In an increasingly competitive market, a clear, differentiated and well-executed marketing plan is more critical than ever. Can you help us tell the stories of our fantastic prep schools in Kent and South London? We’re looking for someone bursting with creative ideas, with high standards and expectations, and the organisational skills to manage multiple brands and projects simultaneously. If that sounds like you, let’s have a chat! 

 

This is a newly created role. As part of our central support team, you’ll report to the Group Head of Marketing, and work closely with the senior leaders and in-school marketing teams across your portfolio of schools. Your primary focus will be ensuring marketing activity is exciting, impactful and well-planned, reflects agreed key messages, and supports recruitment targets by driving enquiries. You’ll split your time between thinking strategically and hands-on support – creating campaigns, writing copy and analysing impact and opportunity. 

 

ABOUT WISHFORD EDUCATION 

Founded in 2012, Wishford Education is one of the country’s leading educational groups. With a clear mission and a relentless drive for excellence, we’ve never wanted to be the biggest group in the country, just the best! Ours is a collection of fantastic independent schools and nurseries located across the south of England. Each school has its own individual and unique character while sharing a commitment to providing high-quality education, fostering a nurturing environment, and offering a wide range of opportunities for students. 

With huge change taking place in the sector, our schools are well placed to continue to thrive. We had planned carefully for the changes which have impacted the sector in recent years. As a result, we have a strong balance sheet, an agile governance and leadership structure, and access to significant capital to enable us to continue investing in our schools.  

Our Kent & South London group currently comprises three schools, with several more expected to join in the coming years.  

St David’s Prep – an outstanding prep school for children aged 3-11 in a 6-acre site in West Wickham, where children are nurtured and challenged to achieve amazing things.  

The Mead School – a popular prep school for children aged 3-11 in the heart of Tunbridge Wells and very much embedded in the community of this beautiful town.  

St Faith’s Prep – a nurturing, high-achieving nursery and prep school for children aged 2 -11, nestled in the heart of the Kent countryside, between Canterbury and Sandwich. 

For more information on the Wishford Education group, please explore our website or get in touch by email. 

 

THE ROLE 

The Regional Marketing Manager is a newly created role and an exciting opportunity for an experienced marketing professional to tell the story of a portfolio of schools, building awareness and clearly communicating key messages to ensure each school achieves its recruitment targets.   

Working closely with the senior leadership and marketing and admissions teams in each of our schools, and with colleagues in our central support team and across the group, you will lead on defining key selling messages, constructing annual marketing plans and detailed weekly content grids. You will also oversee their implementation, providing support and guidance to ensure quality and consistency, monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of marketing activity, reviewing and adjusting the strategy accordingly.  

A strong communicator, persuasive and articulate, you’ll build a deep understanding of your schools and help to drive pupil recruitment. You’ll need to take a strategic approach and be comfortable with data and analytics. Bringing a proactive, creative and forward-thinking mindset, you will be involved in the life of the schools, and be known and visible to staff, pupils and parents. You’ll demonstrate strong organisational skills, a flexible attitude, energy and resilience, and have strong stakeholder management and relationship building skills. 

 

       

 

TERMS & REMUNERATION 

This is a full-time year-round role, though we may consider candidates working at least 0.6. The role will involve attending occasional evening and weekend events and open days.  

An attractive salary and benefits package will be provided, including contributions to the school’s Group Personal Pension scheme and the potential for school fee remission.  

 

APPLICATION PROCESS & IMPORTANT DATES  

Applications can be submitted online via eteach.  

The closing date for applications is 1pm on Monday 11 May 2026, with interviews taking place shortly thereafter.  

For an informal, confidential discussion please feel free to contact Sam Antrobus by email.  

Wishford Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers, reference and medical checks and the Disclosure and Barring Service. 

 

JOB DESCRIPTION 

KEY AIMS OF THE ROLE   

• Provide inspirational and encouraging leadership of the Marketing teams in the portfolio of schools to support delivery of recruitment targets. 

• Devise, develop and implement the Marketing strategy, key selling messages and detailed marketing grids for each school in partnership with the senior leadership team and in-school marketing colleagues.  

• Ensure all marketing activities are delivered in accordance with the strategy and meet our standards for quality and consistency. 

• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues throughout the schools and across the group.  

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES  

Leadership and Management  

• Develop, articulate and implement an overarching Marketing strategy, underpinned by detailed operational action plans. 

• Ensure each school’s key messages are clear, coherent and compelling, well-understood by the whole school community, and applied consistently in all forms of communication.   

• Lead and support the in-school marketing team members, sharing knowledge and best practice and creating opportunities for professional development.  

• Regularly evaluate the success of the marketing plans, initiating proactive interventions as appropriate, to meet agreed targets.  

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Wishford group to ensure a fully aligned and joined-up approach. 

• Support the schools with the effectively management of their marketing budgets.  

• Keep the Senior Leadership Team and Directors fully updated on the effectiveness of marketing activity as measured by enquiries.  

• Visit each school regularly to become a visible member of the school community, known to staff, pupils and parents.  

• Grow and develop professional networks, being a visible ambassador for the schools and the group.  

• Actively seek and incorporate feedback from current parents, prospective parents, joiners, non-joiners and feeder schools to guide future marketing strategies and action plans.  

 

Marketing  

• Oversee the development of a clear brand proposition for each of the schools. 

• Develop exciting and ambitious marketing plans to raise the profile of each school and ensure their attractions are known and understood by current and prospective parents.  

• Ensure a consistently high quality across all marketing output. 

• Analyse the local markets to refine the marketing plan for each school.  

• Oversee the development and implementation of effective and dynamic communications strategies across print, social media and internal communications.  

• Develop a PR strategy that promotes each school’s strengths through the identification of opportunities for school leaders to contribute to the discussion of educational issues in local, national and international media. 

• In conjunction with the schools and the group, implement and interpret data and research projects, including surveys of joiners and non-joiners to inform the marketing strategy.  

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

Qualifications, Experience and Skills  

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.  

• Good understanding of the independent schools market. 

• Strong commercial awareness and analytical skills.  

• Excellent interpersonal skills and management of stakeholder relationships.  

• Experienced marketeer with a strong understanding of branding, communications, digital, PR, advertising and branding.  

• Track record of devising and implementing marketing strategies.  

• Confident user of IT. 

 

Personal Attributes  

• Confident and motivational leader with a collegiate and collaborative approach.  

• High level of tact and diplomacy.  

• Highly motivated, forward thinking and eager to achieve.  

• Strategic thinker, able to drive change and bring others along.  

• Very high standards and expectations. 

• Excellent communication skills, able to engage audiences internally and externally.  

• Vision and creative flair with a strong eye for quality.  

• Willingness to travel between the schools – own transport and driving licence.  

• Values and promotes diversity and inclusion.  

• A clear commitment to delivering best practice in safeguarding 

• Resilient and adaptable with a good sense of humour and the ability to cope with the excitements and challenges of working within an educational environment!