smj: school marketing journal

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Graham Catt In this interview episode, Brad is joined once again by Graham Catt, Chief Executive Officer of Independent Schools Australia, to discuss what School Choice Counts has achieved and what now matters for school leaders. Graham explains why the campaign's strongest stories were not about sectors, buildings or funding, but families, students and communities. He argues that Heads need to move beyond election-time advocacy by building ongoing relationships with local MPs, helping parents understand how policy affects fees and affordability, and equipping families and school communities to engage confidently in conversations about school choice. Episode link: Independent Schools Australia – School Choice Counts: The Great Education Shift Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Belinda McCubbin When your mission is clear, it does more than guide strategy; it prevents misalignment before it starts. In part two, Brad and Bel explain why mission clarity should narrow your messaging, your promises, and the families who naturally feel called to your school. They discuss why broadening language can feel rational under enrolment pressure, but often creates confusion, hesitation and superficial comparison. The duo explore how mission-fit enrolment conversations reduce friction later and share a practical test for leaders to audit what parents would conclude from the last month of your communications. Episode Links: Reflection and Leadership Guide: Mission Alignment Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Belinda McCubbin Most schools have a mission statement. Some use it as a reference point for decisions and others treat it as a familiar phrase that sits in the background. In this episode, Brad and Bel explore what happens when a mission becomes a practical leadership tool and the importance of having a directional mission. The duo discusses how direction shapes priorities, messages and resourcing. If it's decorative, it tends to appear in documents but rarely changes behaviour or drives decision-making. Part 1 sets up the key tests you can use to assess whether your mission is genuinely guiding strategy across your school. Episode Links: Reflection and Leadership Guide: Mission Alignment Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin The first episode for 2026 sees Belinda 'Bel' McCubbin welcomed as a regular voice, sharing what's changing in schools this year. The trio introduce two new formats: a termly deep dive interview with experienced school Heads and a 92-second mini stories capturing testimonials of common problems faced by Heads and how to move forward. The main conversation centres on first principles, and why they matter when teams are busy, yet outcomes remain unimproved. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Despite having more data and reports than ever, many schools still struggle to turn insight into meaningful change. Brad and Scully explore why execution often stalls through vague direction, thin ownership and weak inspection, and outline how Heads can close the 'strategy-execution gap'. They share practical examples across enrolment, communication and brand delivery, demonstrating how clarity, cadence and single-point ownership can transform insight into visible, day-to-day behaviour change. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Heads feel like they're constantly firefighting. In this episode, Brad and Scully discuss how to replace that reactive cycle with calm and confident leadership through marketing maturity. They explore how disciplined systems create clarity, resilience and trust across your school and outline five practical steps to embed structure, align marketing with strategy and lead with confidence – building stability that lasts beyond any single person or change. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Even the strongest school brands can lose clarity through slow and silent erosion. Brad and Scully explore the hidden danger of message drift: how small, well-intentioned changes can blur your voice and weaken your impact. They discuss why drift is a leadership issue, how to spot it before it spreads, and share a five-step guide to re-anchor your school's story so it stays clear, consistent and trusted. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe In this episode, Brad and Scully explain why consistency is the foundation of every strong school brand, and why it's so difficult to achieve. They explain how inconsistency erodes trust, why chasing the 'new and different' isn't always better, and how brand confusion impacts both parents and staff outlook and communication. To help school Heads lead with clarity, the duo introduces a practical seven-step framework for building strategic, visual and verbal consistency across every touchpoint. A seven-step school brand consistency framework: Define brand intent: Clarify your school's core values and mission to guide all branding efforts. Customer journey audit: Review touchpoints to identify brand inconsistencies and areas needing alignment. Strategic, visual, verbal lenses: Assess branding through strategy, visuals and communication to find improvement areas. Maintain discipline: Ensure all actions and communications consistently reflect your brand values over time. Foster creativity: Refresh your brand with innovative strategies to keep it engaging and relevant. Generate enthusiasm: Engage your community with exciting content to maintain interest and prevent disengagement. Use the right tools: Use tools for consistency but rely on experts for strategic, creative brand execution. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au