smj: school marketing journal

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Dr Alec O'Connell Schools revolve around generations, not campaigns. Brad speaks with Dr Alec O'Connell, Headmaster of Scotch College in Perth, about why a school's story should guide its marketing and leadership decisions. Alec reflects on refusing to be judged by league tables and developing the online school Scotch Global in response to students'...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin Imagine a change to Friday pick-up arrangements buried in a crowded school newsletter. The school sent the information, but the parent missed it. Brad, Bel and Scully explore why attention follows value and how competing, worthwhile requests can dilute the messages that matter most. They discuss how Heads can orga...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Charlie Maughan and Gavin Carroll Parents keep asking about a decision you have already explained. Could short-form video make the reasoning clearer? Brad speaks with Charlie Maughan and Gavin Carroll from imaginate about using video to address specific communication needs instead of simply producing more content. They discuss how planning video conten...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin A parent enjoys your school tour, but can they explain what makes the school right for their child? Brad, Bel and Scully explore why clarity requires shared understanding across staff, not simply better wording. They explain how everyday stories make a school's promise tangible to families and how wider evidence c...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Dr David Willows and Suzette Parlevliet   In this interview episode, Brad is joined by [YELLOW CAR] co-founders Dr David Willows and Suzette Parlevliet to examine what 30,000 accounts of school life reveal about students, parents and employees. They explore why relationships matter and how a lack of coherence can surface as student pressure, parent con...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin   In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully examine why quick wins can borrow from future trust. They distinguish acting quickly from short-termism, where immediate pressure replaces a school's long-term strategic direction. The discussion explores why marketing that reassures leaders can unsettle parents, whose sc...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Chris Post In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Chris Post, Headmaster of the Boys' Latin School of Maryland in Baltimore, the United States of America, to examine how strategy can guide decisions and drive action. Chris explains why broad, agreeable plans fail to move a school forward and why sharper choices require rigorous debate and alig...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully examine two connected principles: consistency builds trust and reputation lags behaviour. They explain how families build confidence from patterns across touchpoints, while contradictions act as a confidence tax. The discussion explores why reputation changes only after beh...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Ros Curtis AM In this deep dive episode, Brad is joined by Ros Curtis AM, Principal of St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School, to reflect on 16 years of leadership as the School grew from around 800 to more than 1,400 students. Ros explains how clear values, a relentless focus on students and consistent storytelling helped strengthen academic reputati...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Alan Jones   In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Alan Jones, Principal of Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont, Western Australia. Together they examine why the Head is central to school philanthropy. Alan explains that the ask only becomes possible after trust has been built and the educational purpose is clear. He describes fundraisi...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully continue examining two principles: differentiation or invisibility, and the market defines value. They explain why distinctiveness should create clarity without becoming rigid, and why differentiation communicates particular value rather than superiority. Parent language an...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Tim Watson In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Tim Watson, Principal of Northern Beaches Christian School (NBCS), to explore how schools can replace assumed understanding with shared clarity. Tim explains how the school's Compass document illustrates NBCS's founding principles, beliefs, values and educational commitments, helping leaders di...

School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully examine two connected principles: differentiation or invisibility, and the market defines value. They explain why a school's strengths only influence choice when parents can recognise, understand and use them when comparing schools. They explore how presenting every program...

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...