What does your schools non-verbal communication say about you?

What does your schools non-verbal communication say about you? featured image
24 May 2016
 
 
Most schools are marketed well with budgets allocated for digital as well as paper advertising, encompassing Social Media and meticulously planned Open Days. When putting schools in the public domain, showing them in the very best light is second nature. 
 
With Google at everyones fingertips, it is easy for potential parents to narrow down their search based on the schools own advertising, reviews and interaction with other users. However, nothing compares to parents visiting schools to gain an overall feel for the establishment they are planning on investing their child’s education in. Once there, prospective parents will probably see what they expect, given the prospectus and online information, however it is the non-verbal communication that occurs throughout their visit which will really sell places.

 
Non-Verbal Communication - MTM Consulting

What do people see? 

When people come to Open Days they see everybody on their best form. The buildings usually will have had an extra clean, there are no children on-site on the day to mess it up and staff are relieved of teaching duties so they have ample time to discuss teaching methods, skills and curriculum, as well as school information. 
 
It is easy for a school and the staff to be at their best when it is only for a couple of hours. When people visit during the working day, how does this differ to the Open Day experience? 
 

Where do you meet them? 

Potential Parents are your next generation of customers. When they walk through the door where do they wait? Are they invited into a comfortable area stocked with interesting resources showing examples of what your school offers or are they expected to hover awkwardly outside the school office until the person they are meeting is ready for them? 
 

How do staff react? 

The teachers who wait for an appropriate break in the lesson, then introduces themselves to the parent is a reflection of balanced teaching in the room. Teachers greeting parents as equals helps banish the parents’ feelings of being a student where teachers were superior. 
 
Non-Verbal Communication 2 - MTM Consulting
 

Do you allocate enough time? Do you spend it where it counts? 

For those experienced in leading parent tours, going from classroom to classroom can feel like ‘same thing, different day’ but for parents, it offers a valuable insight into what to expect during all the different stages of a school. This is pertinent no matter how many age groups a school may span, as much as parents may dread their sweet 3 year old turning into a teenager, being able to see how a school deals with teenagers can be a source of comfort for what is to come. 
 
First hand experience of how the children behave in the classroom speaks volumes and it is worth lingering a few more moments to allow parents to see not just the class being taught, but the children interacting with staff and their peers. 
 

Is it the right time? 

School days are fully structured to make the most of the teaching time. Ensuring that parents visit at times when students are engaged and the atmosphere is calm, will help parents gain a true feeling for your school. If the timing is not right and prospective parents find themselves tangled in children tripping out to play or moving out the way so the staff can clear up from lunch, the reality is they will remember the experience as chaotic and won’t sign up to your school.
 

How do they leave? 

Heads are busy people and often it can feel as though visiting parents are being ‘dismissed’. Taking the time to walk parents to the front door and not closing it until they are out of sight can make the difference between parents leaving for good and those who sign up.
 

Follow up

With so much time saving technology at our fingertips it is not always necessary to follow up with a phone call and many people appreciate the chance of reflection that an email or a letter provides. 
 
When following up in this manner consider if the language you use alienates people? Language has moved on so much in the last 25 years that using traditional, rarely used words can appear pompous in an era where parents want to be considered equal to the Head.
 
When parents of young children visit schools it is often their first experience of school since being a pupil themselves. Making the adjustment from pupil to parent can be an empowering experience if they are greeted warmly, with a comfortable waiting area and are treated as equals to the Head and teaching staff.
 
 
Photographs: Adam Gault Photography.  Used with permission from Park Hill School.

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