mark-making* puts The Education Clinic's vision into print

11 July 2005

Sue Anderson runs The Education Clinic, an organisation that offers a personal information service to parents in the UK’s armed forces who are choosing a boarding school for their children. With experience of having to choose boarding schools for her own children, and more than twenty years working on the marketing side of the UK independent schools sector, Sue understands how much parents need a personal adviser to help them choose the right boarding school – especially as they are doing it from a remote location. Often as first time buyers of independent education, HM Forces parents are eager to see and hear how other parents have found the school that is just right for their children. A key communication method for The Education Clinic is the UK Schools Directory that lists a wide selection of the UK’s many excellent boarding schools, together with some personal stories from parents who have used The Education Clinic’s services to find the ideal boarding school solution.

Sue Anderson explains the evolution of the UK Schools Directory – now in its second edition – and the key role that mark-making* played in turning her vision into the finished product. “At the outset, The Education Clinic’s communication strategy was to visit bases in Germany, for face to face advice sessions with parents. Having personally visited 200 boarding schools in the UK, I am able to offer a personal insight for parents who are looking for exactly the right match for their children. As The Education Clinic gained momentum, and became included in the portfolio of information held at HIVE centres and at the Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS), we realised that we needed a well-designed, high quality directory. This was being requested by parents, who needed some printed material to help them in narrowing down their options. In addition, the schools needed an appropriate showcase to set out their photograph and details, giving their potential parents a contact and reference point.”

A business colleague recommended mark-making* to Sue, who then briefed the design agency to develop some ideas and visuals for the directory and for exhibition stands for the ongoing tours. Sue continues “I had a very clear idea in my mind about the look and feel of the finished directory. It had to be a very personal document that reflected my own active involvement and contact with the parents and the schools, and it also needed to be reassuring to parents by featuring happy, confident boarders and other parents telling their unique stories. The mark-making* team quickly grasped my vision for the finished product and came up with two or three design ideas that could turn the vision into the finished printed product. We then worked together to produce a superb result”.

mark-making* director, Steve Turner heads up the ongoing design project and provides a senior point of contact for Sue at all times. She says “The personal service offered by Steve and his team are a good match for the one- to-one values upheld by the Education Clinic. I know that I can always speak to ‘the Boss’ and that I will get a fast and effective response. mark-making*’s design solution has been a successful investment that has really added value to my business, and I hope our relationship will continue well into the future.”

The Education Clinic and the UK Schools Directory continue to go from strength to strength. From 57 contributing schools in the 2004/5 edition, the number included in the 2005/6 edition has risen to 94, with more schools interested in contributing to the next edition. Feedback from parents is enthusiastic, and the directory is being distributed by all major HM forces organisations including HIVEs, CEAS and the NAAFI, reaching all UK forces bases throughout the world.

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