Ready to dig deeper? Laura Williams reflects on how our schools leave lasting impressions through every interaction – and how we can improve those experiences to build a stronger reputation

Last summer, John took part in a JCB Digger Competition. Yep, you read that right! We headed out with our dog, Tess and honestly, I wasn’t too excited.

However, when we arrived, we were greeted with a warm welcome, given vouchers for the food trucks and offered tea and snacks right from the start. Even Tess was treated like a VIP, with a bowl of water, treats and plenty of attention!

Getting to Know the Brand

The whole vibe was relaxed, friendly and fun – no pressure and no sales pitches (even though getting sales was an objective for sure!), just an enjoyable experience. And even though diggers aren’t really my thing, I ended up having a blast, and we stayed longer than we planned!

Interestingly, that day left me with a surprisingly positive impression of JCB. Before then, they were just a faceless brand. I knew what they did, but I didn’t know who they were. After that experience? I couldn’t help but feel good about the company and the people who work there. And of course, it got me thinking about schools.

Digging Deeper

Just like JCB, our schools are brands too. We may not always think of them that way, but every interaction we have with parents, staff, students and the wider community leaves an impression, which in turn creates a reputation. But if we’ve worked in the same place for a while, it can be hard to stay objective so ask yourself (and your team!) these questions:

How welcoming and inviting is our reception area? How does it make people feel?

Are the visits and events we host memorable and enjoyable for our guests?

Do visitors leave our school feeling good about their experience (as much as possible)?

How effective is our communication, both in person and online?

When things go sideways or tough situations arise, how do we deal with them, both in the moment and in the aftermath? How could we do things better?

If you really want to dig into this why not try getting some feedback by asking a new staff member or governor to share their first impressions of your school?

Fresh eyes can help us spot things we might have overlooked, reveal that our ‘status quo’ could use a touch of sparkle or maybe that it just needs a good polish!