JOB DESCRIPTION - Akeley Wood School

JOB DESCRIPTION                                                                    Date               July 2020

Job title:                                Marketing & Admissions Manager
Reporting to:                             Principal (Direct line), Head of Marketing &
                                          Admissions Pod (Dotted line)
Department/School:                        Akeley Wood School
Scope:                                    Lead on Marketing & Admissions across 3 campuses
Working Hours:                            37.5 hours per week

Checks:                                   All safer recruitment checks, including enhanced DBS

The job holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for
whom s/he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact will be to adhere to and ensure compliance
with the relevant Cognita Safeguarding; Child Protection Policy and Procedures at all times. If in the course of
carrying out the duties of the role, the job holder identifies any instance that a child is suffering or likely to suffer
significant harm either at school or at home, s/he must report any concerns to the School’s Child Protection
Officer/Designated Safeguarding Lead or to the Head or indeed to the Regional CEO so that a referral can be
made accordingly to the relevant third party services.

Working With Us
Achieving more than you believed possible – that’s what constitutes a quality education. At Cognita
it is what we strive for in our schools. We want it for our children, and we want it for the people who
work for us.

Since Cognita’s launch in 2004, we’ve built an international network of 68 schools that serve some
30,000 pupils across seven countries in the UK, Europe, Latin America and South-East Asia.

Cognita’s international network of schools and regional offices, combined with our ongoing
investment in the professional development of our people, means we can offer first-class career
opportunities with a global dimension. If you want to take your career further, we want to support
you in achieving that goal within Cognita.

Job Summary

    Akeley Wood School is an independent co-educational day school from 12 months to 18 years, set
   across three stunning campuses in Buckingham with first class facilities. We offer a creative approach
   to teaching and learning, with adventure at the centre of everything we do. It’s a school that puts the
   child’s happiness first. Always. We even scientifically measure it! After all, happy children are
   successful children.

   The Marketing and Admissions Manager role is responsible for directing the Marketing & Admissions
   functions throughout all three campuses to maximise pupil recruitment and retention.

   The primary aim of the role is to head up the School’s Marketing and Admissions function, driving
   targeted lead generation, raising the profile of the School among its key audiences and stakeholders
   and overseeing an admissions experience that drives conversion of leads.

   The Marketing and Admissions Manager will ensure that Akeley Wood School
      • has appropriate admissions processes in place
      • Admissions is operating to Cognita’s best practice customer experience standards
      • has strong and effective marketing plans
      • develops and executes marketing plans to a high standard
      • provides the necessary admissions reporting to allow the Principal and Cognita to monitor and
          evaluate the school’s admissions progress
Key Responsibilities

Admissions

   •   Implement and embed Cognita customer experience best practice at all stages of the customer journey
   •   Work with the Principal to set clear admissions targets, covering enquiry generation, conversion,
       retention and overall pupil growth
   •   Monitor the progress of the school’s admissions activities, identifying any issues – feedback to Heads.
       Ensure appropriate actions are taken to maximise enquiry generation and conversion
   •   Ensure that admissions personnel are fully competent on the Admissions management system in all of
       the required areas of the admissions process
   •   Ensure that Akeley keeps a fully compliant Admissions Register
   •   Ensure that the school is UKVI compliant

Marketing

   •   Provide Marketing and Admissions input into the school’s strategic plan
   •   Develop and implement the marketing plans for the whole school and act as ‘brand guardian’.
   •   Ensure that Marketing plans are aligned with the school’s strategic development plan and that individual
       campaigns and initiatives make best use of the available budget
   •   Promote and develop the school’s image and reputation amongst its key constituencies including
       parents, feeder schools, business and the wider community. Identify and nurture useful new
       partnerships within the community.
   •   Support the School’s product proposition to ensure competitiveness in the local market
   •   Identify creative and innovative marketing initiatives, using traditional marketing channels, Digital
       Marketing, PR and events that will support pupil growth
   •   Develop plans for retention at key transition points through the school
   •   Lead the Marketing budgeting process within the school. Define the required annual marketing
       expenditure for successful fulfilment of the marketing strategy.
   •   Inform and support the fee setting and fee communications process within the school
   •   Manage Voice of the Parent and other school communications. Oversee and maintain continuous
       dialogue and feedback with key internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that the school
       communicates in a consistent, professional and prompt fashion.
   •   Development of key on and offline literature including magazines, newsletters, the school’s website,
       Parent Portal (Cognita Connect) and its social media, curriculum programme and scholarship
       booklets and so on.

•   Management of all pupil recruitment and public relations events from open days to speech days,
        including social events and special occasions.
    •   Ensure that marketing activities are implemented in line with the designated marketing expenditure.
        Monitor monthly marketing expenditure and highlight any issues to ensure that Akeley operates within
        agreed budgets
    •   Ensure that appropriate sign-off of major marketing activities is secured with the Heads of School and
        Principal
    •   Ensure that sign-off of any major new campaigns is sought from Head of Marketing and Admissions at
        SSC

People Recruitment and talent management
   • Recruitment of school-based marketing and admissions personnel as required
   • Provide an induction plan for marketing and admissions personnel
   • Conduct regular 1-2-1s and formal Let’s Talk reviews and support the professional development of the
       team.

International Student Recruitment
    • Ensure the admissions processes for international students are properly implemented
    • Liaise with SSC International recruitment team to ensure correct allocation of CAS to tier 4 pupils

Key Performance Indicators:
    •   This is a role with a high level of accountability and the key measures of success will be as follows:-
            o Enquiry volume and quality
            o Enquiry conversion
            o Admissions NPS scores
            o Whole school NPS – Parent communication

Principal Working Relationships
Internal:
    •   Manages 4 direct reports:
        • 1 x Marketing & Events Assistant
        • 3 x Admissions Staff
   •    Principal
   •    Heads of School
   •    SLT
   •    Teaching staff

External:
    •   SSC Head of Marketing and Admissions
    •   Marketing agencies and suppliers
    •   Industry associations
    •   Media

Person Specification

Knowledge

   •     Strong understanding and appreciation of the principles and practices of pupil recruitment within an
         independent school setting
   •     Strong understanding of SIMS/Portal (or similar) school admissions databases

Skills & Abilities

   •     Strategic, with the ability to develop school propositions, product propositions, recommend school
         development initiatives etc.
   •     Ability to think creatively and positively in order to generate practical ideas
   •     Excellent written and verbal communication skills
   •     Management and motivation of teams
   •     Ability to influence and persuade effectively
   •     Ability to build strong relationships
   •     Excellent IT and database skills (MSOffice)
   •     Analysis of numerical data
   •     Preparing marketing strategies and action plans
   •     Ability to manage others to support training and development

       Competencies for the Role:

       Role Specific
           • Marketing strategy development
           • Proven ability to manage a team
           • Ability to drive a sales culture
           • Proven relationship management experience
           • Use of databases/CRM systems
           • Use of SIMS/Portal or similar databases
           • Training – needs assessment and management
           • Experience of independent schools’ marketing and admissions
           • International student recruitment
           • Educated to Degree level (or equivalent)
           • Recognised marketing qualification desirable

       Values Based Behaviours – the behaviours associated with our company values
           • Excellence
           • Respect
           • Integrity
           • Collaboration
           • Accountability

Safeguarding Responsibilities

     •    To comply with safeguarding policies, procedures and code of conduct
     •    To demonstrate a personal commitment to safeguarding and student/colleague wellbeing
     •    To ensure that any safeguarding concerns or incidents are reported appropriately in line with
          policy
     •    To engage in safeguarding training when required

Remuneration

     •    Salary of £40,000
     •    Contributory pension scheme
     •    School fee discount
     •    Professional development
     •    25 days holiday
     •    School lunches during term time

Signed: ………………………………....                    Date:…..…………………..……

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