In a recently published White Paper, the Government set out its vision for a stronger and fairer school system and detailed plans for Multi-Academy Trusts to take over the running of all schools in England by 2030.
This means that it is now more important than ever for Multi-Academy Trusts to renew their focus on building a recognised brand and maximising their outward facing profile.
Whether brokering new schools, attracting the best quality staff, or emphasising the network of opportunities your Trust can offer, a tailored and considered approach to how you brand and market your MAT is essential to sending out the right message and reaching your key audiences. A confident and professional image will ensure your MAT is recognised in the sector and seen as accomplished, experienced, and able to lead schools effectively through the process of Multi-Academy Trust conversion.
To support Trusts who are in the process of brokering further schools, or to aid any schools who are combining into a new MAT, we have assembled a comprehensive guide on what needs to be considered when developing a powerful brand and visual communication strategy for a Multi-Academy Trust.
The Current Landscape
On 28th March 2022, the Government published “Opportunity for all: Strong schools with great teachers for your child”. In addition, they are working on releasing details of a regulatory review which will ensure that all schools become part of a Multi-Academy Trust and that the correct framework is in place to hold Trusts accountable for high standards.
“…asking all schools to join strong trusts is not only borne out of our ambition for young people – but also because strong trusts provide wider opportunities for teachers and support for schools, helping deliver on our White Paper missions to drive up outcomes in maths and English for children leaving primary school and completing their GCSEs.”
Schools Minister Baroness Barran
Alongside this overview, the Government has produced a document titled “Implementing school system reform in 2022/23”, which outlines next steps for schools, Trusts, local authorities (LAs) and faith bodies. The plan agrees to working with local partners within the department’s 55 Education Investment Areas (EIAs) and will help direct strategic planning to address local challenges in EIAs including:
- Strengthening existing local Trusts.
- Attracting strong Trusts to operate locally.
- Supporting small, rural schools.
- Managing the transition of all schools in a particular area to a fully Trust-led system.
What does this mean for your Multi-Academy Trust?
With an increasing number of Multi-Academy Trusts looking to take on new schools, both established and newly formed Trusts will begin to find they are experiencing increased competition. As MATs contend for attention, the level of professionalism in branding and marketing across the sector will undoubtedly rise, and as a result, staff and student recruitment will become even more competitive. MATs with strong branding and consistent marketing will be able to positively impact how they are seen by the educational community and, inevitably, outshine those who do not.
What should be taken into consideration?
You will need to consider how well your Trust’s brand identity is working across logo design, websites, prospectuses, brochures, and signage. This is in relation to the Trust itself as well as across your family of schools. Each of these avenues present MATs with a fantastic opportunity to visually demonstrate their professionalism and reinforce a unified image.
Consistency across branding and marketing for the schools within your Trust will become even more important as schools become recognised by the Trust they are a part of. While individual schools and academies may have their own established brand guidelines, moving to join your Trust means they will have to coexist with your MAT vision. Consistent, recognised branding will draw all the schools in your Trust closer together and ensure your finely crafted brand is portrayed in the right way to all who encounter it.
Effective Mult-Academy Trust branding will ensure:
- Core values and vision are communicated clearly and reinforced throughout the community
- The MAT is perceived as professional, unified and strong
- Schools are able to retain individual character and personality while fitting seamlessly into the MAT structure
- As the MAT grows, the core brand is safeguarded with robust and flexible brand guidelines.
Where to begin?
There are many factors to consider when branding a Trust and having the correct strategy in place is critical in achieving the desired results. Below, we have outlined key elements of the branding process and the order to consider when approaching them.
1. Core Values
In order to effectively brand your MAT, you must begin with your core values. Acting at the very centre of all your branding efforts, they should guide each step that you take and tell the story of who you are and what you represent. Schools who are actively reviewing their options will be looking to join a Trust that best meets their needs and fits with their own values. Conveying these core principles in every element of your branding is critical. Taking time to understand your values and how they impact schools, students and communities is a key component of the rebranding process.
2. Logo
Another key component for any brand is a strong and recognisable logo. This is the foundation of an organisation’s identity. We consider the logo to represent a MAT’s ‘badge of excellence’ – a constant recognisable icon across all schools that instils pride and prestige. If it doesn’t give the right first impression, then it is time to consider changing it.
For both schools and Multi-Academy Trusts, logos can depict proud traditions while emphasising a new beginning. A potential rebrand of your Trust, or the creation of a new identity, will allow parents, staff and schools to clearly distinguish you from others. As your MAT grows the logo will remain the constant that will be recognisable across all the schools, and so therefore should be something that you and key stakeholders are proud of. Always consider the fact that your logo should be designed in a manner that will work alongside unique school logos as new schools join.
Visit our Portfolio to see some of the brands we have helped to build for schools and Multi-Academy Trusts.
3. Brand Guidelines
Formulating clear and concise brand guidelines is essential in safeguarding your new brand as the Trust evolves. Our experts will help you to establish the right brand foundation, and the parameters your schools are able to move within. Clear and effective brand guidelines for Trusts communicate a powerful initial impression and help to portray the institution as a well-governed and established body. As a Trust expands and takes more academies under its wing, having professionally created brand guidelines in place will help ensure a seamless onboarding process when new schools join, keeping you in control of your perfectly crafted brand identity.
4. Website
A critical element of any Trust marketing is your website. The website is a vital tool for communication with all stakeholders, bringing in potential new schools, parents, or sponsors. Having a website that is impactful, yet user-friendly, is now essential within the education sector, as it is often the first port of call for people looking for information. For potential schools or sponsors researching a Trust, it is crucial that they are met with a clear, professional, informative website that clearly emphasises your individual story and offering.
Once you have a strong brand in place, including a logo that clearly identifies the Trust and its ethos, you can effectively begin thinking about your website and all the things it needs to do. At Cleverbox, website design and development begin with a brief that outlines the future objectives of your brand. We apply our expertise within the field and understanding of the industry to create a website that will not only emit an accurate impression of your core values but also grow with your MAT as it further establishes itself in the future. Our website platform is built around the needs of schools and Trusts. We have a range of functionality available, for example our centralised policy management module, all designed to make your life easier when it comes to managing multiple school sites.
View examples of some of our best Multi-Academy Trust websites.
6. Prospectus
As a more traditional form of branding in the education sector, the prospectus is an effective way of talking directly with families and emphasising all the benefits of your offering. As new schools transition into your Multi-Academy Trust, the launch of a new prospectus can help a school communicate it’s own values and traditions whilst introducing the new Trust branding to reinforce the network of benefits you provide. As a MAT you may consider creating a Trust brochure that outlines everything that you offer; this is a fantastic communication tool to leave with senior school personnel when brokering new schools.
Take a look at our Portfolio to see some of our recent projects.
7. Signage / Wall Art
As you transition into a more cohesive family of schools, it is important for students and staff to feel they have a clear understanding of any redefined values or opportunities; a great way of achieving this is through large format wall art or signage. As with prospectus design, signage and wall art will need to align with a Multi-Academy Trust’s brand guidelines. For many schools and academies who are not currently part of a Trust, an overhaul of the signage and wall art will be required throughout the building after joining a new MAT. These visuals will continue to communicate a Trust’s values throughout the school to both those visiting for the first time and those walking its hallways every day.
8. Photography
People are naturally drawn to marketing material that features visually striking imagery. This is no different for a school or Trust. A key aspect of relaunching or refreshing a brand is to ensure the use of high quality photographs of students and staff, which compliment your brand message
Find out more about our School Photography Service and see examples of our stunning work.
9. Video
As it is an instant attention-grabber, in recent years videography has become a crucial marketing medium for schools and academies. From school promotional videos to virtual school tours, video content can be used and repurposed for a variety of marketing uses.
Throughout our video portfolio there are countless examples of how videography can be used to catch the attention of your audience. To find out more about how to use and repurpose your school’s video content to increase its longevity, explore our blog post.
10. Social Media / Online Profiles
In a recent study it was estimated that adults spend on average 95 minutes per day on social media. It is therefore an important marketing channel to consider for an MAT that is looking to establish a brand presence. As it is likely that students, parents and faculty will all be using social media platforms, it provides an opportunity to reach them in a more personal way. Not only can photography and videography be repurposed for social media content; logos, fonts and colours will ensure all content remains synonymous with your Trust’s brand guidelines. To find out more, read our recent blog about how to maximise Instagram strategy for your school.
Where does Cleverbox come in?
When working with Cleverbox on the branding of your Trust, we will bring our own research to the table, as well as over 25 years’ experience and bundles of creative flair. This supports our clients in discovering and articulating their true brand value. At Cleverbox you will have the opportunity to work with a specialised, multi-talented team who work exclusively in the education sector and have overseen countless projects with some of the UK’s largest Multi-Academy Trusts. This is an important step towards creating the very best brand for your Trust, as our team of consultants will guide, challenge, and define your objectives before creating professional and lasting designs for all your branding and marketing needs, from logos and websites, to signage and print.
Very few Trusts have an in-house marketing team with all of the relevant and diverse skills required to execute an efficient and impactful branding strategy. That is why many opt to seek the help of an established school branding and marketing agency such as Cleverbox.
Harris Federation
One of our leading partnerships is with the Harris Federation, which began over 10 years ago with Cleverbox rebranding one of their first academies. Since then, the relationship has prospered and developed with our team supporting them across a range of branding elements for the Trust.
“…the quality of the branding and marketing material Cleverbox have produced has without doubt helped the Harris Academies enjoy overwhelming applications which have added to their success.”
Sir Dan Moynihan – CEO of the Harris Federation
To learn more about the project and our relationship with the Harris Federation, you can read our case study.
Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South
Another successful Trust branding project we led on was with Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South. They entrusted us to refresh the current Trust logo and branding, before implementing it across their Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form academies.
Unlike many agencies, the Cleverbox team have expertise across all areas of the rebranding process, enabling them to lead on every element of a project, from start to finish. This ensures you work with the same team throughout the project, promoting continuity and consistency across all areas of your Trust’s branding.
So what happens now?
In line with the Government recommendations set out in the document ‘Implementing school system reform in 2022/23: Next steps following the Schools White Paper’ the work needs to start now.
With so many different factors to consider, it can seem a daunting or overwhelming process and difficult to assess where best to begin. Your in-house marketing team may not be fully equipped to deal with the entire process, so working closely with a Trust branding agency such as Cleverbox will enable a smooth transition and give you a competitive advantage during the process.If your Trust requires a rebrand as a result of this transition, we are here to help. The best thing to do is to get in touch with us today to discuss your needs and how we can help you get started. Our multi-specialist team will then be able to guide you through the process and maximise your branding project.
Interested in finding out more?
Get in touch today to find out how Cleverbox can help you build and grow your trust brand.
0208 466 7222 or email team@cleverbox.co.uk.
Interested in finding out more?
See how Cleverbox can help you with your next project