AMCIS Launch of the Confidence Index 2023

At the recent AMCIS conference, the results of the Confidence Index 2023 were revealed and discussed in a live panel chaired by Dominic Moon, Metropolis. This annual survey, in collaboration with School Management Plus and AMCIS, surveys heads, bursars, marketing and admissions professionals, and heads of development, on their thoughts about leading and managing schools as well as predicting their future. The survey results this year highlighted distinct changes from the previous year and identified present trends.

Budgets

The first point of conversation raised by Dominic revolved around budgets, with two-thirds of marketers reporting that they don’t feel they have the resources to effectively manage their objectives. The panel and audience discussed in detail the importance of having a commercially minded bursar and stressed that budget satisfaction is essential in meeting the desired outcomes. Jenny Dining brought attention to the internal pressures from staff who cannot understand the importance of marketing and the optics of increasing the marketing budget, to which David Milner, Chair of AMCIS, added that it is essential for the Senior Leadership Team to be taught of the value of marketing and it’s impact alongside the cost associated with it. This was echoed by Hina Ghumra, Director of Marketing and Communications at Whitgift School, who noted a higher expense in all areas of marketing, particularly print advertising.  A number of panellists and audience members confirmed that they have cut print advertising across the board with no impact on numbers, although it was noted that this is often useful for internal stakeholder engagement!

Numbers on roll

The survey painted a more positive picture in terms of admissions with the majority of those surveyed answering positively that there has been an increase in students on roll and that this growth will also be seen in 2023/24. It was also noted that many parents have sought independent education due to Covid-19 related discomfort with the state sector’s handling of lockdown and home learning. Yet, 60% of those surveyed shared their difficulty in persuading parents to opt for an independent education due to its cost and the commitment of funds needed to cover 13 years of schooling. Daniel Cohen, from MTM Consulting, pointed out that independent schools are more flexible and able to adapt, and need to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves, such as strikes. Mike Parker, Director of Admissions and Marketing at Durham School suggested offering taster days on strikes.

Teaching staff

Regarding support from the rest of the staffing team, 60% of respondents to the survey disagreed with the statement that teaching staff value a strong marketing team. The panel suggested looking for champions within the teaching team and reinforcing the importance of marketing among staff.

Follow up

This discussion was incredibly productive, yet the panel would have liked more time to unpack all the interesting points made. With this in mind, we will be hosting a webinar to further explore the results of the report. We will send out details shortly.