Why the first contact matters for a secondary school
Choosing a secondary school is a big step for a family. Parents often start looking a year or more ahead, and many visit several schools before they decide. Sixth form students choose too, and they have plenty of options.
Families compare what they see and hear. A clear website, a quick reply and a friendly open evening help a family picture their child there. A vague page or a late answer can send them to the next school on the list.
Most school offices are small teams handling many calls and emails. Admissions deadlines are fixed, so one missed message can matter. Staff are often too close to the process to see the gaps. A fresh pair of eyes can show them.
We test how it feels for a family to find information and ask questions. We do not test the quality of teaching.
Following a family from search to open evening
We follow the steps a family takes, in order.
First, the shopper searches for your school and reads your website. They look for admissions dates, how places are offered and the entry requirements for your sixth form. They note how easy these are to find on a phone.
Next, they send an email or web form enquiry. Where it suits, they also ring the school office. They ask a realistic question, such as how to find out about places or whether a visit before the open evening is possible.
Then the shopper attends an open evening or a tour. They notice the signs, the welcome at the door and how questions are answered.
Finally, we watch what follows. Does a thank-you arrive? Are the next dates shared? Does anyone check that the family has what it needs?
The shopper is always an adult. For sixth form, an adult poses as a prospective student asking about courses and entry. We never submit a real application.
What we score at each step
Every score has an observation behind it. We use the same core checks across all our work, then add checks that fit schools.
The core checks are website experience, ease of making contact, response time and telephone manner. We also score customer welcome, understanding the family's needs, explanation of what the school offers, and trust and professionalism. Follow-up is scored too. Attempt to secure the sale becomes something gentler here: does the school invite the family to a sensible next step, such as a visit or an application guide?
For schools we add some specific checks. Is the admissions page easy to find, and are the key dates clear? Is the route for applying through the local authority explained in plain words? Are sixth form entry requirements and subject choices easy to follow?
We also look at how clearly the school explains extras for families, such as uniform, trips and transport. And we check that the open evening is easy to book and that the details are accurate.
Gaps we often look for
These are things to check, not accusations. Many schools have a few of them, and most are quick to fix.
Check whether admissions dates match across pages. Check whether the open evening page still shows last year's date. Check whether the enquiry form sends a confirmation, or leaves the family wondering if it worked.
Check how long an email waits for a reply, and whether the reply answers the question that was asked. Check whether a phone call reaches a person, or a voicemail with no clear next step.
At the open evening, check the signs from the car park to the hall. Check whether visitors are greeted. Check whether people on the admissions stand can explain how places are offered as well as which subjects are taught.
After the event, check whether the family hears anything at all. A short thank-you and a reminder of the next deadline help.
Check, too, who the words are for. A sixth form page may need to speak to a sixteen-year-old directly.
What you receive
A member of our team reads every observation and checks it against the evidence. Only then is the report released to you.
You receive an overall score and a score for each step: website, enquiry, telephone, open evening and follow-up. Each score sits beside the observation that supports it. You see strengths as well as weaknesses.
You also receive an action plan, ordered by what is likely to help families most and what is quickest to do. Many items are small, such as updating a date or adding one line to a reply.
We never name or rank individual staff. The report is about processes, wording and training. You can share it at a staff meeting without anyone feeling singled out.
The findings show one family journey on one occasion. They are a prompt for improvement, not a verdict on the school. A retest after your changes shows what has moved.
Who it suits and how to start
This service suits secondary schools, academies, trusts and sixth form colleges. It suits a school office getting ready for admissions season. It also suits a trust that wants to compare how its schools welcome families.
To begin, ask for prices by email. We can also send a free first-impression report on one part of your journey, so you can see how our reports look.
If you have your own questions in mind, our Custom Questions option lets you write up to 10, 20 or 30 questions and choose how many shoppers. A school might ask whether the shopper was told how to book a sixth form taster session.
Our Social Media Service can also check how your school's public pages answer a family message.
We agree the plan with you first. We ask you to tell staff in general terms that mystery shopping may take place. We never record covertly, and we never involve pupils.