3 Ways to Increase Enrolment for Your School

You've checked off all the boxes with license renewal, sanitised every classroom, clear standard operating procedures, and you are ready. But your enrolment rates may not reflect the amount of effort you've put into improving your school.

Enrolling and maintaining students isn't easy in a normal year (let alone 2020).

1) Owning a readable and high-quality website

When a parent is looking for a school to enrol their child in, the first thing they tend to do is do a quick search on the internet. Thus, it's essential to have a clean and professional website, and to consistently update it with easy-to-read materials.

Having a professional website provides a fantastic first impression and gives families a glance into your program. A first-rate website should include:

• A brief history of your school
• A clear explanation of the program offerings
• An introduction of the staff and photos that show their faces
• A timely update of news and school events
• Photos of the school campus and facilities

2) Establishing a network within the community

Do you remember the last time you purchased something at the recommendation of a friend? A positive testimony of a parent's experience is worth ten times more than anything you have to say about yourself! Happy parents will always be one of the most effective methods of attracting other parents to your school.

And happy parents will be willing to share!

Word of mouth can do wonders for your enrolment, and it ultimately creates a network within the community, locally and internationally.

You can kickstart this community by rewarding existing parents for referring new parents. Referral rewards can be a great tool to get parents to spread the word about how excellent your school is. Give your families an incentive to refer their friends by rewarding them with a discount or cash reward.

3) Digitalise your school to operate better

A technology-based school management system enhances day-to-day school operations and has proven to be beneficial for parents as well. LittleLives is an example of a school management system that fosters home-school relationships through features that improve communication with parents and help schools easily keep parents updated on their children's progress.

Using a technology-based school management system, such as LittleLives, can have a positive influence on parent satisfaction, which can lead to more referrals in the future.

Consistent communication with your parents can do wonders for your enrolment rates. Not only does it build a relationship, but it also helps gauge changes that you may need to make to improve your program. With technology like the LittleLives' Communications feature, you can easily send private messages to parents, a broadcast update to the entire school or blast out a survey to find out how well your school is doing.

As parents become more tech-savvy, the inclusion of technology in your school will become an essential criterion for enrolment. Most parents today appreciate having the information they need at their fingertips. Technology may not have a direct effect on your enrolment numbers, but it can have a positive influence on parent satisfaction, which can lead to more referrals in the future.

The transparency, constant flow of information and peace of mind through a parent's app is a great way to build trust with new parents and delight existing families.

It could well be the reason they choose to enrol at your school versus a competitor.

This article was first published on LittleLives.

Written By Bryan Koh