Mystery Shopping: The Conversation with the Head

One of the questions we regularly get asked is “Will the Head feel like I’m checking up on them if I commission a mystery shop?” Our answer to this is very simple, let them know it’s happening.  The whole point of a mystery shop is to look for improvements and quick easy wins for your prospective parent journey.  Knowing what style your Head is when they are with prospective parents can help improve that process. Let me explain…
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There is no wrong or right to the Head’s meeting. It is why I love the sector so much! We are selling more than a product, we are selling an experience, a feel, an aspiration. Every Head is different, so is every school, and whilst every parent is different – ultimately all want the same – “the best possible experience for their child.” The role of the visit is to show that your school will fulfil that desire.
This is why knowing what style of Head you have when it comes to prospective parents can really help. Breaking Heads down into three core types is unrealistic as most will be a little of each, however as this is a brief light hearted blog, we will  look at three Head types and how knowing their approach can improve your tour experience. It really is like scaffolding – you need to put processes in place that support your Head.   
The Charisma Head
The Charisma Head is charm personified – you leave the room feeling excited and positive about the school. Then on reflection, realise you didn’t get any of the answers you wanted to your questions, nor did you learn much about the school or how it could support your child in particular. No matter – the overwhelming factor is you left the room feeling positive. It is now the role of the admissions team to harness that positivity and back it up with the facts you are looking for; class size, extra-curricular opportunities, academic standards.  With a charismatic Head at the helm it may be that you use a member of the admissions team to give the tour, or you offer a further meeting after the Head’s meeting to answer any questions and give key information. Making reference to the Head’s enthusiasm, you can show that as Registrar, you are a steady, calming influence that can contrast and work well with this style of Head.
The Detailed Head
The Detailed Head is, yes you’ve guessed it, all about the detail. They ask very specific questions about your child and discuss in depth as to how the school will support them. This could be from explaining the setting of lessons, language choices, number of children doing latin, times of the football club, minutiae of the catering choices!  As a parent you leave the room feeling impressed and overloaded with information. In this instance a tour by younger pupils or a very informal chatty approach from the Registrar can compliment the Head well.  The Registrar should probably hold back on more facts and talk more generally about the school and its ethos. 
The Philosophical Head
The Philosophical Head will talk all about their views on teaching and learning and what education should be like and what indeed, an education at their school, looks like. This can be inspiring and intimidating at the same time for a parent  who has no  particular views on the educational system and a lack of understanding of words such as “pedagogy”.  It is important with this style of Head that the parent feels listened to with regards to their own child and own questions – and the Registrar can tailor questions afterwards in this vein.  
I’m sure many reading this will recognise a little of each in themselves or their Head and will have adapted accordingly. That said, Heads change over time – not just in terms of moving schools – also in terms of how they approach things based on how long they have been at a school. A mystery shop can be really useful in giving you that impetus to review how you might conduct your prospective parent visits.  As schools evolve and develop so should the prospective parent experience – and this is why we support mystery shopping.
Do you think your school could benefit from a mystery shop? Click here for full details or email alicia@independentschoolsportal.org for more information.