At OpenApply, we've taken over a thousand school application forms and checklists, and re-created them online. Through this process, we've developed two observations: (1) No two schools have the same application process. (2) Application forms & checklists are not created equal - some are more effective than others.
How do you take a family from inquiry to enrollment? How does your process communicate your school story? In this session, we'll review different application forms and checklists, and workshop your own application process to ensure it reflects the story you want to tell.
Start-up schools have a significant advantage. When led with purpose and clarity, start-up schools can successfully engage stakeholders to collaboratively develop the organisational DNA.
This keynote explores the importance of all schools in developing a start-up mentality, especially if they aspire to truly deliver wonderful service to their families. The session will explore the importance of purpose, vision and mission in delivering sincere education. We will review the fundamentals of a school, delving into to role of people and product development. A variety of reallife examples will be used to highlight the difference these start-up tools can make.
A key argument to be presented is that in a start-up school, the Admissions team naturally become the glue across all departments and stakeholders. By reflecting on the moments-that-matter to families and staff, Admissions staff play a significant role in ensuring the organisational success of a school.
The presentation will conclude with a summary of key takeaways and encourage participants to take immediate action through three simple steps.
Session Overview:
1. Start with the why?
-Personal
-Organisational
-Professional
2. The fundamentals of a startup school
-Purpose
-People
-Product
3. Admissions as the glue, not the add-on
4. Reviewing the moments-that-matter to build an outstanding school
- For families
- For staff
- For your own team
5. Takeaways
- Your personal ‘why’? needs to be clear
- Organisational why, how and what needs to be clear
- Have a start-up mentality
- Everyone needs big picture commitment, coupled with specific functional skills
- Use short-term action plans to be responsive
- Startups stay agile, response and constantly under review; the 30 day action plan
- We are in the business of education; they are not separate; startups have the advantage of building a unified organisational culture and structure
6. Call to action
- A. Develop a personal ‘why’ statement
- B. First meeting back with your team after this weekend: what are your next steps?
- C. Develop an awesome action plan with your team: start with moments-that-matter, then develop the action plan elements.
There is an ever-growing demand by marketing and IT personnel to deliver personalized information to every user or group via multiple channels viewable on any device. With the rapid growth of information, every school needs a clear vision of their information architecture, publishing polices, process workflow and technological solutions to manage content growth to optimize these assets. This session shares best practices of how an understanding of a school wide information workflow can help schools optimize content management. We will share how a CMS, SEO and Google Analytics play key roles in the content cycle and how data integration produces greater efficiency. Consolidating your information strategies on an all-in-one integrated solution will produce a greater return on your digital investment (RODI) for a school and for a Groups of Schools.
The role of admissions goes beyond enrolling students and ensuring correct data on student files. From the time a family contacts the school through to the students beginning classes, the successful admissions officer needs to work effectively with everyone involved in the process: parents, students, relocation and education professionals, and school personnel including school secretary, Head of School and divisional heads, classroom teachers, special needs and language teachers, school secretary, and the school’s transition team, PTA and classroom parents. Only in ensuring a wraparound approach to admissions, can new students and their families be effectively transitioned to their new school and country.
Some of the discussion points will include:
Join us for a session which combines information about emotional intelligence with practical suggestions for ensuring an efficient, but also warm and welcoming introduction and induction into your school for your new students and their families.
