In the dynamic landscape of education, collaboration between school business offices and admissions teams is crucial for achieving strategic goals. By working together and leveraging the right tools, these teams can streamline processes, enhance efficiency and ultimately contribute to the school’s success.
Our very own Head of Marketing for Asia Pacific, Timo Nieuwoudt, recently caught up with Kenton Newall, Chief Operations Officer of Cole School Experts, to discuss this topic in more detail. In this article, we’ll share key takeaways from the chat, but you can also grab the full conversation in this episode of The Business of School podcast.
Understanding the current landscape
Before teaming up to kick goals, it's important to understand the current K-12 education landscape. As Timo Nieuwoudt highlights, “Enrolments are still increasing across the country, which is really good for the sector, especially in the economic environment we’re in at the moment.” However, admissions teams are often lean, with many schools having only one or two people handling multiple roles. This necessitates a close working relationship with the business office to manage the increasing demands effectively.
The role of synergy
One of the key trends Timo observes in K-12 schools is the move towards creating advancement teams that integrate marketing, admissions and fundraising under one director. This integration fosters synergy, allowing schools to target specific enrolment goals more effectively. “We’re seeing a lot of schools moving into more of an advancement team… What that brings is a bit of synergy,” Timo notes.
Leveraging tools for efficiency
To manage the increasing complexity of the enrolment process, schools are turning to digital tools. From annually surveying Australian schools for Digistorm's State of Admissions report, we've observed that the number of schools with a digital enrolment journey has risen from 30% to over 90% in recent years. These tools help automate routine tasks, freeing up admissions officers to focus on more personalised interactions with prospective families.
For instance, tools like Digistorm’s Funnel can automate simple tasks such as sending enquiry responses, which Timo explains: “Instead of the enrolments officer getting back to the family on Monday morning with a phone call… there’s an automated email that sends through a prospectus.”
Collaboration for strategic alignment
The business office plays a pivotal role in supporting the admissions team by ensuring they have the right resources and tools. Timo emphasises the importance of this collaboration: “The business office has such a wonderful role to play in getting cohesion within the larger school community… supporting all of these different functionalities to unlock operationally what will support them to get to these goals.”
Meeting parent expectations
As parent expectations evolve, schools must adapt their enrolment processes to provide a comprehensive and personalised experience. Timo points out that the number of touchpoints in the enrolment journey has increased significantly, with schools now incorporating up to seven or eight steps. This includes welcome emails, nurturing emails, open days and interviews with staff members.
Continuous improvement and professional development
To ensure that the admissions team is using tools effectively, continuous professional development is essential. Timo suggests that business managers encourage their admissions teams to participate in webinars and training sessions. “We host webinars almost every month where all of our Funnel users get together… They can set this stuff up just after the webinar, and they’ll be getting more and more out of the tool every month.”
Wrapping up
The collaboration between school business offices and admissions teams is vital for achieving strategic goals. By leveraging digital tools, fostering synergy and continuously improving processes, schools can enhance their enrolment strategies and meet the evolving expectations of parents. As Timo aptly puts it, “It’s so good to see many of these business teams collaborating a lot more in schools… the value and the benefit they can get out of that is absolutely brilliant.”
By working together and speaking the same language, school business offices and admissions teams can create a cohesive and efficient environment that supports the school’s long-term success.
