“Our rebrand work with Parker helped us bring together our values in a way that brought cohesion and clarity. The rebrand embodied what we were trying to do in terms of raising the aspirations of students and the wider community we serve. 

Our rebranding raised the bar visually and has had a quite profound effect over the last three years in terms of the culture of the school. The visuals resonate when we talk of professionalism, integrity and respect. They help us live this out.” – Principal, King’s Leadership Academy Hawthornes.

Testing times

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it testing times for everybody, with the Education sector being one of the most affected. So now more than ever, having a strong brand is essential to help underpin all the efforts which everybody involved in the school – students, parents, teaching and non teaching staff, from caretakers to cleaners – are making to continually adapt, and still be able to excel in such unfavourable circumstances.

Look beyond your logo

Without taking away from the key role that your logo plays in communicating with your audience, the importance of a wider branding exercise cannot be underestimated. A well thought-out brand will help represent your values and acts as the glue that keeps everyone together and focused. Think of your brand as a major connector.

Dress the part

After months of remote learning – which has had an impact not only on students but also on parents and teachers – and the overall global uncertainty, the physical education space and how your brand helps it present itself plays a crucial role as a solid motivator and a reassuring nurturer – your school is a safe place.

To inspire trust and add cohesion and consistency across internal and external space, and your school or academy network, you need to visually shape your identity and what your institution stands for at every single touchpoint.

Having a strong brand will help you create an environment that oozes confidence and solidity, that motivates and generates trust. At times like these, all those elements combined will offer a much-needed sense of comfort, something that can be relied on.

Be uniform to be strong

Part of the importance of creating a strong brand is consistency in its application.

Over the last few years, we’ve been working closely with The Great Schools Trust to offer students, parents and staff a consistent branding experience that feels immediately familiar and unifies schools across its network.

The values-led multi academy Trust includes King’s Leadership Academy Hawthornes in Bootle, as well as sites in Warrington, Liverpool and Bolton. The Academies focus on character education through a structured programme of leadership and character development, all underpinned by the Trust’s core beliefs of Aspiration, Achievement, Self-Awareness, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect and Endeavour.

Immersing ourselves in a deep branding exercise before we started working on the first site, we have then been applying the same principles to each individual school as the Trust widened its reach in the region.

Despite significant architectural differences – a brand new building in Warrington, older, inherited buildings at the Hawthornes and Liverpool sites, right through to the temporary buildings of the newly launched Bolton – the Academies present a consistent story thanks to branding ideas that remain strong despite their adaptability.

Prominent logos, inspirational quotes, an energising colour palette and the mixing of tradition and innovation all contribute to creating a welcoming and exciting environment that inspires even before you’ve set foot inside any of the King’s Academies.

The brand new building for King’s Academy Warrington

Below, King’s Hawthorne in Bootle, a building inherited by the Trust

Below, the temporary building for King’s Bolton dressed with inspiring brand messages

The strength of the brand lends itself easily to a variety of applications, including the rebrand of all school collateral.

When working on branding in the Education sector, an approach focused on delivering strength and consistency across the network has helped not only elevate the physical presence of the Academies, but it’s also contributed to transmitting a sense of authority to the communities that benefit from them, inspiring trust and loyalty, and translating into both student and staff retention.

Now more than ever branding in the education sector is vital, and your brand needs to embrace the possibility of a promising near future, so get in touch if you think we can help you make it a reality.