Between the 2014-15 and 2024-25 academic years, primary school applications dropped by 11% nationally.
The falling birth rate, paired with your institution's admissions criteria, catchment area demographics, and ongoing marketing efforts can all have an impact on student numbers.
With fewer children entering the school system, the schools that are succeeding aren’t just hoping for the best. They’re using smart data strategies to help better meet the needs and expectations of prospective families.
Are you looking to do the same for your school? Here’s what could be hiding in your data...
Website analytics reveal parent priorities
Having an analytics platform like Google Analytics installed on your website can help you understand more about prospective family user behaviour than any focus group. And, quite often, the content that resonates best with parents and carers isn’t what you’d expect.
Leadership teams assume parents and carers want performance tables and exam results first, but the reality could be safeguarding policies, special educational needs (SEN) provisions, and extracurricular activities.
Using a service like Google Search Console in tandem with your analytics platform will also reveal what prospective families are searching for to reach your institution’s website.
If terms like "[school name] bullying policy" or "[school name] SEN support" are getting impressions, make sure the information they are looking for is both readily available, and gives them the confidence to list you as their first choice.
Master the mobile-first experience
People do more research on their phones than ever before. Is your site easy to navigate on mobile?
Parents and carers scrolling through school information during their commute or lunch break need key details accessible within seconds. A frustrating mobile experience can quickly send prospective families to other schools within your catchment area.
Make sure parents can easily find your next open day date, submit an inquiry form, and access your prospectus on mobile. Then, test your website on your phone! If anything feels clunky or hard to find, get in touch - we’d be more than happy to quickly audit your site and provide some next steps.
Use your data to predict admissions
More institutions are adopting data-driven tools to enhance their enrolment strategies and address educational inequality. These tools help forecast enrolment trends, identifying at-risk students, and personalising the learning experience for each student.
Modern systems can also utilise data mining and machine learning to support enrolment decisions and ensure diverse school communities. With the right tools, you can highlight which year groups may face capacity challenges (with student retention), identify the most effective outreach channels for underrepresented families, and personalise communications based on the needs of the local community.
Like any tool, you should start simple. Analyse your current student demographics alongside local area data to identify potential gaps in community representation, then gradually adopt other tools as resources allow.
But keep data privacy simple
GDPR compliance doesn’t need to be complicated - transparency actually builds trust with prospective families.
Clearly outline how you’ll use inquiry information on contact forms in your privacy policy, and give parents full control over their community preferences. Schools that are upfront about using their data to improve services are more likely to receive positive feedback from parents who appreciate your desire to keep improving.
And, while we can provide advice on data privacy - it’s always best to consult a data protection specialise for compliance requirements specific to your institution’s circumstances!
Create content that converts
Every school has unique strengths that resonate with families - you just need to identify and showcase them effectively.
Your website analytics reveal which content resonates the most. Pages with longer engagement times indicate content that is important to prospective families. Use this data to create more of what works and improve what doesn't.
Behind-the-scenes glimpses of school life, detailed information about pastoral care and SEN provision, and practical resources that help parents support learning at home consistently perform well across our education clients.
Ultimately, the schools that succeed combine authentic storytelling with a smart content strategy - whether that’s through showcasing your ethos and values, highlighting what makes you stand out to parents, and keeping your content refreshed for each term.
Leverage your existing data
Many educational institutions possess something most brands can only dream of - a wealth of first-party data and a ready-made community of advocates. Your current parents, alumni, governing body members, and local community offer an untapped resource for understanding what prospective families truly value.
Unlike retailers who struggle to gather customer insights, schools have direct access to families who’ve already chosen your school. Their feedback, engagement patterns, parental survey responses, and success stories provide authentic data about what works and what doesn’t.
Start by systematically capturing and analysing this feedback alongside your digital analytics to form a more holistic overview of what’s working and what isn’t.
The schools making the biggest impact aren't necessarily those with the largest marketing budgets - they're the ones that listen to their communities and use those insights to continuously improve their approach to attracting and serving families.
Your community is your competitive advantage
The strategies we’ve mentioned above work because they help you systematically capture and act on insights from the community that knows your school best.
Start with tracking how families engage with your content, listen to what current families value most - from curriculum delivery to pastoral support - and use their feedback to shape how you present your institution to prospective parents and carers.
The demographic challenges facing schools in the UK won’t disappear overnight, but utilising your local community and combining it with smart data practices can help you build a sustainable advantage that extends beyond individual admissions cycles.
Contact us today to discuss how we can help your school leverage its greatest asset - the community that already believes in what you do.