Changing Perceptions

Case study

Background
Fullhurst Community College was one of the first phase schools in Leicester to have secured investment to develop their educational offering and buildings as part of Building Schools for the Future.

As the College reached completion of its new Vocational Training Centre and despite it being a popular choice in the community, lack of information about the new building had encouraged local residents to assume that it was a detention centre rather than a vocational training centre. Rumour had increased becoming detrimental to their reputation and profile.

What we did for them
To redress the rumours we put together a short campaign that was open and honest, engaging with the local media and residents. It addressed the media with:

• A press pack about the new building demonstrating that Fullhurst has been chosen to be in the first phase of ‘Building Schools for the Future’. The press pack also included:
• Criteria for Building Schools for the Future
• What courses the Vocational Centre provided
• Who could use the Centre
• A statement from the Principal about the College’s achievements and the vocational centre being a positive addition
• Illustrations and photographs of the new building
• Invited and organised the education correspondent of the local newspaper to visit Fullhurst and see the development first hand, supplying him with the press pack as an exclusive story.
• Following publication of the exclusive, contacting other Leicester publications and radio programmes.
• Monitored feedback published in the local press (letters page or editorial comment) and drafting Fullhurst’s response as required.

The wider community
We also considered the local residents and parents giving them access to information through leaflet drops, a local exhibition and internet presence by:

• Developing copy and visuals into an exhibition for the local Bright Centre.
• Producing a leaflet about the new development and delivering it to the catchment area.
• Adding a web link to the existing college site that focussed on the progress of the Vocational Centre up dating as developments took place.