Communications and Marketing Manager

The External Relations Team is responsible for managing RGS Newcastle's profile as the North East's leading independent school, and as a champion of educational excellence, attainment and opportunity for our region. The team is responsible for engaging with our broad range stakeholders, through marketing, communications, publications, events, alumni activities, archival engagement and fundraising.

The purpose of this key role is to deliver innovative communications and marketing activities for a broad range of stakeholders but principally prospective parents, current RGS families and staff. We need someone to help us share with the world the amazing breadth of activities happening in the school and in our social impact work, and cement meaningful connections with our audiences.

The postholder should possess excellent verbal and written communication skills, have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and be able to contribute to a busy and ambitious team.

The Communications and Marketing Manager will work within the wider External Affairs Team, comprising a Director of External Relations, Head of Digital Media, Head of Development, Development Managers, Archivist and External Affairs Administrator. The team works closely with the Events and Commercial Manager, Head of Admissions and broader school Support Staff., Reporting to the Director of External Relations, the Communications and Marketing Manager's overall responsibilities will include:

Communications

• Implement our external communications strategy to improve all aspects of raising the school's profile, maximising all available communication channels;


• Proactively manage all of RGS's social media accounts, creating and sharing regular, consistent and high impact content, which generates engagement across all stakeholder groups;


• Manage the RGS website, to include continual development/improvement of an outstanding resource;


• Work closely with key senior leaders, especially the Headmaster and Deputy Head, to produce clear parent communications, including letters and newsletters, use of the Parent Portal and any other parent channels. Provide quality control for any parent comms sent from Department Heads. As required, help to cover the comms@ inbox;


• Take a lead on key RGS publications, including the Annual Review, prospectuses/Admissions information;


• Develop impactful press releases and ensure maximum editorial/coverage of RGS activities. Monitor references to RGS in the media. Working with others, assist with media enquiries;


• Support excellent internal communication, for example providing content for the Teams Staff Hub and (as required) Student Hub (and any other internal comms channels); and


• Work closely with members and other Department Heads to support the delivery of school events, in particular where these are school wide/high profile. Assist with the development of bespoke materials (invitations, videos, programmes etc).


Marketing

• Oversee the continual refinement of RGS key messages, and ensure these are communicated consistently internally and externally;


• Work with our advertising agency (and colleagues who can provide in house production) and oversee the development of high impact marketing/advertising creative which can be used across a range of channels;


• Work with media buyers and/or media owners to negotiate and place marketing/advertising creative, monitoring and analysing the impact of investment and modifying campaigns as necessary;


• Ensure the full use of all RGS owned media, in particular our website and social media channels, to promote marketing/advertising campaigns;


• Proactively solicit knowledge of RGS parents' (both full fee paying and bursary) attitudes/satisfaction with the school, analysing and reporting findings, where necessary supporting activities to enhance satisfaction; and


• Monitor awareness of RGS's brand externally, where necessary support any activities to protect our brand/trademark.


Other

• Record and monitor the budget for all communications and marketing activities;


• Undertake other specified and reasonable communications and marketing tasks as may be required from time to time., The post will report to the Director of External Relations and work collaboratively with External Relations team.
  
  We have a unique and exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, proactive and persuasive communicator to join RGS Newcastle's busy External Relations Team., Educated to degree level or equivalent;


• Excellent, high calibre, interpersonal skills and an ability to establish rapport quickly and professionally with a diverse range of stakeholders, including prospective parents, current parents, other schools, suppliers and internal colleagues;


• Experience of working in a fast-paced communications and marketing environment with the ability to quickly see and maximise both new marketing and comms opportunities;


• Outstanding and highly persuasive writing skills, with the ability to prepare powerful copy adapted to the audience. Demonstrable experience of writing motivating press releases/editorial which secures high profile coverage;


• Strong project management skills, with an ability to set clear objectives, milestones, deliver against demanding timelines and crucially, influence personnel across RGS to support initiatives;


• A willingness to contribute to the overall External Affairs Team Development plan with particular strategic input and leadership on aspects related to Communications and marketing;


• Excellent computer literacy, including essential understanding of Microsoft Office programmes including Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint;


• Strong experience in the use of website content management systems and an understanding of SEO; desirable experience of design programmes and film production/editing packages;


• Desirable experience of placing social media adverts;


• A creative thinker, with enthusiasm to suggest new ideas, energy and willingness to work in a busy and vibrant team and the flexibility to adapt and solve problems;


• A positive and self-motivated individual, able to work both with minimal supervision and as a proactive and supportive member of an ambitious team;


• An understanding of the need for sensitivity and confidentiality in dealing with commercially sensitive and/or personal data;


• An understanding of the need to adhere to policies and procedures, some of which are legal requirements (e.g. advertising standards);


• A commitment to the independent sector in education; and


• An understanding of the wider issues and responsibilities associated with working among young people in an educational environment., We expect the role to start July 2024 pending completion of the successful candidate's pre-employment checks.
  
  Thomas Horsley, the original settlor of the Royal Grammar School Newcastle (RGS) pledged his legacy to the School in 1525. Almost 500 years later, RGS continues to flourish as the premier independent school in the North East of England and as one of the country's leading schools.


In 2023, RGS was named overall 'Independent School of the Year' in The Telegraph Group's national awards. RGS also consistently tops the region's academic league tables and was awarded the Sunday Times' 2024 North East's Top Independent Secondary School, both the overall winner and for Academic Performance. While we pride ourselves on academic excellence, we are just as well known for our high level of pastoral support, involvement in a wide range of sports and other co-curricular activities, and our commitment to bursaries and partnerships.

RGS is fully co-educational with over 1,300 students aged 7-18 years (Years 3 to 13) and our academically selective places are highly coveted. We have more than 250 students in the Junior School, which shares the same outstanding site as the Senior School. Our Sixth Form is one of the largest in the independent sector with more than 340 students.

The school is based in the heart of the City, immediately opposite Jesmond Metro station and our excellent transport links attract students from far and wide. The school occupies over 30 acres of land and has state-of-the-art facilities, including a 25m swimming pool, two Sports Halls, five new art studios, a new library, a new Sixth Form Centre, a Performing Arts Centre with professional-standard theatre, several outdoor football/rugby pitches, an artificial turf pitch and the former County Cricket Ground.

RGS is a special place, known and respected throughout the whole country as well as the North East. It's a place where aspirations are high, results are outstanding, and opportunities are endless. Our students go on to study highly selective courses at the most sought-after universities, but also leave the school realising that life outside the classroom has been equally beneficial., Whilst the North East is beloved and popular with so many, we know that not everyone will have had first-hand experience of it, so this is a short introduction to a city and region which we love, and believe you will too. Newcastle is a medium-sized city with an historic centre and a vibrant life of its own. There's culture and arts in the form of the award-winning BALTIC Art Gallery and The Glass House, alongside several theatres that attract national touring productions. There's music from classical to club and we are home to the Royal Northern Sinfonia. There's also a growing food culture with some fantastic restaurants.

If you like sport then there's certainly no shortage of top-class entertainment: from Premier League football being played at St James' Park and EFL at the Stadium of Light to first class cricket at Durham (a mere half hour away), and great rugby at the Falcons, not to mention basketball and even ice hockey, and then there is the annual Great North Run. The North East has also produced some of the country's finest athletes in track and field and there are clubs aplenty to get involved with, most famously in Gateshead.

The coast and the hills are minutes away from the city centre. By car you can be in the middle of nowhere in 45 minutes, the Scottish Borders is only an hour away and the Lake District an hour and a half. The coast is served by the Metro (our version of the Tube), but some of the country's best beaches are up the road in Northumberland, less than 40 minutes by car. There's mountain biking, road cycling, climbing, and endless hill walks in stunning countryside. There are green spaces all over the city too, with plenty of parks for children and dogs alike to run around.

There are three local teaching hospitals, two universities in the city with another three close by. Some pioneering medical work goes on at the RVI, Great North Children's Hospital and the Freeman Hospital.

History abounds with more castles than you could count and sites of interest for almost every period o f English (and border) history. Add that to a proud, independently minded and very friendly local population and we have most things you could want.

There are excellent primary schools in the region and city as well as some good secondary schools too, but staff do get a discount at the RGS. There are also a number of good competitor independent schools as well.,
• This is a full-time, full year, permanent role with the school.


• The successful candidate will be required to work all staff training days throughout the academic year.


• The successful candidate will also be expected to work the annual safeguarding training day in September each year, which is compulsory for all staff (date varies each year).


• The successful candidate may also be required to work limited special events e.g., RGS Day and Open Day, with advance notice being given by the school.


• The normal working hours will be 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 8.30am until 4.30pm (7.5 hours per day) with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break but there may be occasions where the employee is required to be flexible regarding start/end times to support keys functions of the school.


• A starting salary will be in the range of c£30-35k gross per annum, however the actual salary will reflect the experience and skills offered by the successful applicant.


• RGS staff salaries are reviewed on 1st August each year.


• The school offers a generous annual leave entitlement of 31 days plus Bank Holidays for all year-round support staff.


• The employee will be required to comply with a range of RGS policies, in particular, those regarding Data protection, use of ICT facilities, Child Protection, Staff Code and Health and Safety, a copy of which will be made available., During term-time, staff are provided with a free lunch, if on site.


• For non-teaching staff we offer a support staff pension scheme, The Aviva Pension Trust for Independent Schools (APTIS). On receipt of a 6% employee contribution the school makes an employer contribution of 10%. There is also the option of a 3% employee and 5% employer contribution if preferred. This scheme is administered via Salary Exchange (also known as Salary Sacrifice) for those who are eligible. You can opt out of the Salary Exchange arrangement whilst remaining in the pension scheme. Further details of the scheme and salary exchange will be provided on appointment.


• Membership to life assurance scheme through Aviva which pays out 5x annual salary in the event of death in service.


• The employee will become eligible for sick pay under the RGS Support Staff Sick Pay Scheme after a qualifying period. Details of the scheme will be provided on appointment.


• The school offers an optional healthcare plan for all staff which includes optical, dental and physio cover, access to telephone GP consultations and a host of other benefits (terms and conditions apply). Further information will be available to the employee once in post.


• As with all RGS employees, the employee will be encouraged to become involved in the wider life of the RGS community.


• It is the school's policy is to allow all eligible members of staff to educate their children at the school at concessionary rates, subject to their children meeting the academic entry requirements and subject to a place being available.


• Ongoing educational support and development of all staff with the provision of external and internal training courses, and our middle leaders training programme for existing and aspiring managers.


• We offer an interest free travel loan for a corporate Metro travel pass after a qualifying period. Further information will be available upon starting in post.


• We offer a Bike to Work scheme for qualifying members of staff. Terms and conditions apply. Details will be shared upon starting.


• Opportunity to see free school productions in the Miller Theatre located in our Performing Arts Centre.


• Access to our onsite confidential counselling service.


• We offer access to the school medical team (1 doctor and 2 nurses) for triage medical advice and free flu vaccinations.


• Free use of a well-equipped gym, fitness suite and swimming pool at permitted times.


• Supportive and friendly community.


• Invitation to join staff clubs and wellbeing activities during term-time.


• Staff social events throughout the year., Job Types: Full-time, Permanent


Pay: £30,000.00-£35,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Canteen


• Company events


• Company pension


• Cycle to work scheme


• Discounted or free food


• Employee discount


• Enhanced maternity leave


• Enhanced paternity leave


• Free flu jabs


• Health & wellbeing programme


• Life insurance


• On-site gym


• Private medical insurance


• Sick pay


Schedule:

• Monday to Friday