Who would have ever thought that state schools need to think more and more about their PR?
Well, they do.
In days gone by, most schools were always full and funding was never an issue. They always had enough money, it would appear. Not so today.
Government funding is tighter than ever and every penny will count, literally. So where does communications come into this? Well, schools need to attract pupils. If they are not full each year, that leads to a drop in the budget.
Some local schools do indeed use local PR agencies to issue press releases to the local media and to handle their social media. Reputation is key and schools are, whether you like it or not, businesses these days.
Private schools have always spent more on advertising events such as their Open Evenings. They are also more likely to have a Director of Marketing or Communications.
Whether you are state or private, of course PR and reputation do both matter greatly.