The Independent School Podcast with Juliet Corbett

In this episode I discuss how you can create a case for support,  which is the narrative surrounding your fundraising project. It tells people what you are hoping to achieve with your fundraising and why they should care.  Your case for support is an internal working document where you put all of the relevant information about your fundraising project - anything from testimonials, to raw facts and...

In this episode, I discuss KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that are used to measure the success of various activities which are undertaken across schools. But they're also often detached from the strategy or measuring things for the sake of it, rather than being aligned with strategy. Firstly, I explore why KPIs matter and why they can be beneficial for schools. KPIs influence behaviour and...

In this episode, I discuss how you can develop an effective strategy that is easy to implement, to set yourself up for success in 2022. Each year I create a strategy for myself and I want to share the four steps that I use to help you craft a strategy for yourself/ your work and how you balance the two. The first step is to visualise where you want to be at the end of 2022. It's good to get a...

In this episode, I reflect on 2021 and share my gratitude for those who listen to this podcast, my fantastic guests and the many wonderful clients that I have had the pleasure of working with. I also discuss the role that gratitude has in both leadership and fundraising - it is a critically important element of both. Within leadership, a good leader will be authentic and involved with the communit...

In this episode I am joined by David Goodhew, Head of Latymer Upper School, to talk about what they have been doing to advance social mobility. David is committed to advancing social mobility and has been doing so through his school's impressive bursary programme. David talks about the Inspiring Minds campaign, launched in 2017, which aims to raise £40 million by 2024. The campaign will offer...

In this episode, I discuss turning strategy into action.  Taking action is the essential ingredient of any good strategy. The best strategy in the world will make no difference if no action or inconsistent action is taken. I start by talking about the three things that often go wrong in strategy implementation. The first thing that often goes wrong is that strategy conversations are focused around...

In this episode, I discuss how many of us wait to make strategic moves as we believe that they are conditional on other tasks being completed first. This conditional thinking often constrains actions and prevents us from moving forward, completely unnecessarily.  I talk about examples I have come across where individuals and schools as a whole are waiting to take action because they don’t believe...

In this episode, I discuss the idea of stepping out of your comfort zone and how you can push beyond the things that you already do well. Stepping out of your comfort zone is not exclusive to individuals, it can also play out at the organisational level when implementing strategic changes. I start by using examples of times when I have come across individuals and even whole schools who are stuck i...

In this episode, I am joined by Elizabeth Clarke of EJC Educational Consultancy, who has an impressive twenty years of experience in leading, managing,  creating and implementing business strategies for schools in the independent sector, both in the UK and globally. Firstly, we talk about governance - a really important issue for independent schools to master. Having the right governors, with a di...

In this episode, I use an analogy to explore the importance of cohesion and consistency when developing a strategy for your school. Many of the strategies you are presented with will have merit and potential but as the school leader, you must ensure that whatever strategy you choose to pursue has a clear vision, set of values and direction.  I also discuss how a confused and inconsistent approach...

In this episode, I talk about the importance of incorporating intuition into your decision-making. I explore the idea of bringing your gut instincts and emotional intuition to the table as well as your rational, conscious thinking when forming a strategic approach. Firstly, I discuss the value of building intuition into strategy: you know your school community and environment better than most, and...

In this episode, I focus on how you can be more strategic in your career and share the programme I use to help people with this. So many individuals are focused on implementing strategy in their workplace, that they neglect to be strategic in their career. Firstly, I discuss the difficulty of balancing career goals alongside day-to-day work, and how you can use the same process for developing stra...

In this episode I discuss the SWOT analysis, which I believe is one of the most valuable tools in your strategy toolbox. Done well, a SWOT analysis is a great way to structure your strategic thinking and inform decision-making.  Firstly, I explain what a SWOT analysis is and how to complete one. Your strengths and weaknesses are internal to your school and should cover things that happen inside yo...

In this episode I am joined by Jaideep Barot, Headmaster at Bristol Grammar School. We discuss a whole spectrum of ideas, from strategy development processes to the importance of focus and having succinct aims. We also talk about leadership and how the role of leadership has shifted recently. We discuss how Jaideep sought to include staff, pupils and parents when refreshing Bristol Grammar School&...

In this episode, I take you behind the curtain to reflect on the lessons I have learnt from three years in business and 50 podcast episodes. Over the three years, I have had the pleasure of working with 20 schools on strategy and have worked with numerous fundraisers on implementing strategy into their day-to-day work. I thought I would take this opportunity to share the top five lessons I have le...

In this episode, I talk with Stefan Horsman, Head of Albyn School, about the power of education and how to uncover your school's mission. Through our conversation, we unpack Stefan's background in education, how education can drive change in society and the importance of a strong mission and values in your school's strategy.  Firstly, we discuss Stefan's background and his rout...

In this episode we will be talking about the importance of looking beyond the school gates when considering the strategic changes you may need to make. This means being aware of what is happening in the world which you need to be prepared for, often referred to as scanning your environment. Forming robust strategies and making decisions with the future in mind will help you to position your school...

In this episode I discuss techniques you can use to make time for the activities that are critically important. As a leader, you need to be spending a good proportion of your time on the strategically important activities on your to-do list. With this in mind, this week I present one deceptively simple time management tip and I then suggest ways to help you turn it into a habit and to stick to it....

In this episode I talk with Karen Yankovich, host of the 'Good Girls Get Rich' podcast and an expert in relationship marketing focusing on the use of LinkedIn. Through our conversation, we primarily discuss the use of LinkedIn by school fundraisers who are seeking to develop personal relationships with potential major donors. However, all of Karen's tips are equally helpful for othe...

In this episode I talk about the art of saying 'no'. I explore the idea that saying 'no' is a critical skill that helps you focus on activities that make a difference in driving your school strategy.    I begin by outlining how you prioritise activities that support your strategy and how you form a criteria for assessing what you say 'yes' and what you say 'no&ap...

In this episode I talk to Fran Malarée, Fellow and Development Director, Churchill College, and Chair of the Cambridge Development Directors’ Committee, University of Cambridge. With over twenty years’ experience in alumni relations and fundraising in higher education, Fran is the ideal person to talk to about regular giving and giving circles. We discuss first how the development and alumni offic...

In this episode I focus on strategic fundraising and outline five essential steps to help you make sure your day-to-day work in a fundraising office has a strategic foundation, is guided by an effective plan and is leading towards a positive outcome.  Firstly, you need to identify the transformation you are seeking to make through your fundraising. A successful fundraising strategy will generate a...

Resilience is “a set of characteristics, abilities and resources that enable the achievement of positive outcomes despite exposure to significant threat or adversity”, as defined by the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. The COVID-19 pandemic has created just such an environment of extreme uncertainty and challenge that highlights why building personal resilience for sch...

In this episode, I explore the relationship between governors and strategy. Specifically, I look at how governors can be guided to find a balance between being strategically focused and being operationally focused. With this in mind, I present my top tips on how to encourage governors to understand their role in strategy and how to constructively challenge decisions by senior school leaders. First...

In this episode, I speak to Louise Simpson, the Head of Exeter School. Louise joined Exeter School, a co-educational, independent day school, in 2020 after spending time as Head at St Paul’s School in São Paulo, Brazil. Through our discussion, Louise and I cover a number of topics, including her perspective on moving back to the UK independent school sector following her time abroad. Firstly, we d...