Testimonials

Finding and selecting consultants is an important and difficult decision. You want to be sure that you are spending your budget wisely. You wish there was such a thing as a guarantee that they’ll do a great job. You’d like some indication that they’re decent and trustworthy human beings; easy to work with, sensitive to your needs and able to deliver to deadlines.

Of course, there is no such thing as a guarantee, but hopefully these testimonials will offer reassurance towards making your choice.

• "Quite simply we would not be as successful as we are without her presence" Chairman of Trustees, Lyndhurst School
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• "A good rapport was established with the school and we had great confidence that the advice given was well researched" Bursar, Canford School
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• "Sîan knows and understands prep schools and the marketing challenges we face. Her approach was comprehensive, professional and personable" Headmaster, Moor Park School
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• "Such is our confidence in the organisation that we have invited Sîan to our national Annual Conference to deliver a Workshop on the issue of Marketing" General Secretary, CISC
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• "I might also add that it was a great pleasure to work with her and I would have no hesitation in engaging her services again in the future" Chairman of Governors, Christ College Brecon
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• "Sîan has an excellent marketing mind and is quick to grasp complex ideas, seeing straight to the heart of issues" Managing Director, Perry Uniform (formerly The Children’s Warehouse)
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• "Sîan’s approach is open; she works with honesty and integrity and has forged a good working relationship with the teachers and the Head" Governor, Windmill House School
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• "I would have no hesitation in recommending SJC Ltd for any aspects of marketing and management advice for schools of all types" Headmaster, Lyndhurst School
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Chairman of Trustees, Lyndhurst School
"As Chairman of the Trustees one has to make a number of long term significant decisions, and without a doubt I would say that appointing Sîan Jones as our marketing consultant is in the top three of most important and beneficial decisions I have made.

Sîan has completely overhauled our marketing provision and has contributed to the school attracting record numbers of pupils. Sîan clearly has a great deal of affection for the school and this comes across in the Trustees meetings; with the staff and the pupils.

The school has had to market its new ‘365’ nursery and launch a number of other initiatives, and Sîan has been at the heart of all decision making. She has brought to the school clarity of thinking, and helped us enormously in making the best possible decisions.

Her enthusiasm for this school always comes across, and therefore it is always a pleasure welcoming Sîan to Lyndhurst school. Quite simply we would not be as successful as we are without her presence."

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Bursar, Canford School
"Behind her youthful visage is a keen mind and a personality that can confidently present findings and observations, as well as answer difficult questions well and tactfully. As a result, a good rapport was established with the school and we had great confidence that the advice given was well researched. Much of the advice has already been implemented. Sîan clearly has a thorough knowledge of the independent sector. We would have no reservation about recommending her services to other independent schools"

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Headmaster, Moor Park School
"SJC conducted a full marketing audit, including scrutiny of marketing materials, a visit to the school, tour of site and meetings with key personnel; culminating in a comprehensive report which led to significant strategic and tactical change.

From the initial fact-finding, through 'phone conversations and emails, to the visit to Moor Park itself, it was clear that Sîan knows and understands prep schools and the marketing challenges we face.  Her approach was comprehensive, professional and personable.

Sîan was very easy to work with, not least because she had a natural empathy with Moor Park's ethos - commented on by all who met her, from secretary to bursar to teacher.

Since working with SJC, we have employed a marketing manager, significantly improved our data collection/handling and made important material changes to the parts of the school seen by prospective parents - and the list goes on!

Were I to be asked how likely I would be to recommend SJC to others my answer would be ‘'Very’!"

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General Secretary, CISC
"The Catholic Independent Schools' Conference has had a professional association with Sîan Jones Consulting over the last two years. This has been at two levels. Through consultancy work with individual schools and through the facilitation of In Service Training for thirty of the CISC schools.

The focus of the work covered has been to examine the marketing strategies of CISC Schools with particular relevance to their Catholic, independent status and to explore how best to promote the schools in the competitive market place in which they exist.

Sîan Jones Consulting and in particular Sîan Jones herself have delivered outstanding, relevant and topical scenarios for schools to consider in the vital area of Promotion. The sessions have been dynamic and extremely professionally delivered and Sian has always been highly supportive in assisting schools and delegates with moving these issues forward.

Such is our confidence in the organisation that we have invited Sîan to our national Annual Conference to deliver a Workshop to delegates on the issue of Marketing.

Feedback received from our involvement with Sîan Jones Consulting has been highly positive in all cases. I would have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending the services of Sîan Jones Consulting and look forward to a continuing relationship between CISC and SJC."

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Chairman of Governors, Christ College Brecon
"Christ College engaged SJC to aid decision-making about the School's future marketing strategy. Sîan gave a detailed presentation to Senior Management and Governors in which she outlined best practice and ways in which we might move towards that. As a result, we decided to appoint a Director of Marketing. Sîan helped us enormously by serving as a member of the appointing committee for the post and drawing up a list of questions designed to test the technical marketing skills of the candidates, a task which would have proved difficult without her input. I might also add that it was a great pleasure to work with her and that I would have no hesitation in engaging her services in the future or in recommending her to another party."

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Managing Director, Perry Uniform (formerly The Children’s Warehouse)
"We commissioned SJC to help us restructure our marketing material and position our company as an even stronger player in the school uniform market place. Sîan worked on an intensive project involving market research amongst our two audiences, Headteachers and parents, an audit of our existing marketing collateral and strategic planning for the future.

Based on the findings of the research, Sîan helped us develop a set of key messages for our subsequent communication material. She also wrote all the copy for a new brochure which we have since used to great effect.

Sîan was a pleasure to work with; she conducted research sensitively with difficult audiences, was professional, energetic and inspired us with her clarity of thinking. Sîan has an excellent marketing mind and is quick to grasp complex ideas, seeing straight to the heart of issues. She delivered to a very tight deadline and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend SJC or use its services again in the future."

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Governor, Windmill House School
"Sîan has reviewed our current marketing activities and processes. She has recommended a new intake process, conducted an audit of the school’s appearance to prospective parents, conducted some parent research and recommended a detailed marketing plan.

Sîan’s approach is open; she works with honesty and integrity and has forged a good working relationship with the teachers and the Head.

Sîan has brought to us in-depth experience of marketing over a good breadth of school types and sizes. She has enabled us to benchmark our conversion rates against other similar schools, showed us the seasonal importance of recruiting new pupils and produced a very detailed marketing plan with allocated budgets. She quotes effectively so there are no budget surprises.

After our few meetings, I wish I worked with individuals as competent on their subject as Sîan, and with such a nice style!"

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Headmaster, Lyndhurst School
"SJC Ltd. has been of immense benefit to Lyndhurst School over the last two years. Sîan Jones’ easy, yet professional manner, has enabled her to work effectively with a wide range of personnel within the school – from helping secretarial staff to focus on making the first parental contact with the school positive, to guiding governors when considering how best to project to a wide range of stakeholders significant change within the school.

At a personal level Sîan has acted very much as a ‘critical friend’, helping me to crystallise ideas about my management of the school and the ways in which the school might develop. It has been said that ‘politics is the art of the possible’ – much the same might be said about the leadership of a school, and Sîan’s detailed knowledge of schools and how they work helps inform her advice about a particular course of action.

The quality of Sîan’s written presentations is outstanding and she is able to lay out options succinctly and with great clarity. Sîan does, in fact, make an excellent project manager – tenacious and firm, yet achieving her results with great tact and charm.

I would have no hesitation in recommending SJC Ltd. for any aspects of marketing and management advice for schools of all types. If I were to move schools at any time I would want to make it a condition of my new employment that I could continue to tap into Sîan’s hugely beneficial advice."

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