Education Marketing and PR: Student Recruitment, Admissions and Reputation – London, 23–27 Nov 2026

Programme overview

Introduction:

Education marketing and PR decide whether a school, college or university fills its places with the students it was built to serve. Many institutions spend on advertising without knowing which channels produce enrolled students, lose families between first enquiry and acceptance, stage open days that impress but do not convert, and meet a negative review, ranking drop or campus incident with silence. This Core Concept course gives marketing, admissions and communication staff a working method for student recruitment, admissions conversion and institutional reputation. Participants build an Enrolment Marketing and PR Plan for a case institution.

Course Objectives:

• Segment the education market by learner stage and decision maker, and write student and parent personas with mapped decision journeys
• Define an institutional positioning statement and value proposition backed by proof points on outcomes, teaching and campus life
• Manage the admissions funnel from enquiry to enrolment, setting stage conversion targets and CRM follow-up sequences that lift yield
• Plan open days, campus tours and digital recruitment campaigns with content calendars, landing pages and review responses
• Protect institutional reputation through rankings data stewardship, alumni and community relations, media handling and incident communication
• Measure enrolment marketing return with cost per enquiry, cost per enrolled student and tuition lifetime value, and build an Enrolment Marketing and PR Plan

Target Audience:

• Staff who plan and run student recruitment and enrolment marketing for schools, colleges or universities
• Admissions officers who handle enquiries, applications, offers and conversion follow-up with families and applicants
• Communication staff responsible for institutional news, media contact, social channels and parent communication
• Digital and content staff who manage the institution's website, paid campaigns and online reviews
• Alumni, community and external relations officers who build long-term ties with graduates, employers and neighbours
• Coordinators who organise open days, school fairs, campus tours and recruitment events

Course Outline:

Day 1: The Education Market, Decision Makers and Recruitment Audit

• Education Market Map: Early Years, Schools, Colleges, Universities and Continuing Education
• Decision-Making Unit Analysis: Student, Parent, Sponsor and Influencer Roles
• Student and Parent Persona Canvas With Motivations, Anxieties and Information Sources
• Applicant Decision Journey Map From First Awareness to Enrolment Day
• Enrolment Marketing Audit: Intake Trends, Catchment, Competitor Set and Channel Mix

Day 2: Positioning, Enrolment Management Models and the Admissions Funnel

• Institutional Positioning Statement and Competitive Perception Map
• Education Value Proposition Canvas: Outcomes, Pedagogy, Pastoral Care and Campus Life
• Enrolment Management Model: Marketing, Admission Policy, Retention and Financial Aid Levers
• Admissions Funnel Stages: Enquiry, Application, Offer, Acceptance and Enrolment Yield
• Admissions CRM Configuration: Lead Scoring, Nurture Sequences and Stage Conversion Reports

Day 3: Recruitment Campaigns, Open Days and Digital Channels

• Open Day and Campus Tour Run Sheet With Post-Visit Follow-Up Sequence
• Recruitment Content Calendar for Prospectus, Programme Pages and Student Stories
• Search and Social Recruitment Campaign Brief With Enquiry Landing Page Checklist
• Parent and Applicant Review Platforms: Monitoring, Response Templates and Escalation
• School Fairs, Feeder School Partnerships and Agent or Counsellor Relationships

Day 4: Reputation, Rankings, Alumni Relations and Incident Communication

• League Tables and Rankings Indicators: Data Submission Stewardship and Result Communication
• Alumni Relations Programme: Graduate Database, Ambassador Scheme and Success Stories
• Community and Employer Relations Plan for Local Partners and Placement Providers
• Education Media Relations: Results Day Stories, Expert Commentary and Journalist Enquiries
• Campus Incident Communication Protocol: Holding Statement, Parent Letter and Stakeholder Briefing

Day 5: Case Study: Enrolment Marketing and PR Plan for a Case Institution

• Case Institution Data Pack: Enquiries, Applications, Conversion Rates and Review Sentiment
• Enrolment Marketing ROI Model: Cost per Enquiry, Cost per Enrolled Student and Tuition Lifetime Value
• Recruitment Budget Allocation Across Channels Using Stage Conversion Evidence
• Enrolment Marketing and PR Plan Drafting With Targets, Calendar and Owners
• Plan Presentation to an Admissions and Governing Board Panel With Peer Challenge

Skills You Will Gain:

• Education Market Segmentation
• Parent and Student Persona Development
• Institutional Positioning
• Admissions Funnel Management
• Open Day Conversion Planning
• Online Review Management
• Alumni Relations Development
• Enrolment Marketing ROI Analysis

Why Attend This Course:

• Return with an Enrolment Marketing and PR Plan built from a case institution data pack and tested by a peer panel
• See exactly where applicants drop out between enquiry and enrolment and which follow-up steps win them back
• Answer reviews, ranking questions and campus incidents with prepared templates instead of improvised replies
• Compare recruitment and admissions practice with staff from schools, colleges and universities in different education systems

Conclusion:

Steady enrolment rests on knowing who decides, offering a clear reason to choose the institution, and converting interest into accepted places while guarding reputation. The course moves from the education market, personas and decision journeys, through positioning, the enrolment management model and the admissions funnel, to open days, digital campaigns and reviews, then to rankings, alumni, community and media relations and incident communication. The final day applies this to a case institution and produces an Enrolment Marketing and PR Plan.