Is your school prospectus design effectively attracting families to enrol at your school, or is it merely a brochure packed with details of your college’s programs?
We may be tempted to play it safe and stick with the familiar, but to transform your prospectus into a powerful marketing tool, you need to engage in innovative thinking and creatively address the major questions prospective families have.
Our graphic design team created this all-in-one school prospectus design guide to assist you. We cover everything you need to know to assemble an exceptional school prospectus, from content and creative concepts to distribution strategies.
But before diving in, let’s examine the primary goals of an outstanding prospectus. What exactly are we aiming to achieve?
Planning your school prospectus design
A great school prospectus is a statement piece that pulls together what families have heard on school tours or read about on your website into concise stand out statements that really draw out why a family should choose your school.
Prospectus’ lift the perception people have about your college. It answers the big practical questions families ask before they can take the next step in the enrolment process. It inspire families to take action. Whether its to book a school tour or submit their application.
What your school prospectus design should include
Now that we’ve acknowledged the need for concise content, what specific information should we prioritise? Let’s steer clear of detailing every program your school offers and concentrate on highlighting what makes you different.
Key content to include in your school prospectus:
- Contact information.
- A message from the Principal or Educational leadership that clearly defines the heart of who you are as a school.
- Parent and student testimonials.
- FAQs you receive from parents on school tours.
- Details on distinguishing programs available to students in entry year levels such as Kindy, Prep and Year 7.
You also need to provide practical information for families, such as:
- College fees and any concessions that are available.
- Location and bus service information – Add a map or visual that quickly lets families know where you are and where your bus services run.
- Enrolment procedures and how to enrol in your college.
Roberts Digital Tip: Keeping a prospectus up-to-date can be challenging due to changing variables like school fees and bus routes. So, create a core prospectus containing mostly static information. Then, include regularly changing details as a separate insert that can be easily printed when needed.
How should you structure your prospectus
After refining your content, the next step is to focus on the structure of your prospectus.
While each school’s marketing prospectus will vary, here’s a sample structure you might consider:
Page 1: Contents
Page 2: Message from the Principal or Educational leader.
Page 3: Your school’s values and mission.
Page 4: Testimonials from students and parents.
Page 5: Teaching methods.
Page 6: Reasons to choose the school.
Page 7: Information about the curriculum.
Page 8: Admissions policy.
Page 9: A map of the school, other useful information or statistics.
Roberts Digital Tip: Remember, most school prospectus design will have multiple pages. Use high-quality school photography to breakup the content and reach your page count.
Creating a clear layout
While we may love to think that our prospectus is read from cover to cover by every family that receives it, the unfortunate truth is that most people will only spend 2-3 minutes skimming its contents.
Because of this, we need to learn to use more than just words to communicate our message. Your design should have succinct copy, standout phrases and an eye-catching design that visually communicates our message.
Branding, colours and fonts
Work with a professional graphic designer to make sure that your branding is consistently represented and that the font, spacing, images and colours are all professionally maximised.
Using the right images
When it comes to picking which photographs you will use, choose photos of students doing real activities. Your graphic designer will help you to achieve a balance between a professional finish and authenticity caught in real unstaged moments.
Go digital
Design your prospectus so that it can be used for both online and offline distribution. Incorporate interactive elements such as a QR code for the print version and clickable links to tour bookings and application pages on your website for the online version.
Strategic locations for your school prospectus distribution
A print version of the prospectus should be ready for:
- Use at open events
- Handing out at school tours
- Use at exhibition stalls and promotional stands
An online version can be used to build your email database and made available as a downloadable resource in exchange for parents email and phone number.
Ensuring all these elements work together for your school prospectus will help you to have a standout design that can be used across all your marketing activities.
Want an outstanding school prospectus design?
Creating and printing your school prospectus can sometimes feel overwhelming. But at Roberts Digital, we streamline the process for you. We guide you through every step of designing your school prospectus and taking photos. This allows you to concentrate on your primary school duties while we handle the design details.
Reach out to us via email at hello@robertsdigital.com.au or give us a call at 07 3185 5025 to learn more.
