At the end of each year, Digistorm reaches out to its community and asks a series of questions that craft our annual State of Admissions report. Now in its fifth year, we’re humbled to say the report has become something of an oracle for independent K-12 schools, helping them understand the challenges and opportunities facing admissions and marketing teams.
Each year delivers a mixed bag of data: some if surprising and some of it confirming industry assumptions. Here’s what we found...
1. Community engagement remains crucial
Fostering a strong sense of community continues to be a vital strategy for schools, as families seek out connections to calm the chaos of modern life. Schools are successfully using community engagement to knock some of the pressure off waitlists and boost strong enrolment numbers through word of mouth. Placing an emphasis on school community helps build meaningful relationships with both prospective and current families, as well as the wider community like alumni, local businesses and extended family and friends.
“We have focused on strong community engagement, an emphasis on fostering meaningful relationships with prospective families, lead nurturing, and a commitment to a smooth, welcoming enrolment process,” shared one of the survey respondents when asked to sum up their plans for ‘25.
Driving a sense of community seems to be the way forward, and this is something schools are working on in a digital sense, and through in-person events and engagement. The word "community" popped up continually in every free-form response question we asked, highlighting a desire for nurtured, values-driven school environments. Schools are responding in modern and dynamic ways, using language, systems, and technology to strengthen bonds.
2. Social media dominates marketing strategies
Social media has solidified its position as a primary marketing tool for schools. The report indicates that 75% of schools expect social media advertising to be their biggest marketing spend in 2025, and 12% of schools now say that social media is the main way families discover their school. This trend underscores the importance of leveraging social media platforms to reach and engage with prospective families.
If you’ve had some scepticism about the appropriateness or power of social media to drive your school forward and help achieve strategic goals, this report should shift your thinking.
3. Budget constraints are holding admissions teams back
Budget constraints continue to pose significant challenges for admissions teams. The report reveals that many schools are operating with lean budgets, leading to difficulties in expanding teams and addressing skills gaps. And this comes paired with heightened parent expectations and in many cases, hugely inflated enrolment numbers. Meaning long, challenging workdays are commonplace in this part of the school.
Despite these limitations, admissions teams are achieving remarkable things, even juggling various responsibilities beyond a traditional admissions role. But school leaders shouldn’t take advantage of this resilience — resource allocation is needed to support admissions teams to handle the growth of schools, even in the face of economic uncertainty.
“Will cost-of-living, rising school fees have an impact? We've been expecting them to do so for a couple of years without actually seeing it,” explained one survey respondent.
4. Enrolment numbers show mixed trends
Enrolment numbers aren’t quite as strong as they were in past years. At the end of 2022, 85% of schools said they’d seen stable or increased enrolments compared to the year prior. In 2023, that rose to a whopping 92%! For 2024? The number dropped back down to 81%. That in turn dragged up the number of schools that saw a decrease in enrolment numbers. The short of it? Expect the unexpected, as the years post Covid seem to be edging towards unpredictable.
If things are still increasing, you can give yourself a pat on the back. “We achieved significant growth and connection with new families, whilst improving enrolment processes with innovative systems and ideas,” confirmed one lucky school.
5. Wellbeing and wellness support is hugely important to parents
According to our report, 61% of schools noticed a greater focus on wellness and wellbeing support from parents throughout 2024. This trend reflects a growing awareness that mental health and holistic development should be woven into our education systems.
“As cost-of-living pressures rise, so do parent expectations in terms of demonstrated value of the investment in their children's education and its educators,” explained one survey respondent.
The wellbeing sentiment is supported by Ben Dunford, founder of the school rewards system and learning engagement platform, ePraise. “Wellbeing has moved from an occasionally used vague term to a more frequently used concrete concept. Every school is looking at how they can support students in a more holistic way and wellbeing is at the heart of that conversation,” shares Ben.
In summary
The State of Admissions report for 2024/25 provides valuable insights into the current landscape of K-12 school admissions in Australia. By focusing on community engagement, leveraging social media, addressing budget constraints, monitoring enrolment trends, and prioritising wellbeing, schools can navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. We hope that exploring this report offers you the inspiration and insights needed to help you steer your school through 2025.
