smj: school marketing journal

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Graham Catt In this interview episode, Brad is joined once again by Graham Catt, Chief Executive Officer of Independent Schools Australia, to discuss what School Choice Counts has achieved and what now matters for school leaders. Graham explains why the campaign's strongest stories were not about sectors, buildings or funding, but families, students...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully examine why strong school communication begins before the wording stage. Combining the principles of strategy drives story and meaning before message, they explain why schools can sound articulate while still leaving parents unsure about what matters most. The trio discuss how...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Tracey Cain   In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Tracey Cain, Chief Executive Officer at H/Advisors, to unpack reputation risk in independent schools. Tracey explains why what matters to a school community must matter to the school, and why that community now extends beyond staff, parents and students to alumni, neighbours and local influe...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin   In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore the sixth principle in the series: experience beats message. They discuss why messaging can open the door, but parent confidence is shaped by what families repeatedly experience through tours, follow-up, responsiveness and prospective parent touchpoints. The trio exa...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Shane Hogan In this deep dive episode, Brad is joined by Shane Hogan to explore what school leadership requires when communities need stability and confidence. Drawing on a career across Catholic and independent schools, boys' and girls' education, and interim roles in schools under pressure, Shane discusses why visibility, relationships and discern...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and David Woodgate In this interview episode, Brad is joined by David Woodgate, Chief Executive of the Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA) in the UK, to examine how millennial parents are reshaping school choice. David explains why reputation, tradition and results are no longer enough to create confidence, as parents look for clearer eviden...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore why external confidence depends on internal coherence. They discuss why staff goodwill is not the same as shared understanding, how parents sense mixed signals across tours, conversations and follow-up communication, and why alignment is built through repeated leadersh...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle , Pauline Shuttleworth and Chris Lang In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Pauline Shuttleworth, imageseven A dvancement Specialist , and Chris Lang, co-founder and Head of Sales for Asia Pacific at Digistorm, to examine the changing enrolment landscape for independent schools. Using the findings from Digistorm's 2025/26 State of K–12 School Adm...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle , Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore why school brands are not personal platforms for leaders to reshape They explore the difference between ownership and stewardship, explain why a school's brand is inherited rather than invented, and discuss how leaders can renew and clarify its message without distort...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle , Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully discuss a confronting principle for school Heads: leadership is communication. Every decision, silence, delay and repeated phrase signals what matters most, and families read into those signals long before they read a strategy document. The trio explores why enrolment confide...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle  and Jack Stevens In this interview episode, Brad speaks with Jack Stevens, CEO of Edstart, about what findings from Edstart's 2026 School Fees Report mean for school Heads. The discussion explores why fee increases have remained steady, yet continue to outpace inflation, how staffing costs and government funding pressures are reshaping school budgets a...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle , Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin A school's brand is not owned by marketing. It is shaped by leadership clarity, consistency and decision-making over time. In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully discuss why brand is a leadership responsibility, how mixed signals create uncertainty for families, and why enrolment confidence is built through cohere...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Belinda McCubbin When your mission is clear, it does more than guide strategy; it prevents misalignment before it starts. In part two, Brad and Bel explain why mission clarity should narrow your messaging, your promises, and the families who naturally feel called to your school. They discuss why broadening language can feel rational under enrolment...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Dr Mark Merry In this special Deep Dive, Brad sits down with Dr Mark Merry, long-serving Principal of Yarra Valley Grammar and former National Chair of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools Australia (AHISA), for a conversation about leading a school through scrutiny, crisis, criticism and change. The duo explore why authority is earned th...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle   and Belinda McCubbin Most schools have a mission statement. Some use it as a reference point for decisions and others treat it as a familiar phrase that sits in the background. In this episode, Brad and Bel explore what happens when a mission becomes a practical leadership tool and the importance of having a directional mission. The duo discusses how...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin Many school leaders feel they are doing 'all the right things' in marketing – posting consistently, investing in digital, telling their story – yet their school is still not being chosen by prospective parents. In this interview, Brad speaks with digital marketing practitioner Brendan Schneider about the real issu...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin The first episode for 2026 sees Belinda 'Bel' McCubbin welcomed as a regular voice, sharing what's changing in schools this year. The trio introduce two new formats: a termly deep dive interview with experienced school Heads and a 92-second mini stories capturing testimonials of common problems faced by Heads and...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe In this follow up to episode 232, Brad and Scully focus on how Heads can turn understanding into meaningful activity that changes behaviour or perception for your audience. They explore how to define success before acting, choose the right measures and build simple systems that keep teams aligned. The conversation highlights how st...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Despite having more data and reports than ever, many schools still struggle to turn insight into meaningful change. Brad and Scully explore why execution often stalls through vague direction, thin ownership and weak inspection, and outline how Heads can close the 'strategy-execution gap'. They share practical examples across enrolm...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Parents are becoming far more sensitive to how schools communicate fees, and fee transparency is now one of the top factors shaping enrolment decisions. In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Anthony McCausland, Founder and CEO of  Feesable , to discuss new national insights from the School Fees in Australia: 2025 Report. The...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Heads feel like they're constantly firefighting. In this episode, Brad and Scully discuss how to replace that reactive cycle with calm and confident leadership through marketing maturity. They explore how disciplined systems create clarity, resilience and trust across your school and outline five practical steps to embed structure,...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Brad speaks to Sue Ellson, independent LinkedIn Specialist and career development author, to discuss how schools can attract and retain quality staff in a competitive employment landscape. Sue shares practical ways to build a stronger professional presence online, position your school as an employer of choice, and use LinkedIn to r...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Even the strongest school brands can lose clarity through slow and silent erosion. Brad and Scully explore the hidden danger of message drift: how small, well-intentioned changes can blur your voice and weaken your impact. They discuss why drift is a leadership issue, how to spot it before it spreads, and share a five-step guide to...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe Brad is joined by US education marketing strategist and Founder of Caylor Solutions, Bart Caylor, to explore how rapid AI advances are reshaping school communication and leadership. With tools like OpenAI's Sora 2 creating lifelike videos in seconds, the discussion dives into what this means for authenticity, brand risk and crisis...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe In this episode, Brad and Scully explain why consistency is the foundation of every strong school brand, and why it's so difficult to achieve. They explain how inconsistency erodes trust, why chasing the 'new and different' isn't always better, and how brand confusion impacts both parents and staff outlook and communication. To hel...