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Multi Academy Trusts Portfolio

A Multi-Academy Trust’s guide to YouTube success
In today’s digital world, a Multi Academy Trust YouTube channel can be much more than a video library. When purposefully managed, it becomes a compelling platform to showcase your school, connect with families and staff, and strengthen your reputation.

This guide breaks down how trusts can build, govern, and grow a successful YouTube presence, with practical questions and recommendations to help you make confident decisions.

Start with purpose and define what success looks like

Every YouTube channel needs a clear reason to exist. Before filming your first video, take a step back and ask some foundational questions.
- What stories are you trying to tell and why?
- Who are you trying to reach?
- What outcomes actually matter?
It is easy to focus on output, the number of videos produced, events filmed, posts published. But impact matters far more than activity. Within marketing for schools, meaningful engagement will always outweigh volume. After 12 months, what would genuine progress look like for your Trust?

It might be steady growth in subscribers. It might be strong engagement on recruitment videos. Perhaps schools are actively using your content during open evenings, or parents reference your videos when making enquiries. These are the kinds of signals that demonstrate influence rather than noise. When success measures are agreed early, the channel stays focused and aligned with your wider Trust strategy.

Be clear about who comes first

Multi-Academy Trusts speak to many audiences, but not all audiences should be prioritised equally. It helps to agree on a clear hierarchy so that every piece of content is created with a primary audience in mind. For many Trusts, that order might look something like this: prospective parents, prospective staff, current parents, students, alumni and external stakeholders such as the DfE, funders or partners.

This is not about excluding groups. It is about focus. Content tailored carefully to its intended audience performs better and achieves clearer outcomes. A video aimed at prospective teachers should look and feel different from one celebrating student enrichment. Clarity here improves every decision that follows.

Get governance and safeguarding right from the start

With a public platform comes responsibility. Governance and safeguarding cannot be afterthoughts. Every Trust channel should have a named internal owner with clearly defined responsibilities. It should also be agreed who signs off on different types of content, particularly anything sensitive or safeguarding-related.

Media consent frameworks should explicitly reference YouTube and digital distribution. You may need to decide whether certain groups, for example vulnerable learners or students with SEND, require additional consideration, or whether certain categories of content are best avoided.

Comments are another important factor. Many Trusts choose to moderate all comments or disable them entirely on student-focused videos. Taking a proactive stance reduces risk and protects your community. A confident channel is one built on solid foundations.

Develop a thoughtful and sustainable content strategy

The strongest YouTube channels do not feel random. They feel intentional. Aim for a balanced mix of content that reflects both your community and your strategic priorities. This could include testimonials from students, staff or alumni, seasonal or reactive content around exams or national events, educational explainers about pathways and assessments and cultural showcases such as performances, trips and competitions.

Where possible, think in terms of series rather than one-off uploads. YouTube rewards patterns, and audiences respond to familiarity. A recurring “Step Inside Our School” format, a short “Questions Parents Ask” explainer series, alumni “Graduate Stories,” or a regular “School in Action” celebration can all build rhythm and expectation. Consistency of format encourages repeat viewing, which drives subscriber growth.

Structure the channel for long-term impact

How your channel is organised affects both user experience and performance. Playlists are particularly powerful. Rather than treating them as simple chronological folders, think of them as navigation menus. They can be organised by audience (parents, students, staff), by content type (stories, explainers, showcases), or by school phase (Primary, Secondary, Sixth Form). Be intentional. Avoid creating separate playlists for every school unless the volume and quality of content genuinely justify it. Fragmentation can dilute impact.

You may decide that recruitment content belongs on a dedicated careers channel, with strong cross linking between channels. Clear internal pathways improve discoverability and encourage viewers to continue watching.

Promotion is as important as production

Uploading a video is only the beginning. Distribution determines whether it will be seen. Trust and school websites should embed relevant videos and playlists. Email communications to parents and staff can spotlight new content. Social media channels, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, can also extend reach. Alumni newsletters and networks can amplify key stories.

Think practically about usage. For example, could specific playlists support open evenings? Could recruitment videos be used at fairs? Could stakeholder briefings reference selected clips? When videos are actively used rather than passively stored, their value multiplies.

Measure what actually matters

Not all YouTube metrics are equally useful. Views alone rarely tell the full story. Watch time is often more meaningful, as it shows how long viewers stay engaged. Audience retention reveals where people lose interest. Click-through rates indicate whether thumbnails and titles are effective. Geography data shows whether you are reaching local families or a broader audience.

Set clear expectations around reporting. Operational teams may benefit from monthly dashboards. Senior leaders might review insights termly. Boards may only need strategic highlights that demonstrate impact and alignment with Trust priorities. Good data does not just justify investment. It sharpens strategy.

Five principles for a strong Multi-Academy Trust YouTube presence

Across all of this, a few guiding principles make a significant difference.
- Treat your channel as a broadcast platform, not a storage space. Be selective. Every video should have a purpose.
- Invest in visual identity. Consistent branding, thumbnail styles and a short intro or outro help build recognition and professionalism.
- Pin a flagship video that clearly explains who you are, who the channel is for, and what viewers can expect. This acts as your digital front door.
- Use playlists intelligently to guide viewers towards what matters most to them.
- Prioritise cadence over volume. Consistency builds trust. Two to four thoughtful uploads per month are often more effective than bursts of activity followed by long silence.
A strong YouTube presence doesn’t happen overnight, but every thoughtful upload adds value. Keep experimenting, stay responsive to your audience, and celebrate success. Your channel can become a trusted hub for your community.

YouTube setup guide

Follow these instructions to create a channel that only you can manage:
1. Sign in to YouTube on a computer or the mobile site
2. Click your profile picture (located in the top right), then head to Settings
3. Go to the Account section
4. Click Create a channel
5. Choose a profile picture and type in your name and handle
6. Click Create channel
How to customise your channel:
- Click your profile picture in the top right
- Select the YouTube Studio option
- Select the Customisation tab on the left
- You will then be redirected to a page where you can edit the following features.
Uploading a channel profile picture: this image represents you everywhere on YouTube — next to your videos, in comments, on your channel page, and in subscriptions.

Uploading a banner image: It acts as a visual welcome sign, reinforcing your branding through colours, text, and imagery. A strong banner can quickly communicate what your channel is about.

Adding your channel name and description: Together, your channel name and description serve as your channel’s introduction and elevator pitch. They help YouTube understand and categorise your channel while encouraging new visitors to stick around and subscribe.

Adding links and contact details to the channel’s description: Makes it easier for viewers, collaborators and brands to connect with you. It boosts your channel’s professionalism, directs traffic to your other platforms and opens the door to networking, partnerships, and growth beyond YouTube.

Create playlists to organise content: In YouTube Studio, click the ‘Create’ button in the top right and select ‘New Playlist’. Fill out the details and add videos to categorise your content in a clear, structured way.

At Cleverbox, we offer videography services which would be great to showcase on your YouTube channel. If this is something you would be interested in, get in touch with us today on 0208 466 7222 or email team@cleverbox.co.uk.

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24 March 2026
The Brooke Weston Trust: Bringing a family of schools together

Our Account Manager, Dan Meeks, shares his favourite project from 2025

As part of our 2025 project highlights series at Cleverbox, we are sharing some of the projects our account managers found most rewarding over the past year. These are pieces of work that challenged them and strengthened partnerships with our clients. Additionally, they made a real difference for the schools and trusts we work with.

For our Account Manager, Dan Meeks, his favourite project of 2025 was the full redesign of the Brooke Weston Trust and their 12 school websites. This was a large-scale multi-academy trust website design project. It brought together clarity, consistency, and individuality across a family of schools. Read his reflection on the project below.

One of my favourite projects this year was working with Brooke Weston Trust. Working with a trust so committed to its students, staff, and wider community made it such a rewarding piece of work. Right from the start, it was clear the new sites needed to show the Trust’s ambition, inclusivity, and focus on student growth, while still letting each school showcase its own personality.

The existing website had been well regarded in the past, but it no longer reflected the trust’s current values or priorities. The brief was to create a more inclusive, transparent, and student focused online presence. It also needed to better represent how the trust works today.

A really important part of the Trust site was making sure the governance committees were easy to find and navigate. It was all about giving people clear, accessible information and showing that the Trust’s structure is approachable and transparent, something parents, staff, and the community really value. We focused on clear layouts, intuitive navigation, and accessible content, ensuring visitors could quickly find what they needed.

Designing school websites that feel connected but not identical

Another big consideration was making sure each school felt unique, while still part of the wider Trust family. We worked closely with the Trust so every school could showcase its own identity. Each now has access to its full colour range and brand palette, giving them creative freedom while staying aligned with the overall Trust identity. I loved seeing how each school added its own flair to its content, it really brought the concept of “Siblings, not clones” to life.

As the project progressed, we worked through a series of refinements to ensure the layouts, visuals and content reflected the Trust’s preferences. We focused on the finer details, including the presentation of key messages and how the map illustrated the Trust’s coverage. Working closely together throughout made a noticeable difference to the final result.

Showcasing training, CPD, and staff development across the trust

The Trust’s training and CPD offer was something they were proud to ‘show off’. We built a single hub for staff development opportunities across all schools, making it easy for prospective staff to see the wide range of courses available and for current staff to access details and book themselves in.

This approach not only strengthened the Trust’s recruitment message but also reinforced its commitment to investing in staff at every stage of their career. By bringing everything into one clear, accessible space, the CPD offer now feels joined-up, purposeful and easy to engage with, supporting both attraction and retention across the Trust.

Visually, the sites strike a modern, professional tone, balanced with warmth from the Trust’s branding, such as the handwritten-style “This is Us” and the welcoming animated graphics.

Seeing the sites go live across the Trust and all 12 schools has been a real highlight for me this year. It is great to be part of a project where the end result not only looks strong but genuinely supports the Trust’s mission and the communities it serves.

Thinking about a multi-academy trust website redesign

If you are reviewing your current trust website or considering a multi-academy trust website redesign, I would be happy to talk through what this could look like for your organisation.

At Cleverbox, we work with schools and trusts to create clear, accessible websites that support identity, consistency, and long-term growth. If you would like to explore a similar approach for your trust, please get in touch with our team.

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3 February 2026
How the upcoming DfE white paper may impact trust marketing
Over the last month, I have been privileged to spend time face-to-face with MAT leaders across the sector. Within my role at Cleverbox and through close relationships with many of these trusts, I’ve been able to have open and honest conversations with CEOs, COOs and marketing leads about how they are thinking about the months ahead.

One topic that has come up consistently in those discussions is, of course, the pending Department for Education white paper.

The feeling across the sector is that this paper will somewhat redefine the direction academy trusts are expected to work towards. But until there is clarity it’s inevitable that MATs are holding fire on any long-term marketing decisions.

There is a fairly consistent view emerging across the conversations I have been having about how this direction of travel could impact trust communication, with a strong emphasis on:
- Clear and confident trust level messaging, with a strong focus on who the trust is, what it stands for and how it adds value to schools and communities
- Consistency of comms across all schools within a trust, rather than fragmented individual approaches
- How trusts explain leadership, governance and improvement clearly to parents and staff
- The need for communications that reassure and build confidence during this period of change
- A clear push towards ‘credibility’ and ‘authenticity’ – something I’ve been pushing our clients to amplify for a long time
Therefore, marketing is becoming as much about promotion as it is about clarity and building confidence.

What we are doing now

Although we are awaiting the white paper to be published, there is still a great deal we are doing in the background to be ready for action:
- Building and strengthening relationships with trust leaders through open, practical conversations
- Assessing current trust positioning and how clearly it is landing with key audiences
- Reviewing the ‘story so far’ for each trust, including how strategy is communicated internally to staff and externally to parents
- Working with leadership teams as they plan for 2026, ensuring they are well prepared for change when it comes.
How we will support trusts

When the white paper lands we expect to support trusts with:
- Clarifying their trust level message in clear, plain language
- Ensuring communications feel confident and consistent across the whole organisation
- Presenting trusts as strong, well led and purposeful organisations
- Supporting trusts that are looking to strengthen their position or prepare for mergers and collaborations
Whatever the details of the policy, the fundamentals will remain the same. Trusts that can clearly explain who they are, why they exist and how they work will be in a stronger position.

If you are a trust leader thinking through these questions, starting the conversation now can help ensure clarity and confidence when the white paper lands. Feel free to drop me a DM, and I’d be happy to talk through how the Cleverbox team and I can support the next chapter of your trust’s story.

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30 January 2026
Is it time to refresh your MAT or school identity for 2026?

As schools and multi-academy trusts begin planning for the year ahead, many find themselves reflecting on how well their identity still represents who they are today; not just visually, but in how they best communicate with parents, students, staff and their wider community.

An organisation’s identity is never static. As schools and trusts grow, evolve, merge or change direction, the demands placed on their branding naturally increase. What may once have been a logo and colour palette now needs to work across websites, prospectuses, signage, photography, video and day-to-day communications, often for multiple audiences, and sometimes across several schools.

The added complexity of trust-wide identity

For MATs in particular, this challenge is amplified. Balancing a strong overarching trust identity with the individuality of each school is complex, especially when systems and assets have been developed at different points in time, by different suppliers, and in response to changing priorities.

We regularly see schools and trusts working with several partners across branding, digital, photography, video and signage. Each decision makes sense in isolation, but over time this can lead to inconsistencies, duplicated effort and a sense that the whole no longer quite adds up, even if the individual components are well executed.

Refreshing identity without starting from scratch

A successful identity refresh is rarely about changing everything. More often, it’s about making sure the fundamentals are sound and that what’s being communicated externally matches the reality on the ground.

In practice, identity work in schools and trusts rarely happens all at once. It evolves over time, shaped by a series of early decisions that often influence everything that follows. Getting those decisions right at the outset can make a significant difference to how manageable, consistent and cost-effective that journey becomes.

Why a joined-up approach matters

When identity is considered holistically, schools and trusts are able to make more informed decisions about how they present themselves. Branding, digital and content choices begin to reinforce one another rather than compete, creating a clearer and more confident story across every touchpoint from a first visit to the website through to a walk around a school site.

This joined-up approach also makes future activity easier to manage. New initiatives, campaigns or school launches can sit comfortably within a coherent framework, rather than requiring repeated reinvention. Over time, this tends to deliver better value, greater consistency and a stronger sense of purpose.

Looking ahead to 2026

Over the past two decades, we’ve worked alongside a wide range of schools and multi-academy trusts, including some of the most established and recognisable MAT brands in the UK, supporting everything from identity development through to trust-wide brand evolution. That experience has given us a clear view of what tends to work well, where challenges commonly emerge, and how identities need to flex as organisations grow.

With planning cycles for 2026 already underway, now is a sensible moment for schools and trusts to take stock. Not to change for the sake of it, but to consider whether their identity is still supporting their ambitions, reflecting their values and working as hard as it needs to in an increasingly competitive and visual landscape.

Approached thoughtfully, an identity refresh can bring clarity, confidence and a stronger foundation for what comes next, allowing schools and trusts to move forward with greater consistency and intent.

For schools and MATs who are questioning whether their identity is still fit for purpose, an initial conversation with one of our consultants can provide a clear, experience-led perspective, helping to identify where alignment is working well and where it may be starting to unravel.

Please click the link below to arrange a time to speak with one of our MAT brand experts.

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7 January 2026
Why MAT’s choose Cleverbox for logo design: a closer look at our work with Think Differently Education Trust
Creating a new logo is one of the most meaningful decisions a school or trust can make. It is more than a visual update, it is a way to show who you are, what you stand for and the kind of environment you want to create for your students, families and staff. At Cleverbox, we see this process every day, and we understand how much thought and trust go into that choice.

When Think Differently Education Trust approached us for support with their new logo, they were at an important stage in their journey. Their mission centres on helping young people with SEND or medical needs live full and ambitious lives, and they wanted an identity that communicated this with clarity and confidence. They needed something that felt grounded, calm and aligned to who they are.

This project became a clear example of why so many MATs choose Cleverbox for logo design. It highlighted the value of listening carefully, understanding the school’s personality and translating this into a memorable identity. It also demonstrated how a logo can guide a wider brand, shaping websites, signage, printed materials and the everyday resources used across a trust.

If you are exploring a logo refresh or beginning the process for the first time, the experience of Think Differently Education Trust offers a helpful insight into what a thoughtful approach can achieve.

Understanding what a school or trust really needs from its logo

One of the first things we explore in any logo project is how the school or trust wants people to feel when they see their identity. Every organisation has its own answer. Some want a sense of heritage, others prefer something modern or expressive, and many want a design that feels calm, supportive or full of energy.

The early ideas created for the Trust provided a useful starting point, offering space to explore different directions and understand what resonated. As conversations continued and the Trust shared more about the feeling they wanted their identity to carry, the design naturally evolved.

These early concepts were not intended to be the final solution. Instead, they helped reveal which elements felt most authentic and which ideas best reflected the Trust’s personality. Through this open collaboration, the identity developed into a design that felt confident, balanced and representative of the community they serve.

This is how Cleverbox approaches every logo design project. We see design as a journey rather than a quick fix, with each stage guiding the next. The dialogue between our team and the Trust shaped the final outcome, producing a logo that supports their vision today and will continue to do so as they grow.

If you are unsure how to begin a rebrand, our team can guide you through those early conversations and help shape your direction.

Turning conversations into a clear and confident identity

Once we gained a strong understanding of the Trust’s values and goals, our team began shaping a design that brought those qualities to life. Their identity needed to feel calm, balanced and supportive while still having a modern, forward-looking feel.

The final logo design brings together a set of simple shapes arranged in a circular form. This structure suggests growth and movement while remaining approachable. It has character without relying on heavy symbolism, and it feels steady and reassuring, which reflects the Trust’s commitment to specialist education and lifelong support.

For many schools, this type of clarity is the ideal outcome. A strong logo does not need to be complex. It simply needs to feel right. It should reflect your ethos in a way that your community recognises instantly.

This is the foundation of our approach to school branding. We listen, simplify and design with purpose, ensuring that the final identity feels natural and confident.

If you are considering refreshing your identity, we can share examples and talk through how a carefully considered design can strengthen your wider brand.

Making sure the design works everywhere you need it

A school or trust logo appears across many materials throughout the year. It sits on websites, newsletters, screens, stationery, uniforms, signage, social media and reception displays. For trusts, this becomes even more important because the identity must work across multiple schools and contexts.

For this reason, every Cleverbox logo is designed with practical day-to-day use in mind. We consider spacing, scaling and layout carefully to ensure the identity remains clear and readable in every format. This was especially important for Think Differently Education Trust because their new website will launch soon, and the logo needed to work consistently across all materials.

Accessibility, readability and colour balance were also built into the design from the start. Schools serve diverse communities, so a logo must be clear, inclusive and easy to recognise at first glance.

If you feel your current logo struggles across different materials, this could be a good moment to explore whether a refreshed identity would support your communication more effectively.

A calm, modern identity that supports their vision

The final identity for Think Differently Education Trust expresses everything they hoped for. It feels modern without feeling sharp, calm without feeling plain and full of movement without becoming busy. Most importantly, it reflects the Trust’s sense of support and purpose.

When we presented the final concept, the Trust shared how closely it aligned with their vision. The design felt simple, meaningful and long lasting, which is always the moment we aim for in this work. A logo should feel obvious in the best possible way, encouraging the reaction, yes, this is us.

If you are looking for an identity that reflects who you are today and supports your future direction, our team would be happy to guide you through the process.

Why investing in a strong logo matters for schools

Schools often ask whether updating a logo is worth the investment. The answer depends on what you want your brand to achieve, but the benefits are consistently clear across our projects.
- A clear identity builds trust, helping families and staff feel confident in your organisation
- Values become more visible and easier to communicate
- Trust wide cohesion improves when all materials share a consistent identity
- A well designed logo provides longevity and supports future growth
Think Differently Education Trust will carry these benefits forward with their new design. Their logo is now a central part of their communication and a reflection of who they are.

What it is like to work with Cleverbox on a logo design

Schools often tell us that working with Cleverbox feels supportive and straightforward. We manage the details while taking time to understand what matters most. Every decision is shaped by your values, your community and your long-term goals.

Our design process is collaborative and transparent:
- You share your ideas.
- We develop concepts.
- We explore what feels right.
- We refine the identity until it aligns naturally with your ethos.
This is the same approach that guided the Think Differently Education Trust project. Their openness, combined with our design experience, helped create a modern and meaningful identity that will support their brand for years ahead.

If you choose to explore a logo project with Cleverbox, you can expect the same level of care and clarity. Personal, supportive and focused entirely on your school.

Final thoughts

Think Differently Education Trust wanted a logo that expressed their mission clearly and confidently. Through open conversation and thoughtful design, we created an identity that reflects their values and supports their future, including their new website, which will launch soon.

Their project demonstrates how effective a well-considered logo can be. It becomes the foundation of your brand, a point of pride for your community and a reliable way to communicate who you are.

If your school or trust is considering a new identity, now could be the perfect moment to explore what is possible. A clear, confident logo can help you communicate more effectively with families, support your staff and strengthen your presence in the community.

To learn more about Cleverbox logo design and how we can support your school, get in touch with our team today.

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8 December 2025