The brief
A UK university student recruitment team were keen to understand the opinions and needs of teachers and higher education (HE) advisors across a variety of schools and sixth-form colleges to:
- Understand how the team can most effectively support teachers and HE advisors in recommending courses and universities to pupils.
- Discover how the university can most effectively engage with potential students in helping them make informed decisions on courses and universities.
- Explore what, ultimately, makes the university stand out from competitor HE institutions.
The approach
We used a qualitative approach to explore the research questions, which fed into our recommendations for the university. We conducted 30 online interviews with teachers and advisors who represented UK independent schools, state schools and sixth-form colleges. Participants provided useful insights into the type of course information and events their schools have engaged with in the past, and those most valued by staff and pupils.
The value
The research supported the UK student recruitment team’s strategy to promote the university to prospective students. Our final deliverables provided several broad yet actionable recommendations for the university recruitment team, centred on opportunities for face-to-face engagement with pupils, in school and on campus. On campus, subject-specific events for pupils were seen as inspiring and instrumental in helping them make informed decisions about courses and universities.
