Funny independent school marketing videos

[ZebraGiraffe]

I have been looking at various independent school websites and noticed a trend of some really quirky videos.
Heathfield's especially caught my eye! I can't decide if it 'sells' the school to me or not!

www.heathfieldschool.net/

Anyone seen any others? Do they sell it or make you cross it off your list?

Wow, I love it.

They must have some dough, too, to make a promo video like that.

It's very good although they are all incredibly blonde and white until eventually they show a Chinese and then a black girl.

www.godolphinandlatymer.com/page/default.asp?title=Home&pid=1 another one which stands out - I have to say I think I prefer these videos to ones where the head just talks about how they want to create well-rounded pupils and there are so many opportunities etc etc (the standard school marketing speech)

I didn't think that one was so good - didn't seem to be anything special about the school at all for me from that video.

If I was paying £££ I would need to see the offer was fabulous - something I think the first video captured, but the second didn't imo. Only thing in the second video not done well at my good local comp is the rowing.

I agree Goldfish the first has more wow factor. I found myself imagining DD all lonely and lost as she starts secondary while watching the second one.

Heathfield 22% A* or A ( A levels) - boarding. £32k fees.
Godolphin & L 74% A/ A* £18k day school London

(I hope I read those results correctly).
Basically go to Heathfield and get much poorer exam results whilst being away from your family with the damage that brings. Pay half the fees at G&L, stay at home and get much better exam results. No contest. Not sure the videos bring out those fundamentals.
Alio the video perhaps shows boarding pupils worry about how they look. London girls have confidence and are happier to wear scruffy clothes as their intellectual activities take precedence over being a fashion plate).

That is really interesting flowerfairy! Shows that in reality the videos really are just marketing and probably not something to pick a school based on. My DD is at one of the academic girls' day schools and her school's video IMO does not reflect the school or 'sell it' well.

Perhaps the video isn't even meant to appeal to the domestic market.

I live near Heathfield and know a couple of staff. It caters for a completely different market to G&L. Quite a few foreign girls, quite a few British girls with parents abroad and, yes, quite a few "county" girls whose parents don't necessarily put an Oxbridge/RG outcome at the top of their wishlist (or recognise that their DDs are not academic stars). I think it probably does what it sets out to do very well. As does G&L for the daughters of (mostly) the London professional classes.

I am not suggesting Heathfield is a bad school for the less academic girl who might well not be able to get a place at a competitive academic day school. i am sure they add a lot of value and plenty of girls love it. Some children need to board as teir parents are working abroad. We knew a family where the father was dead and the mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The found a boarding school for the son at age 8 to give him some continuing stability.

I agree, both schools completely valuable and similarly 'good' in their own ways. I am more getting at the fact the videos are an interesting marketing tool and wondering how much they reflect what it is like to go to the school (not results or its reputation). I didn't want to cause a debate about the actual schools, more just the use of the videos to market the school. I was quite surprised when I watched the videos about how different they were from the usual videos and they grabbed my attention. It made me wonder whether such videos 'sell' the school or put me off...

They probably help, rather than hinder. I like to loko at what videos pupils have put on youtube about their schools too as I like to see the children given freedom and no censorship and innovation so see behind a school's marketing spin and see how much they let the children do as they choose on line.

Enjoyed. First video doesn't tell me anything about the school apart from good facilities and nice surroundings though.

I don't really understand why good private schools need to market themselves at all- surely their reputation sells them?

Interesting thread! So what does make a good video for schools I wonder?

For parents who want it as a filter, particularly international parents before a visit, anything that shows the personality and ethos of head and teachers in action, the children in and out of class and a view of the boarding and other facilities. A marketing video may tell you (in a negative way) more about what it leaves out than puts in. Even for excellent schools a representative video might be helpful to give realistic parents a first idea of whether it is suited to their DCs. I don't think some open day visits are any more helpful unless you get opportunity to talk to more of the teachers and pupils.

I thought the Heathfields video was great - as a piece of advertising - but. I hate that kind of marketing for education.

And personally, it wouldn't sell the school to me at all - but then polo ponies and slick blonde ponytails conjure up toe curling memories.

I think Highgate's pre-prep is excellent - it feels very genuine and looks the school fantastically balanced. www.highgateschool.org.uk/admissions/video-gallery

I like this one from Mumsnet's favourite independent school:

St John's in Sidmouth just went for the unconventional. What do you think?

Here are two examples to tickle your taste buds:-

Not actually on Eton's website and I'm no Eton fan but their parody on youtube of Gangnam Style is pretty awesome.

I agree, there are some great parodies out there.