School Surveys

SCHOOL SURVEYS LONG

Overview

A large number of independent schools across Australia and New Zealand currently use our surveys to monitor and benchmark parent and employee satisfaction and engagement. The program has been designed by educators, school principals and researchers to meet the strategic, management and marketing needs of independent schools. It provides direct feedback from parents, students (exiting), employees and alumni. Marketshare has worked in the education sector for over two decades and currently works closely with universities, TAFEs, RTOs, primary and secondary schools and child care facilities.

Our consultants

Marketshare is recognised as both a pioneer and market leader in parent and employee satisfaction surveys in the education sector. Our consultants are specialists in this field of research. They have worked extensively in the education sector routinely using research findings to develop well defined recommendations that each of our clients can easily implement. Our focus is always on the outcomes of our clients.

Why survey your school community?

In broad terms, the research will enable you to answer the following questions about your school:

  • What are you doing well?
  • What things need to be improved?
  • Are you meeting expectations?
  • How do you compare with other independent schools?

Specifically, it will also help you to:

  • keep in touch with parent, employee and student perceptions and expectations
  • control the school improvement agenda
  • establish internal and external benchmarks for improvement
  • prioritise annual planning
  • monitor staff climate, expectations and areas for improvement
  • set and maintain high expectations about organisational performance
  • obtain affirmation for current directions and practices

Method

Generally schools survey their parents and employees on an annual basis. Upon your agreement to participate in the program we will send you a draft questionnaire. This questionnaire can be individually tailored to address all relevant issues at your school. We work closely with your school to ensure that we ask the right questions of the right people. All participants of the survey at your school will be provided with a login to the online survey. We also provide printed questionnaires to your school as well as reply paid envelopes which allow questionnaires to be directly returned to Marketshare for processing. We provide templates for the covering letter which notifies participants of the survey. Your school will be responsible for distributing the questionnaires and/or logins to each parent (or employee, student, alumnus or alumna). Upon completion of the questionnaire, the results can be mailed directly to us in the reply paid envelopes provided. This is seen as an important part of the process as the surveys must be, and must be seen to be, both confidential and independent.

Reporting

A comprehensive report is prepared separately for each group surveyed. These are available in a colour hard copy and/or electronically. Our reports go beyond simply reporting the satisfaction levels of parents, employees, students or alumni. We are careful to identify and understand the expectations of all parties involved and by determining the importance or relevance of individual items we are able to put feedback into context. Our reports present all performance indicators graphically helping you to immediately identify opportunities and aspects that require urgent attention. KPIs are routinely compared to both internal and external benchmarks (based on a large number of independent schools).

Fees

Fees for participating in our surveys are based on the number of surveys issued reflecting the number of families, exiting students and employees or alumni at your school. The fees below should be used as a guide and would need to be confirmed at the time of commissioning.

Additional services

We work closely with the Institute of Modern Languages and have the capacity to conduct surveys in a number of different languages. Translation costs apply to these surveys.

Timing

Surveys can be conducted at any time during the year. Typically schools survey parents and staff towards the end of each term or semester. Surveys generally take 5-6 weeks to complete from date of commissioning.  A full timeline is negotiated at the time of commissioning.

Relevant Experience

SCHOOLS RELEVANT EXPERIENCESchool Parent & Staff Surveys This program of client satisfaction surveys (parents, employees, students, alumni) has been conducted for many years. It is conducted primarily in the independent school sector in Australia and New Zealand. A large number of schools have participated to date. It involves interviewing large numbers of parents about their needs and expectations and the decision processes they undertake when choosing a school for their children. The study also investigates attitudes, needs and expectations of staff, students and alumni. Findings are benchmarked and can be monitored over time.
Prospective Parent Mystery Shopping We have conducted work in this field for a number of independent schools. These projects involved the mystery shopping of targeted schools thus allowing us to audit the processes involved when prospective parents contact the school. Both our partnered school and any of its competitors were targeted.
State Education Department – New Basics This project involved obtaining feedback from various stakeholder groups including principals, teachers and parents in regard to their attitudes, behaviours, needs and expectations of the New Basics program. There was a strong regional component to this project.
Student Benchmarking Study for TAFE This tracking study has been proven to be extremely successful. Currently we seek feedback from students in training organisations across Australia and New Zealand. Large numbers of interviews are conducted with students about their behaviours, decision processes, needs and expectations. All findings are benchmarked against both internal and external yardsticks.
Business Client Benchmarking Study for Training Organisations This tracking study has been in operation for a number of years. At present we seek feedback from clients of training organisations across Australia and New Zealand. Interviews are conducted with business and training organisations about their attitudes, decision processes, needs and expectations with all findings being benchmarked.
Rebranding of a Major University This study was designed to investigate stakeholder attitudes, perceptions, needs and expectations of universities in general and then explore how well this particular university met those needs. Specifically, the research explored issues relating to attitudes & perceptions, needs analysis & performance gaps, brand health and the possible negative impacts of rebranding.
Child Care Centre Parent Satisfaction At present we seek feedback from parents and employees of child care centres across Australia and New Zealand. Large numbers of interviews are conducted investigating decision processes, needs, expectations and satisfaction levels. All findings are benchmarked.
Employee Benchmarking Study for Training Organisations In operation for over a decade this study has been highly successful. Currently we seek feedback from employees in training organisations across Australia and New Zealand. Large numbers of interviews are conducted with staff about their behaviours, decision processes, needs and expectations. All findings are benchmarked.