233: Closing the gap between insight and action – Part 2
Release Date: 11/27/2025
245: The new parent mindset reshaping school choice – Interview with David Woodgate
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and David Woodgate In this interview episode, Brad is joined by David Woodgate, Chief Executive of the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA) in the UK, to examine how millennial parents are reshaping school choice. David explains why reputation, tradition and results are no longer enough to create confidence, as parents look for clearer evidence of value, individual care and alignment between a school’s promise and lived experience. Together, they discuss what this shift means for Heads, admissions and marketing teams, and why every...
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244: Can a school create external confidence before it has internal coherence?
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore why external confidence depends on internal coherence. They discuss why staff goodwill is not the same as shared understanding, how parents sense mixed signals across tours, conversations and follow-up communication, and why alignment is built through repeated leadership decisions, not announcements. The trio examines the risk of a school sounding clearer than it feels, and why Heads must ensure the school’s story is understood and reinforced by their own staff...
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243: Enrolment pressure and the new parent priorities – Interview with Chris Lang
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Pauline Shuttleworth and Chris Lang In this interview episode, Brad is joined by Pauline Shuttleworth, imageseven A, and Chris Lang, co-founder and Head of Sales for Asia Pacific at Digistorm, to examine the changing enrolment landscape for independent schools. Using the findings from Digistorm’s 2025/26 State of K–12 School Admissions Report, they discuss how softening demand and growing enrolment pressure are shifting admissions from reactive management to data-informed planning. This requires Heads to sharpen their positioning and take a...
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242: Is your brand yours to reshape or yours to steward?
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully explore why school brands are not personal platforms for leaders to reshape They explore the difference between ownership and stewardship, explain why a school’s brand is inherited rather than invented, and discuss how leaders can renew and clarify its message without distorting what families already trust. The trio also examines how pressure can tempt schools to broaden or soften their story, and why steadiness, coherence and conviction give parents confidence when...
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241: Are you leading or just explaining?
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully discuss a confronting principle for school Heads: leadership is communication. Every decision, silence, delay and repeated phrase signals what matters most, and families read into those signals long before they read a strategy document. The trio explores why enrolment confidence is shaped by coherence, not volume, how pressure reveals a school’s true priorities and why clarity cannot be delegated. Episode link: Get in touch at
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240: School fees, affordability and enrolments – Interview with Jack Stevens
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Jack Stevens In this interview episode, Brad speaks with Jack Stevens, CEO of Edstart, about what findings from Edstart’s 2026 School Fees Report mean for school Heads. The discussion explores why fee increases have remained steady, yet continue to outpace inflation, how staffing costs and government funding pressures are reshaping school budgets and why parent perceptions of value matter more than ever. Brad and Jack reveal how flexible payment options can reduce friction, improve parent experience and support both enrolment and...
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239: Is your brand a strategy or a symptom?
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle, Andrew Sculthorpe and Belinda McCubbin A school’s brand is not owned by marketing. It is shaped by leadership clarity, consistency and decision-making over time. In this episode, Brad, Bel and Scully discuss why brand is a leadership responsibility, how mixed signals create uncertainty for families, and why enrolment confidence is built through coherence rather than volume. The trio explore the danger of reactive branding, the role of tone and direction, and why every major strategic decision becomes a brand decision, whether leaders intend it...
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238: Is your mission decorative or directional? – Part 2
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Belinda McCubbin When your mission is clear, it does more than guide strategy; it prevents misalignment before it starts. In part two, Brad and Bel explain why mission clarity should narrow your messaging, your promises, and the families who naturally feel called to your school. They discuss why broadening language can feel rational under enrolment pressure, but often creates confusion, hesitation and superficial comparison. The duo explore how mission-fit enrolment conversations reduce friction later and share a practical test for leaders to...
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237: Deep Dive - Interview with Dr Mark Merry
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Dr Mark Merry In this special Deep Dive, Brad sits down with Dr Mark Merry, long-serving Principal of Yarra Valley Grammar and former National Chair of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools Australia (AHISA), for a conversation about leading a school through scrutiny, crisis, criticism and change. The duo explore why authority is earned through relationships and how culture is shaped in the small everyday moments. Mark also shares a grounded approach to media and reputational pressure including why staying silent can backfire, how to...
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236: Is your mission decorative or directional? – Part 1
smj: school marketing journal
School Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Belinda McCubbin Most schools have a mission statement. Some use it as a reference point for decisions and others treat it as a familiar phrase that sits in the background. In this episode, Brad and Bel explore what happens when a mission becomes a practical leadership tool and the importance of having a directional mission. The duo discusses how direction shapes priorities, messages and resourcing. If it’s decorative, it tends to appear in documents but rarely changes behaviour or drives decision-making. Part 1 sets up the key tests...
info_outlineSchool Marketing Journal with Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe
In this follow up to episode 232, Brad and Scully focus on how Heads can turn understanding into meaningful activity that changes behaviour or perception for your audience. They explore how to define success before acting, choose the right measures and build simple systems that keep teams aligned. The conversation highlights how structure prevents drift and sustains momentum through the term. The duo discusses practical steps for maintaining momentum and ensuring insights create meaningful improvement for families and staff.
Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au