Northants, Leics &amp; Rutland


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-006-1024x683.jpg" alt="Becky Kerry schools branding image marketing photography children uniform" class="wp-image-48512" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-006-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-006-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-006-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-006.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>From sporting prowess, to light-filled art studios and who&#8217;s got the biggest acreage for forest school, there&#8217;s so much more to being an exceptional school than exam results. We caught up with photographer and branding expert <a href="https://www.beckykerrphotography.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Becky Kerr</a> to find out how parents can be initially won over by visuals when looking at prospective schools and why image is about so much more than what&#8217;s on the surface.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-004-1024x683.jpg" alt="Becky Kerry schools branding image marketing photography science lab" class="wp-image-48509" style="aspect-ratio:1.499267935578331;width:640px;height:auto" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-004-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-004-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-004-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-004.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-should-schools-spend-money-on-quality-images-for-their-marketing-materials">Why should schools spend money on quality images for their marketing materials?</h2>



<p>What&#8217;s the first thing most parents do when researching schools for their child? Check league tables? Trawl through inspection reports? Or is it scroll through a school&#8217;s website and social media? Open any school&#8217;s Instagram account and you&#8217;ll inevitably see row after row of happy children on sports fields, performing on stage, climbing on play equipment or looking awe-struck around a Bunsen burner. Websites display studious looking children playing chess, painting at an easel or lounging in cosy groups in their comfy boarding house. </p>



<p>In a world where most people will leave a website in a few short seconds, it&#8217;s a significant marker if a school can showcase their appeal quickly and effectively. This doesn&#8217;t necessarily point to a merely superficial narrative, but one in which attention to detail and understanding the power of well-executed presentation is key. After all, when your child is spending 8 or more hours a day in a school, how that school pays attention to the finer details is going to be a key factor in your child&#8217;s happiness and potential success.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-005-1024x683.jpg" alt="Becky Kerry schools branding image marketing photography teaching staff senior leadership team" class="wp-image-48513" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-005-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-005-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-005-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-005.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-might-a-school-go-wrong-with-their-brand-images">Where might a school go wrong with their brand images?</h2>



<p>Professionally shot photos showcase who you are, whether an independent school or any other type of business. If a school isn&#8217;t projecting a highly polished, professional image, it can speak volumes about their priorities. It&#8217;s essential to showcase the Senior Leadership Team, in particular the Head. Parents want to feel they know and relate to the people taking care of and educating their children. If a school is keeping something back, parents will understandably ask why, so schools must be an open book in their marketing materials and keep them up to date. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-003-1024x683.jpg" alt="Becky Kerry schools branding image marketing photography music lessons flute" class="wp-image-48515" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-003-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-003-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-003-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-003.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-photos-say-about-a-school-s-priorities">What can photos say about a school&#8217;s priorities?</h2>



<p>If you&#8217;re wondering if all of this is any real reflection of how good a school is under the surface, consider what the photos might be telling you about the aspects of a school that really matter to your family such as diversity, gender equality and even social events &#8211; things that the school might not shout about in their prospectus, but which will come through in the images they post online. Is there are mix of cultures? Does the school&#8217;s social media celebrate girls in sport or is it heavily weighted towards boys? Is there an element of fun? </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-001-1024x683.jpg" alt="Becky Kerry schools branding image marketing photography" class="wp-image-48507" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-001-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-001-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-001-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/BECKY-KERR-SCHOOLS-001.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-should-schools-consider-when-planning-a-branding-shoot-day">What should schools consider when planning a branding shoot day?</h2>



<p>Understanding the power of well-executed, skilled photography is a great place to start. Think about creating a mood board and ensure you know what you&#8217;re aiming to have in the bag at the end of the day&#8217;s shoot. Plan specific images and what they&#8217;ll be used for. You will probably need a mix of natural, documentary style images and more constructed ones and a wide variety of subjects. Showcase all of your facilities, sixth form spaces, boarding houses, sports in action, extra-curricular activities, performances and how how younger children in particular are nurtured by staff. Highlight the personality of the school outside and well as inside the classroom and let parents see how their child will be given the opportunity to flourish.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/Becky_Kerr_SAMWIT_June_2024-46-1024x683.jpg" alt="Becky Kerry schools branding image marketing photography tennic girls sport" class="wp-image-48519" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/Becky_Kerr_SAMWIT_June_2024-46-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/Becky_Kerr_SAMWIT_June_2024-46-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/Becky_Kerr_SAMWIT_June_2024-46-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/07/Becky_Kerr_SAMWIT_June_2024-46.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Consider carefully what you want from your photographer, ideally they&#8217;ll be someone who can work as swiftly and unobtrusively as possible, who can operate in the background but also calmly engage the staff and pupils if needed. Someone who is capable of portraying the visual story of your school with both personality <em>and</em> sensitivity. </p>



<p><em><a href="https://www.beckykerrphotography.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Becky Kerr</a> is a commercial and branding photographer working throughout the UK and beyond, photographing business and entrepreneurs to enable them to tell their authentic story.&nbsp;</em></p>


How can brand photos help parents choose the right school for their child?

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