“How do we reach parents before Results Day?” It’s one of the questions we’re asked more and more by colleges.
GCSE Results Day isn’t just about students. It’s about parents. They’re often the people encouraging conversations about college, attending open events, reading prospectuses and helping young people decide what comes next.
Hope isn’t a recruitment strategy
Many recruitment campaigns focus almost entirely on digital channels, hoping the right families happen to see the right advert at the right time. The colleges achieving the best recruitment results don’t wait until Results Day – they start building awareness weeks, often months, in advance.
What local families need to know
They make sure local families know who they are, what courses they offer, when their open events are taking place, and why their college is the right choice. The earlier you become part of the conversation, the more likely you are to be part of the final decision.
That starts with knowing how many households with secondary school children live within your catchment area – the foundation of our further education marketing strategy work (/further-education-marketing-strategy/). Employer engagement around apprenticeships and T Levels (gov.uk has full employer guidance) completes the picture.
The lesson
Student recruitment isn’t about reaching the most people. It’s about reaching the right families, at the right time, with the right message.
Yorkshire translation
Waiting until GCSE Results Day to tell parents about your college is like advertising Christmas dinner on Boxing Day. By then, the decision has already been made.
If you’d like to know how many households with secondary school children live within your catchment area, let’s have a conversation. Call Data Bubble on 0113 465 5555.
FAQs
Why target parents rather than students in college marketing?
Parents heavily influence post-GCSE decisions – they attend open events, read prospectuses and steer conversations at home. Campaigns that reach parents early shape the shortlist before Results Day.
How do colleges identify families in their catchment area?
Through compliant household data filtered by postcode area and the presence of secondary-age children, allowing direct mail and email campaigns to reach the right homes.
When should a Results Day campaign start?
Six to twelve weeks before Results Day, so families already know the college, its courses and its open event dates when decisions are made in August.
