Prospectus copywriting case study | Secondary school
Prospectus writing for a private International School in Saudi Arabia, (I)GCSE Prospectus.
“Working with Catherine on our project has been great! She asks thoughtful questions, submits work within (or in advance of) deadlines, and is super responsive to any comments or feedback. She’s been a true pleasure to work with.”
Client
British School Dhahran (BSD), Saudi Arabia
BDS is part of the International Schools Group and offers children access to the National Curriculum for England and Wales in Saudi Arabia.
They are an English-speaking, high-achieving school with excellent extra-curricular activities. The school offers (I)GCSEs and A Level qualifications. BSD wanted their academic offering to stand out in this competitive environment, retaining current students and appealing to new ones.
The project
BSD already had a leaflet explaining their (I)GCSE provision, but they wanted a professional-looking online prospectus that reflected their values, academic status, and excellent facilities.
I worked closely with the Deputy Headteacher, their marketing contact and the Creative Director at West9 Design to come up with a clear new layout for the prospectus. There were several information gaps, as well as a lack of a strong call-to-action.
The purpose of the prospectus was to convey all the relevant information pupils would need when choosing their (I)GCSE options, alongside details of their pastoral care and extra-curricular offerings. The challenge was to appeal to current students, and new students thinking of enrolling at the school. The focus was to be welcoming, showcase their wide (I)GCSE subject offering, convey the excellent grades of past students, and show how the school creates a well-rounded student beyond academic success.
What I wrote and why
I wrote a short introduction for the prospectus, outlining what a student could expect from reading the brochure. I imagined that I was speaking to a Year 9 pupil, about to embark on the next stage of their academic life. I used ‘you’ throughout and helped the reader imagine the learning journey they were about to embark on and the support they could expect.
I wrote a message on behalf of the school Principal, welcoming the reader to the (I)GCSE prospectus. The focus of this addition was very much about the successes of the school, the school’s values and what the school has to offer. I kept the message warm and welcoming to convey the message about the school being supportive and nurturing.
I decided on the addition of a Frequently Asked Questions section, to collate important information for the reader. I included general information here about (I)GCSEs in easy-to-digest short paragraphs.
I wrote and edited the remaining pages, which included information on pastoral care, enrolment, extra-curricular benefits, and a summary of each of the (I)GCSE curricula. The final call-to-action was an invitation to ask further questions and submission of the pupil’s options form.
“And finally…
This was a hugely enjoyable project, that spanned the structuring of the layout, to the copywriting and editing, right through to the final proofread. I worked closely with a talented graphic designer from www.west9design.co.uk to produce an information-rich and benefit-led prospectus to encourage and retain the brightest and the best pupils for the BSD.”