Hazelwood School, who educate around 600 1 -13 year olds in Surrey had been successfully growing their pupil numbers over a number of years. However, aware that birth rates had potentially peaked, the governors and senior leaders were keen to determine whether they could sustain their three-form entry at Reception level in the short to medium term. The school also wanted to understand their local competitive environment, in order to future-proof their admissions strategy in line with what was happening in the local market.
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competitors have seen numbers decline over the previous 5 years
The project
We proposed using our unique Market and Catchment Intelligence research tool to understand:
- The types of families who used the school and where they travelled from
- The types of families who used the school in the past
- The levels of market penetration the school had
- How the market was likely to change in the future
- How numbers in key independent competitor schools had changed since 2010
Results
This provided a detailed overview of the current marketplace, with the data and evidence base required for their strategic decision making. Our illustrated report provided the school with an objective Demand & Supply analysis, with projections covering the next ten years. As a result of these projections, a healthy three form entry has been maintained and other potential markets have been identified.
The research MTM provided was incredibly insightful. They not only presented the information in a very professional manner, they also informed our future strategic direction, giving us optimism about current population numbers and future trends. We decided to maintain our three-form entry and our Reception intake has been healthy as a result. MTM also identified other markets with potential for us to develop a presence in and the information provided has also helped us to strengthen the brand positioning and marketing strategy.
Nick Tappin - Hazelwood School