Marketing and Admissions Manager

Location: Sherborne House School, Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, SO53 1EU

Salary: Circa 40k

Contract: 8am - 4.30pm All year round

Reporting to: Headteacher

Sherborne House School is a co-educational day school, sitting just outside of Chandlers Ford, Hampshire. Sitting in four acres of woodland, in Hiltingbury, it caters for around 300 pupils between the ages of 6 months and 11 years. Being part of Bellevue Education, a group of exceptional schools, Sherborne House remains dedicated to providing the best possible education to all children.

At Sherborne House, we believe that the strengths of a school lie firmly in its commitment to viewing each child as an individual and to getting to know each individual very well. We pride ourselves in getting to know each family and working in partnership to maximise outcomes for every child. Furthermore, we have an excellent reputation for gaining significant numbers of scholarships for entry to senior schools at 11+ across a range of disciplines. The school has strong, long-standing relationships with senior schools in the area and Sherborne House children are always commended for their determination, confidence and love of learning.

The Marketing and Admissions Manager will manage all aspects of the admissions process, if necessary, carry out school tours, liaise with prospective parents and work on events. S/he will also be required to lead the internal and external marketing of the school to ensure that prospective and existing parents are kept informed of what we offer and what makes Sherborne House so special.

We are looking for a flexible and goal driven “all-rounder” with an entrepreneurial spirit, a strong work ethic and a drive to build strong parent and pupil satisfaction and awareness in the local community for the School. The successful candidate will be self-motivated, creative and have a genuine interest in other people. With a strong focus on goals and detail-orientation, you will be entrusted with a great deal of responsibility and autonomy. Those who enjoy working hard and are motivated by the results of their efforts will find this position both challenging and inspiring.

In this role you will report directly to the Head, with close links to the Bellevue Central Marketing Team as a member of its wider marketing and admissions network.

The Role

• Marketing and Communications
  • Work with the Headteacher, leadership team and Bellevue Marketing to design an annual marketing strategy based on market research and performance review.
  • Develop and implement a term-by-term marketing action plan for the school to support pupil recruitment and retention.
  • Conduct regular competitor research and analysis to benchmark the school against local competitors.
  • Ensure a strong value proposition and brand differentiation is in place, and a clear communication mix and PR strategy.
  • Manage the School brand guidelines and assets, ensuring they are used appropriately by all members of the School community.
  • Ensure group wide research and insights processes are in place for the school through annual surveys and focus groups, to identify issues and support parent, pupil and staff satisfaction.
  • Manage and maintain the School’s online presence, such as website, social media, listings, with support from Bellevue marketing as necessary.
  • Promote and build good relationships with outside institutions or groups such as nurseries, relocation agencies, and local businesses.
  • Plan, promote and execute school events such as open days, induction events, school tours and parent events.
  • Manage school photography and videography, ensuring that the School’s image bank is up to date and effectively communicates the School’s value proposition.
  • Draft, collate and edit copy for marketing materials including prospectus, parent handbooks, flyers and adverts.
  • Liaise with printers, designers and suppliers for marketing collateral and digital requirements.
  • Oversee the design and production of marketing collateral, including brochures, flyers, and digital content.
  • Ensure brand consistency across all marketing materials.
  • Collaborate with creative agencies or designers when necessary.
• Admissions
  • Provide a warm and welcoming and efficient point of contact between parents and the School concerning all aspects of the admissions process.
  • Maintain an effective admissions process, and ensure that appropriate and timely action is taken to maximise enquiry generation and conversion at every stage of the process.
  • Conduct tours of the school with visiting prospective families.
  • Handle incoming enquiries from prospective parents (by phone, website form, walk in and e-mail) in a timely manner, scheduling school visits and meetings with the Head.
  • Conduct follow-up calls to parents who did not choose the School, to elicit areas for improvement if parents choose another school.
  • Maintain the School’s iSams database and ensure accurate data input for all stages of the process.
  • Ensure that pupil data with respect to pupil admissions, enrolment, achievement, progression is up to date, accurate, fit for purpose and recorded according to appropriate policies and procedures.
  • Ensure weekly and monthly KPI reporting and monitoring is in place at the School, and participate in discussions with your Head and Bellevue Group Marketing so that the data is being used effectively to guide marketing and admissions actions.
  • Present at governance meetings to the governors and central Bellevue team.
  • Undertake any duties as required by the Headteacher or Bellevue.
• Administration
  • To use the school management information system and parent portal for communications, record keeping, letters and forms e.g. iSAMSTo ensure the daily registration of pupils and recording of staff and visitor attendance. This record must be checked daily and kept up to date.
  • Process correspondence to/from parents, including e-mail correspondence and maintain correspondence files.
  • To initiate contact with parents/guardians in the event of an unauthorised absence.
  • Updating of pupils’ personal files and transfer of records as required.
  • To answer the school telephone and emails to the school, providing relevant information and communication of messages as required.

Personal Specification

• Experience in admissions, marketing, and communications.
• Experience in developing and implementing successful marketing strategies.
• Data analysis and reporting skills to assess the effectiveness of marketing and admissions strategies.
• Excellent communication skills with fluency in English (evidenced through GCSEs and A Levels).

Desirable

• Have experience of working in an education setting, particularly in the Independent School Market.
• Degree in Marketing or a related field.

Marketing Skills

• Strong understanding of various marketing channels including social media, content marketing, and online advertising.
• Proficient at creating live content e.g. stories/reels etc.
• Proficiency in marketing analytics and the ability to use data to make informed decisions.
• Creative thinking and the ability to develop engaging marketing materials.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills- an eye for detail.

Admissions Expertise

• Familiarity with admissions policies and procedures.

Management

• Leadership and team management abilities, possibly including the ability to lead, mentor, and motivate a team.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Personal Attributes

• People Person: Want to be out and about around school with pupils, staff and parents. A solutions-focused team player with strong interpersonal skills.
• A positive, warm and welcoming disposition.
• Ability to adapt to changing marketing trends and institutional needs.
• Creative and innovative thinker who can develop unique strategies to attract and retain students.
• Strong problem-solving skills to address challenges in marketing and admissions.
• Sales-minded, energetic and positive.
• Attention to detail, particularly when managing admissions applications and marketing campaigns.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to build relationships with potential students, families, and educational partners, as well as the members in your team - playing to their strengths.
• Strong organisational skills to manage multiple projects, events, and deadlines effectively.

Communication

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to convey information clearly and persuasively.

Ethical Standards

• A commitment to maintaining high ethical standards and integrity in all admissions and marketing practices.

Attend relevant meetings and professional development facilitated by the school. Work as a team member and share good practice with others. Work collaboratively with others to develop effective professional relationships with the Bellevue admissions and marketing network. Make a positive contribution to the wider life and ethos of the school.

Sherborne House School is committed to safeguarding all pupils and students. All offers of employment are conditional and appointments are subject to the receipt of two satisfactory references, in addition to child protection screening, including checks with previous employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Applications should be received no later than midnight on Friday 11th July. Interviews will be held in the week beginning Monday 14th July. To apply, please submit a covering letter and CV (addressed to Mrs Cordelia Cripps) outlining your suitability for the role to recruitment@sherbornehouse.co.uk. Further information about the school may be found on the website at www.sherbornehouse.co.uk.