Key take-outs from the 2021 ISQ What Parents Want Survey and what this means for your school’s future marketing.
The recently released 2021 Independent Schools Queensland* Survey Report of What Parents Want provides solid evidence and insight for marketing staff to use in their marketing planning and implementation.
Whilst a lot of the results of the 113-page report were not surprising at all, it is the interpretation of this data and how schools use it that can really be a marketing advantage.
This was the fifth survey conducted, having started in 2006 — with results remaining similar to most of the 2018 results. Results were taken from 3961 parents from 116 schools. Over a quarter of the responses were from new entrants (choosing a school for the first time) and over 75% of all responses were from South-East Queensland. To put this into perspective for Queensland schools, 15.7% of Queensland’s school students are enrolled in an independent school.
Parents were asked a series of questions focused on the decision-making process undertaken to select the independent school for that child who had most recently commenced at an independent school. Questions were directed at identifying when parents first started thinking about school choice, the places and people they consulted to gain initial information about schools, and how this list was refined to ultimately result in the school selected.
Rich, insightful data has been compiled which school marketers can leverage in prioritising their focus and budget areas. We have summarised the key finding below as well as our interpretation of how this impacts marketing.
ISQ What Parents Want Survey – Top 8 Take-outs
What is missing from the Survey Questions?
Lastly, as specialist marketers in the education sector we believe there are some aspects (potential questions) to the 2021 ISQ What Parents Want Survey that could be considered as they would be very helpful – and we wonder why they haven’t been included before now:
- Were you enticed to visit a school or enquire because of PAID digital advertising you have seen?
(We don’t understand why this hasn’t been given more focus as this would have to be the biggest area of a school’s marketing budget. You would think the question of ROI should be asked, instead of focusing on press/billboards. Paid digital advertising is different to social media as social media, more than likely, is just the school’s own Facebook and Instagram pages/feeds). - What appeal does a school’s own bus service provide? Does this hold sway to potential enrolments?
- How many people surveyed are Alumni of the school they send their child to (either parent)?
- Were you influenced (for Secondary/Senior) by the pathways and vocational education options/facilities offered at the school you chose?
- Were you influenced by a particular sporting / music / academic / other program at the school you chose? This is a good way to measure stand out programs e.g. Outdoor Education, International Baccalaureate
- As a parent of an independent school student, how much do you donate annually to your independent school each year (or total amount in the past 5-10 years?)
- Do you volunteer at your school?
Even though these questions weren’t asked, we encourage you to look at these in context of your school as this may help your marketing planning and/or content.
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*Independent Schools Queensland is the state-wide peak body for independent schooling and a leading advocate for parental choice in education. The 16 page summary report of the 2021 ISQ What Parents Want Survey can be downloaded here.