Why Marketing and Admissions Teams Hold the Key to the Future Sustainability of Schools

The 2026 Confidence Index paints a picture that Heads and Bursars cannot afford to dismiss as a staffing issue confined to “support departments”. It is, in reality, a strategic risk to pupil recruitment and retention and, ultimately, to the future sustainability of schools.

At a time when independent schools face mounting demographic, political and economic pressures, marketing and admissions strategy is no longer a peripheral operational function. It has become central to how schools attract families, retain pupils and position themselves in an increasingly competitive market.

Yet despite this growing importance, many marketing and admissions professionals remain under-resourced, under-represented and increasingly willing to leave the sector altogether.

One of the clearest themes running through the report is the disconnect between the importance of marketing and admissions work and the influence afforded to those carrying it out. Respondents overwhelmingly identified pupil recruitment as the most important area schools need to focus on, far ahead of most other strategic priorities. At the same time, schools reported growing pressure from local state competition, affordability concerns and changing parental expectations.

Yet despite this, almost half of respondents said they do not have representation on the Senior Leadership Team, while many reported lacking sufficient budget, staffing, training and technology to operate effectively.

Schools are asking marketing and admissions teams to solve increasingly complex challenges while excluding them from many of the strategic conversations needed to address them.

Looking out of sector

Perhaps the most concerning finding in the report is that three quarters of respondents actively seeking a new role are looking outside the independent school sector altogether.

The skillsets schools now require in their marketing and admissions teams are highly transferable. Modern marketing professionals are not simply producing prospectuses and organising open mornings. Many now bring expertise in data analysis, digital strategy, customer experience, CRM systems, communications and commercial insight. Other sectors quite rightly recognise the value of these skills and are often offering clearer progression opportunities, stronger workplace support and higher salaries.

If schools continue to undervalue these professionals, they will lose them.

The free-text comments in the report reveal frustration that goes beyond workload. Respondents spoke about feeling excluded from decision-making, viewed as “just admin” or misunderstood by colleagues unfamiliar with the complexity of modern recruitment and communications work.

That perception gap is a problem because recruitment in independent schools has fundamentally changed.

Parents are more selective, more price-sensitive and more research-driven than ever before. Schools increasingly compete not only with each other, but with strong state provision and, increasingly, alternative educational pathways. In this environment, sustainable pupil recruitment depends on understanding market behaviour, communicating value effectively and building trust with families long before they visit your school.

Marketing and admissions teams know which objections parents raise most frequently. They understand which messaging resonates, where enquiries are declining or the pipeline is leaking, how competitors are positioning themselves and what concerns are influencing decisions locally. In many schools, they hold some of the most commercially valuable insight available.

Why Pupil Recruitment and Retention Is Now a Leadership Priority

The report also suggests that many schools remain focused on immediate operational pressures rather than longer-term trends. Issues such as declining birth rates and changing parental expectations appeared lower down the list of priorities despite their enormous implications for future recruitment.

This is precisely where marketing and admissions teams should be contributing more strategically. Their insight can help schools move from reactive decision-making towards longer-term planning around positioning, affordability, retention and growth.

Schools should also make better use of the data already available internally.

Better Internal Insight Supports Stronger Recruitment Decisions

Many marketing and admissions professionals are collecting valuable information on enquiry trends, parent concerns, conversion rates and competitor activity – and if not, they should be. Heads and Bursars should be asking for this insight regularly and using it to inform wider planning decisions.

The strongest schools increasingly understand that admissions and retention strategy cannot sit separately from financial planning and long-term school sustainability. Recruitment patterns, parent sentiment and recruitment forecasting should influence almost every major strategic decision schools make.

For Heads and Bursars, the challenge now is not simply recognising the issue but acting on it.

Marketing and Admissions Strategy Must Become More Strategic

The good news is that meaningful change does not always require major structural reform or dramatically increased budgets. Often, the most important shift is cultural.

• The first step is inclusion.

If pupil recruitment and retention are among the school’s most significant strategic priorities, then the people responsible for delivering them need access to strategic discussions. That may mean including marketing and admissions leaders in Senior Leadership Team meetings, involving them earlier in financial planning discussions or ensuring they contribute to governor conversations around future strategy.

Too often these teams are brought in only after decisions have been made, expected to “market” outcomes they had no role in shaping.

• Another practical area is professional development.

The survey highlights concerns around insufficient CPD and lack of investment in training. Yet the pace of change within communications, technology and parent engagement means these roles require continual development. Investing in conferences, sector networks, digital training and leadership development should not be viewed as optional extras. They are investments in recruitment capability.

Schools should also review whether teams have the tools needed to operate effectively. CRM systems, automation platforms, analytics tools and content creation technology are no longer luxuries for many schools; they are essential infrastructure.

• Equally important is workload management.

One of the quieter but most concerning themes in the report is exhaustion. High stress levels persist, work-life balance remains poor and many professionals feel isolated under increasing pressure.

Heads and Bursars should ask difficult but necessary questions:

• Are expectations realistic for the size of the team?
• Has workload increased without additional support?
• Are admissions and marketing staff expected to deliver strategic output while covering extensive operational tasks?
• Are they receiving recognition for successes, or only attention when numbers become a concern?

Small changes can have significant impact. Clearer priorities, better cross-departmental cooperation, administrative support and realistic deadlines all help reduce pressure and improve retention.

Schools should also examine how these roles are discussed internally.

Language shapes culture. If marketing and admissions professionals continue to be viewed primarily as “support staff”, schools will struggle to retain ambitious, highly skilled individuals. The strongest schools increasingly position these teams as Business Operations or Professional Services because they recognise that recruitment, reputation and financial sustainability are deeply interconnected.

Heads and Bursars now face an important leadership decision. They can continue to treat marketing and admissions teams as operational support functions operating at the edge of strategy, or they can recognise them as essential contributors to the future sustainability of schools.

The schools most likely to thrive over the next decade will be those that invest not only in recruitment activity, but in the people, insight and strategic expertise needed to deliver it effectively.

If your school is facing increasing pressure around pupil recruitment and retention, now is the time to review whether your marketing and admissions strategy is aligned with your long-term goals.

At MTM Consulting, we work with independent schools to strengthen marketing and admissions strategy and support the future sustainability of schools.

Whether you need a strategic review, support with understanding your market, or a clearer long-term recruitment strategy, our team can help you identify practical, achievable next steps.

To discuss how your school can strengthen pupil recruitment and retention in an increasingly competitive market, contact us for an initial conversation on 01502 722787 or reach out via our Contact Us form.