Top Tips for Managing Your School's Reputation
A school's reputation is one of its key assets and something that governors must take reasonable steps to protect.
Recent years have seen significant threats to reputation with the advent of well-publicised social media movements such as Black Lives Matter and Everyone's Invited, and the public scrutiny of many schools by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
There can be grave consequences for schools that do not effectively manage their reputation and/or take appropriate measures to protect it. Negative press can be hugely damaging, and can harm the public trust and confidence placed in schools, which in turn can affect relationships with parents, pupils, regulators, governors and staff (as well as those who may be looking to join the school in the future).
We have set out some practical steps for schools to consider in this context.
Don’t Panic
Do not be pressured into making a statement on the spot or feeling the need to give a detailed response to initial enquiries. First statements to the press are almost always bland for very good reasons (not least because the full picture may not yet be clear, and saying anything which later turns out to be incorrect or inaccurate should be avoided). If the incident is serious enough to result in legal proceedings, the initial response could also impact upon those. A more detailed response can always be given later, potentially with input from a PR advisor. At the outset, less is often more.
Consider Potential Conflicts of Interest
If a senior individual within the school is named in any complaint or allegation then it is important to consider any actual or perceived conflict of interest. Anyone named in that context should not themselves lead the response to the issue, to protect both the school and the individual's personal position. Don't have people marking their own homework.
Plan and Co-ordinate
Plan for situations which pose a risk of reputational damage so that when an incident does arise, your internal team knows what to do and a consistent message is given. Make sure that enquiries are directed to the appropriate individual(s). Also consider tasking someone to monitor publicity and report on adverse comment and set up search alerts so that you are notified of these.
Don’t Ignore It
If the incident attracts media attention, you will not be given much time to consider your response, so consider putting together a draft response or press statement as soon as possible. This should reflect your wider strategy for handling the incident. Although you should of course prioritise compliance with legal and regulatory duties, care should also be taken to ensure that communications are effective. Carefully consider whether you want to be pro-active in communications - that can be important, but it may also draw more attention to the issue.
Investigate and Follow Policies
When you are made aware of a potential issue, consider whether investigation is needed and whether the school can press ahead at the outset or needs permission to do so. Consider what the school's policies and procedures require and, if appropriate, follow them. Even if allegations may appear spurious, the school is likely to be expected to have considered them and be able to document that consideration. Retain all relevant information and take care when creating new documents relating to the matter (in any form, including email) as these could potentially become disclosable further down the line.
Be Aware of Reporting Obligations
Consider your obligation to report incidents (and the timing of such reports) to insurers, regulatory and public bodies. For charitable schools this will include consideration of serious incident reporting to the Charity Commission. It is sensible to review your insurance arrangements at the outset so you ensure you comply with your reporting duties and are aware of the available cover. Unless and until the school's insurance position is confirmed, nothing should be done which may prejudice the insurer's position.
Work Out Potential Claims and Consider Strategic Options Early
Regardless of whether proceedings may be initiated (either against or by the school), understanding the impact of potential claims is important. Essentially, you do not want to do or say anything that may have a negative impact at a later stage - having a strategy helps with this.
Consider Expert Input
Assess the need for specialist PR and legal expertise. Experts can help you to horizon scan, set a strategy and respond to the situation. They can help you consider any potential weaknesses which may leave the school open to media and/or regulatory criticism and how best to defend those. While many schools have excellent communications teams, crisis PR often requires a different skill set and external support can be hugely beneficial. Having a team on hand can be useful given the short timescales often involved in responding to a reputational issue.
Regular Appraisal
Review and monitor the situation on an ongoing basis, bearing in mind all competing interests and any deadlines.
Respond Quickly
From time to time, things will undoubtedly go wrong. Responding quickly and effectively can help minimise the potential for damage to the school and its stakeholders and its reputation too.