Introduction The UK independent schools sector has long been recognised for excellence and bespoke education. Yet rising costs, demographic shifts, and intensified competition are reshaping the landscape. Increasingly, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are becoming a strategic solution for sustainability and growth. At the heart of this transformation is catchment and socio-economic data. By applying the same data-driven insights used in …
Are Young People of Today Adequately Prepared for the Future? Duncan Murphy – Director of Education, MTM Consulting
MTM Consulting was pleased to once again support this summer’s Future Fwd Conference hosted by Warwick Schools Foundation. In preparation for the event, MTM Consulting conducted a nationwide survey of business leaders, parents – and new for this year’s data – recent education leavers between 18 and 25 years of age. The cumulative panel consisted of families across the United …
Back to School – But Not As We Know It Natalie Braier – Tax Manager, PFK Littlejohn
Little did I envisage back in 1979 that my enthusiastic chant of Pink Floyd’s “we don’t need no education” could spiral into the extinction of my local faith school almost five decades later. Unsurprisingly, the imposition of VAT is a highly-emotive issue for many parents who have felt that they have had no choice but to send their children to …
Fees- A Game of Russian Roulette?
It is the time of year when schools are thinking in earnest about setting their fees for September, married against the need to keep staff salaries competitive as well as the impending, and as yet unknown, VAT conundrum. Each institution will have to consider with care its own unique set of circumstances to complement the national picture across the sector, …
Price Elasticity of Demand
The team at MTM Consulting first wrote about the importance of fee elasticity in independent schools in 2022 and we have been delighted to see, over the last 12 months, that more and more schools are realising that fee elasticity is a crucial concept for the sector. As families weigh the benefits of private education against its costs, schools must …
The future of independent schools
With unerring regularity, the British press tends to feature a diverse range of articles about this country’s independent schools, usually accompanied by a picture of a haughty young fellow wearing Eton uniform, or vast palaces perched amidst acres of lush playing fields, as if these are true representations of the entire sector. Their stories depict a fantasy-land of received pronunciation …
The Significance of Parent Satisfaction Surveys
In the fiercely competitive and increasingly challenging landscape of independent education today, parental satisfaction has emerged as a crucial determinant of success. We believe the key to understanding the needs, expectations, and pain points of your families often lies in the regular implementation of parental satisfaction surveys. And while free or cheap software solutions may seem tempting, schools are now …
Survival of the Fittest?
Another new academic year beckons at a time of significant challenge for the independent sector; leaders both experienced and new will have to contend with operational matters of course – including a change in the ISI inspection framework, an unsympathetic standpoint from Ofqual about tougher grade boundaries for public examinations as well as increased mental health and absence statistics – …
The Oxbridge Alarm Bells Webinar – Our Review
Introduction to Oxbridge and Independent Schools We were delighted to welcome so many Heads, Governors and Heads of Marketing to our latest webinar on the subject of Oxbridge and independent schools. Questions included ‘Positive Discrimination – Fact or Fallacy?’ and does Oxbridge still delivers the skills that employers are prioritising. The webinar was set to be a lively one! The …
Independent Schools – Top Tips for Digital
We are living through interesting and exciting times. The digital world has evolved so quickly that standing still can be the same as moving backwards. This can be true of any walk of life, but it’s particularly relevant when talking about marketing for independent schools. Brand awareness has always been a pivotal part of any business and one of the …
Truly Preparing our Pupils for the Future
Following on from the Future Fwd report, undertaken by MTM Consulting for Warwick Schools Foundation, James Barnes from the Learning Skills Trust tackles some of the bigger questions around educating the workforce of tomorrow. Twelve years ago four prep school Heads decided that the route to pupil success in life, was not going to be achieved by continuing to prepare …