It’s a competitive market. Lots of schools have closed down or merged. Expectations are high and schools need to work hard to attract the fee paying customer. With social media and the internet, making comparisons is easier and like anything else, you need to attract customers and keep them. Brand image is important.
To be honest, I think it’s a little naieve to say schools are communities and not businesses. In reality they are both. Governors and leadership teams have a duty to ensure the school is secure for the future. They have to keep a firm eye on this as well as delivering for the current children.
It’s interesting about what you say you’d do. The independent schools I’ve known do huge amounts of consulting snd communication. There are constantly surveys, focus groups, opportunities for kids and parents to comment on things and then letters telling ‘you said…we did’ to show that the school listened. Lots of it is about being seen to be listening and acting, but I think the schools want to be seen to really listen and act and encourage parents to comment and ask for things. They see this is the way to success now and in future.
Fees are expensive and there are always some parents who feel disappointed. This is the case in state schools too, but oerhaos the feeling is more a cute when people have paid and especially if it’s involved significant sacrifices. Sometimes it’s quite simply that a child’s experience academically or socially or extra-curicularly hasn’t been what parents hoped for and they hold the school responsible. Sometimes that’s valid and sometimes the child themselves is such that some of those expectations were unrealistic. There can be tensions around moving onto the next school or university and techniques used, pressures applied (or not applied) and expectations and requirements. Sometimes family values and approach to education are just not in line with that of the school. Sometimes that’s because the school has changed and sometimes it’s that the parents didn’t really look closely at the ethos or closed their eyes to bits they thought might not affect them - I think particularly of where there are entrance requirements to get to the next stage and a number of students each year don’t meet them, but no one entering the process likes to consider what will happen if that’s their kids.
Marketing is definitely a bigger thing than it was 20 years ago. Big branding, social media presence etc is important for awareness and recruitment. It’s the way of the world and schools which don’t engage with this are likely to be the ones who suffer and struggle, even if we don’t like these aspects.
Turnover of staff differs a lot. Some schools do have high turnover snd you’re right it’s not a good sign. An amount is usual in the first 2 or 3 years after a new Head and of course some amount is always normal, but really high levels are not good. But this isn’t widespread.lots of independent schools have pretty stable staff and many who are extremely long serving. I think that perhaps it’s important to recognise that your experience and your feelings are not necessarily typical.
People do leave. They leave part way through the year and at the end of the year before the end of a phase of schooling. They leave to go to other independents and to state schools and to go abroad. Schools know it’s normal. They know that some families will be disgruntled and that even when they try to address their concerns, there will always be some who remain dissatisfied and will leave. They accept that. For most schools, the odd person feeling like that isn’t really a problem and inevitable. Obviously if it’s loads, especially in small schools, it is a bigger problem.
We like to think that the schools love and fret about our child. That’s the job of parents. I think most do work hard to secure good outcomes for the many children in their care, and they do look to create an enjoyable and effective experience and to make good which feels like something extra is provided for the fees which would t be gained in the state sector. To a point there can be some tailoring of the experience, but that’s to a limited degree because in all schools, each child is one of many. When that child leaves, either at the end of education, or part-way through, the school simply keeps going. There is another school year and another set of children and issues to deal with. On lots of levels, schools are sausage factories.
But you’re obviously not happy with you school and in that situation, if you’ve raised the issues and felt no joy, then it’s right to go. But I don’t think all schools have the issues you mention and most parents don’t seem to feel what you do, to the point of withdrawing. But I hope you find more what you’re looking for elsewhere.