In the quest for enrolments, it’s tempting to let marketing precede mission. Eighty-three percent of Australian Independent schools have a religious affiliation. Most, but certainly not all, have their foundation in the Christian faith. SMJ asked Dr Brian Harris to dive deeper into the tension this creates for school Heads trying to find the right balance.
Ask a parent why they send their child to a Christian school and the reply probably won’t be, “Because it’s a Christian school.” More frequent answers are, “The school has such great values.”; “They really care for the kids.”; “The discipline is great.”; “They set high standards.” In fact, you probably won’t hear the word ‘Christian’ at all.
By contrast, ask the school Board or the Head why they exist and they often reply, “Because we are a Christian school. And Christian schools make an enormous difference.”
Put differently, when asked what makes their school special, the ‘secret sauce’, Boards and Heads usually point to the faith that undergirds the school and that it is a place where faith intersects with life, perhaps one of the few places for families. Parents, on the other hand, more commonly speak about the value of discipline, care and standards.
Does it matter if a school’s primary reason for existence is of secondary importance to the constituency that attends it?
Well, it certainly makes for a brand dilemma. Do you highlight ‘Christian’ in your messaging, or do you play it down, by default letting prospective parents imagine it’s a carryover from a now distant past?
Naturally, not all faith-based schools are the same.
A few have enrolment policies that require prospective families to produce a letter from their church minister confirming that the family regularly attends worship. Some go further and prescribe which kinds of church are acceptable and which are not. When lines are drawn as tightly as this, crafting the school’s messaging is more straightforward and the marketing channels are few but obvious.
However, most Christian schools have an open enrolment policy. The faith the school represents is viewed invitationally (all are welcome) and the majority of parents are not part of any faith community. Adding to the complexity is that some families come from a different religion and school Heads speak of parents who ask if their child can be exempt from classes in Christian studies because they adhere to another faith. Some go further and want provision to be made for the practice of their religion within the school.
Your brand and messaging become more complex in these circumstances, for there is often misunderstanding of what the school stands for.
Parents with no faith background usually assume that faith is dualistic. In other words, they imagine that the Christian part of the school is dealt with by prayer and a Bible reading at the school assembly and, perhaps, a few classes in religious instruction. They think there are a few religious blocks within school life; some imagine that they might be able to have their child excused from these blocks, citing, “We love the school, but we are just not a religious family.” Other than the religious parts, they see the school as much the same as any other, except that its care, discipline and academic standards are better.
However, most Christian schools claim that faith is integrated into all aspects of school life. It might be a maths lesson, but belief in a God of reason, order and beauty lies behind the way it is introduced and taught. In short, most Christian schools claim that their Christian faith shapes all that they do and the way they do it — be it pastoral care, discipline, mathematics or its educational focus.
How then should Christian schools respond when parents question the Christian stance of the school and ask for changes or exemptions?
A key role of the Board is to ensure that the school remains true to its founding vision and mission. If this flows directly from its foundation as a Christian school, the Board should ask pointed questions if it detects vision and mission drift. They are the custodians of the founding vision and need to take this part of their role with the utmost seriousness. That doesn’t mean the Board would never update its vision in light of changed circumstances, but it does mean that when changes are made, they are done so intentionally and after deep thought and much consultation.
Boards should therefore ask some pointed but critical questions. Do both the words in our title matter? Are we a ‘Christian School’? Do we place equal emphasis on the word ‘Christian’ as we do with the word ‘school’? How do these words interact with each other? Clear is kind and, without clarity on questions as fundamental as these, school Heads and marketing managers might give mixed and muddled signals.
Presupposing that the word ‘Christian’ is a key descriptor of the school’s identity, it is important for marketers to communicate this effectively. We are less than honest if we don’t. But this brings us back to our earlier question: Does it matter if a school’s primary reason for existence is of secondary importance to the constituency that attends it?
In reality, most schools must highlight both primary and secondary reasons for attending the school. The message might essentially be, “attend this Christian School, known for the quality of its pastoral care, discipline and academic excellence”. When interviewing prospective families, it’s important to give a realistic but winsome presentation of how faith is expressed in the school.
It’s worth giving careful thought to how this is done and not leave the nuance of your key messages to be learned by osmosis, because that rarely works. I have come across principals who point to the school’s statement of faith — but realistically, this is more likely to confuse than to enlighten. I’ve often worked with schools to help them make the journey from statements of faith to theological architecture — a more intuitive way to communicate how faith is lived out in the school — but more of that in part two.
For now, it’s enough to ask how your school is straddling the divide when the schools ‘why’ of existence is different to a parent’s ‘why’ of enrolment. If not faced, the confusion caused can see the transparency and integrity of the school questioned. It’s worth exploring how to do it well.
If your Board has never discussed this, why not add it to the agenda?
insight applied
- Ensure the school’s faith expression aligns with parental expectations.
- Be clear with parents and staff about how your faith expression integrates into school life.
- Highlight both the school’s religious foundation and quality standards for holistic appeal.
- The first step is to get clarity in the Boardroom.
