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Finding your USP


In today’s challenging education climate, every school needs to do its utmost to stand out and be noticed, says marketing expert Justin Smith


T


he statistics are startling: the Institute of Fiscal Studies suggests that per-pupil spending has


fallen by eight per cent since 2010, while the number of teachers leaving the profession has increased by 11% in the past three years. This means it is more critical than ever to ensure your school is best placed to attract new talent, students, community partners and even investors. Schools often fail to do themselves


justice when it comes to sharing their values and messages with the wider community. But identifying and articulating these messages is incredibly important; it’s how you create a point of difference. Essentially, you’re pinpointing what it is that makes your school special – your unique selling point.


Start with ‘why’ Organisational consultant and author Simon Sinek says the most successful people and organisations understand precisely ‘why they do what they do’. In other words, they can clearly defi ne their purpose. In his book, Start With Why, Sinek presents the idea of the ‘golden circle’, explaining that most people know what they do and how they do it. The key is to understand and articulate why. The concept is especially true


in the human-centric world of education. If you are pursuing high academic standards and positive behaviour then why are you doing it? What kind of people would you like your pupils to become? What kind of future are you trying to open up for them? If your school can really understand its ‘why’, you are well on the way to developing a set of values and key messages that makes you stand out from the rest.


Environment and context nce youve defi ned your why, the next place to look for a possible USP is the building itself and the surrounding landscape. Do you have an interesting heritage? Is there a signifi cant ounding fi gure who sits at the heart of your school? Perhaps you have famous alumni. With more modern buildings, you can highlight


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