It started in May 2005. A visit to Kingham Hill, a medium sized boarding school with a brilliant pastoral ethos, a fine reputation for enabling pupils of all abilities to flourish and many gifted and dedicated staff. The Cotswold setting was stunning. With so much to commend the school there was disappointment that student numbers had dipped a little in recent times.

A few meetings later, after outlining my Integrated Marketing Approach to both senior management and the governors, Kingham Hill had invited me to commit to eight days per month for at least 15 months. I now had the task of getting to know my new client, spending an average of six days each month at the school as part of the team.

There were some crucial early tasks such as making sense of the advertising schedule, planning the next open morning and overseeing the rebuilding of the web site. It was important to move quickly but equally as important to talk with pupils, become familiar with the newly proposed Gifted and Talented programme, drink coffee with report-weary teachers and explore the seven boarding houses.

Attending Speech Day, applauding muddily at the assault course competition final and joining staff at the Headmaster’s house for end of year drinks offered me invaluable opportunities to fill gaps in my knowledge of what made the school special and get a feel for how things ticked.

Over the months I found myself delighted to get to know the staff – management, teaching, administrative and support. Joining staff briefing at 8:15am, after driving up the A34, is an essential part of any day working with the team. Dinner with the Chaplain, squash with the Master of Norwich House, as well as cheering on the first fifteen have all become part of the routine.  

There have been highlights such as working on scripts with students during a frantic two days of filming as we created an exciting virtual tour for the web site. There have been challenges such as reappraising admissions procedures and asking hard questions about the décor in some of the boarding houses.

There has been a new prospectus. There has also been a need to forge relationships with agents recruiting students from abroad, staff the exhibition stand in drafty shopping malls, handle endless phone calls from those selling advertising space, and much more.

I alter this paragraph having been ‘on team’ at Kingham Hill for ten years. Under the inspirational and clear leadership of Headmaster, Nick Seward, the school is achieving some very pleasing outcomes, boarding houses are full, ambitious development projects under way and the school roll is at a record high.

It is rewarding to see that marketing the school and providing the best possible education for pupils has become one and the same strategy.