Head of Admissions and Parent Experience

The Aquila School

Key duties and areas of responsibility

Admissions:

• Advise prospective parents & stakeholders on our value proposition (profile, program, fee structure and all services provided) across communications channels.
• Primary responsibility of implementing the school s admissions process, including lead generation, family journey, customer service, negotiation and objection handling, call scripts and parent communications.
• Make calls to potential digital and non-digital leads to convert them into school tours and enrolments.
• Organise admissions meetings and open events while displaying excellent customer service.
• Support the phase leaders in carrying out assessment of prospective pupils per the admissions policy and Ministry of Education regulations.
• Work in partnership with the registrar to meet the school and Ministry of Education admissions criteria, including collecting and reviewing all necessary documentation.
• Assessment, development and coordination of all policies and documentation related to pupil admissions (including admissions toolkits, templates, scholarship programs), with the support of stakeholders within the school, ISP, Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities.
• Monitor and develop lead generation activities, work with the ISP heads of marketing and admissions, to ensure admissions targets are met.
• Work with the principal and SLT to develop appropriate programs and campaigns, such as referral schemes, scholarships, or working with feeder schools.
• Regularly review and develop admissions documents, parent communication platforms and templates, and marketing collaterals to ensure accurate information and best practice.
• Develop and nurture mutually beneficial relationships with feeder schools, nurseries, universities, local businesses, government entities, education agents and other organisations to maximise pupil recruitment and retention.
• Along with the marketing officer, support the principal to develop the school s communication and engagement strategy, based on the strengths and development areas, promoting the same within and beyond the school community.
• Support the principal with participation in relevant national and regional conferences, events and competitions to raise the profile of the school, pupils and faculty.
• Lead direct reports in the school to pursue excellence in operational efficiency and customer service delivery. Systems should be reviewed regularly, and written and verbal communication are to be customized to maximize engagement.
• Advise on effective continued support and communication to new families after pupils enrol at the school - after sales care .
• Maintain positive vibes and good work relationships between team members
• Manage the reception team and attendance coordinator to ensure they consistently deliver an outstanding customer experience to both existing and prospective families.
• Keep records of the team performance and follow up on their performance reviews on time
• To ensure that families receive excellent service both on line and when visiting the school

School marketing activities in collaboration with the marketing officer:

• Develop and nurture personal links with nurseries, feeder schools, education agents, estate and relocation agents, universities, alumni, and developers to maximize pupil recruitment opportunities.
• Develop and nurture partnerships with local businesses and attend events to promote the school.
• Keep educational agents up to date with new developments at the school, including improvements to facilities, addition of new courses, academic results, recruitment events, and capacities. To maintain links with pupils as they leave the school (alumni), keeping them involved in the life of the school to support future recruitment and promotion.
• Lead and attend school functions involving current parents and pupils as requested.
• Propose industry events and other opportunities to support pupil recruitment.
• Liaise with local and national newspapers, magazines, and appropriate specialist publications for advertising opportunities, including billboards and posters.
• Help the school to develop their school stories and promises.
• Ensure that learning and demonstrating pupil progress is at the heart of the school marketing initiatives.
• Manage and implement effective campaigns within the school to achieve lead generation targets.
• Work with ISP Middle East head of marketing to create and support a clear marketing strategy and budget for the school.
• Lead on social media techniques and strategies to engage wider digital audiences.
• Oversee and help plan open day, pupil recruitment and profile-raising advertising within the schools.
• Foster a culture of successful marketing campaigns with tracking systems to measure campaigns.
• Assist in delivery of internal communication campaigns to support the school with retention strategies.
• Ensure accurate reporting of data, effective data management and analysis on which to base marketing decisions and track impact.
• Ensure effective budget management of all marketing activities within the school budget

Reporting:

• Complete regular KPI and enrolment tracking information with the admissions team, providing reports to the principal and ISP as required.
• Manage and oversee surveys of all stakeholders, assessing satisfaction and advising accordingly, as required.
• Manage team in producing termly reports on activity and expenditure to monitor effective use of budget.
• Produce reports on competitors including fees, numbers and provisions, identifying opportunities to the principal and ISP Heads.

Annual Financial Targets:

• New enrolment and annual retention numbers
• Enquiry and enrolment conversion rates
• Number of activities and events

To be line managed by the school principal and the ISP ME head of admissions.

Hours of work- 8.15-5pm Monday to Thursday and 8.15 am to 1pm on Fridays plus occasional evening and weekend work. Friday afternoons the school is open to see families and admissions and senior staff work about one in four Friday afternoons on a rota basis

Holidays- 30 days per calendar year