have been put on hold.
Safeguarding / Security ISI were happy with our security measures (an area we did have some queries about given our open site) and yet we have had helpful feedback upon developments and what should happen next. In essence our new lanyards have been given a ‘thumbs up’ by ISI and, as a community, we have slipped relatively comfortably into an expectation that we will be adorned with our green necklaces. I had not initially seen the entertaining film made by Neil Madden and students which explains what is what with our green, amber and red lanyards – it was a fabulous way of informing our pupils of what is what. We do have advice regarding our rolling programme of locks on doors. The recommendation is to continue as we are. I am pleased at the sense in this approach. A new lock has been put in place at the back of the Hill Building. We are all getting used to the system of lanyards which have appeared with no noticeable murmurs from the
18 / The Sibford Rocket
HEAD’S REPORT CONTINUED community or visitors.
Marketing Our marketing group has reconvened in school with a number of developments to review and discuss. Marketing remains an absolute priority for us.
I had a (second) successful visit to China in March and we welcomed two groups from Fuyuan International School in Shenzhen as we develop our links in Asia. I learned a great deal about the variety of marketing methods our competitors use in the international field and we already have some quick wins from my two trips to China. That said, it is clearly important to develop and nurture these links and that will only come with a longer term strategy. This is being developed in line with our whole school marketing plan. Further development of our international links – both in Asia and Europe are being actively explored. Closer to home we have made further developments to our social media campaigns (including the placement of Sibford School information on specific sites) and we are developing links to both local schools and further afield. We have welcomed more Heads from local feeder schools. We have now been visited by the Croft and St. John’s Priory School. We have also contacted Dormer House regarding a visit next term. A second visitor from Chandling’s School (Deputy Head) has also
Friends from Fuyuan International School pictured during their visit to Sibford
been to see us. We have been visited by a national recruitment agency who have offices in Oxford. Bunny Baker, fresh from her success when ISI visited the school, is working with me on a marketing plan for boarding. This plan will include short, medium and longer term goals. We will need to think about investing in infrastructure as we move forwards although I do not expect the costs to be exorbitant. Over the past fortnight we have held further meetings with Richard Cziborra and John Cook (the former being a retired marketing/ recruitment manager, principally for HE), Suzanne Rowse and Kathy Campbell (British Boarding School’s Network) and Peter Harris, international educational consultant. These meetings and subsequent review will crystalize our marketing developments from
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