UK boarding schools are invited to join the British Council Japan’s UK Boarding Schools Marketing Campaign 2020.  With interest in boarding schools continuing to grow in Japan, this campaign represents an excellent opportunity to raise profile and reach key influencers including parents, agents, and school counsellors.

Benefits of participating

• Reach a growing market: the number of Japanese students studying at ISC member schools has increased from 670 in 2014 to 1,040 in 2019.    
• Raise brand awareness among key influencers including parents, agents and school counsellors
• Association with the British Council: The British Council has a long-established reputation in Japan for the provision of trustworthy and reliable information on study opportunities in the UK.
• Utilizing online and print channels, this campaign is a cost-effective way of maximizing the exposure of your school without having to travel to Japan.

Market Background

Strong interest in Japan in UK boarding schools is reflected in the latest Independent Schools Council (ISC) Census published in April 2019, as well as Tier 4 Child Visa issuances for 2018.

ISC Census 2019 (all figures as of January 2019)

• 11% increase in total number of Japanese pupils whose parents live overseas: 437 (vs 392 in 2018, and up from 313 in 2014)
• Total number of new Japanese pupils whose parents live overseas: 152 (vs 156 in 2018, and up from 126 in 2014)
• Total number of Japanese pupils (parents living either in/outside of the UK): 1,040 (vs 1,068 in 2018, and up from 668 in 2014).

2018 Tier 4 Child Visa Issuances: 283 (vs 289 in 2017, and up from 245 in 2015)

Interest in overseas boarding school education is being driven by increased awareness in Japanese society of the importance of gaining study abroad experience from a young age, growing interest in active learning and critical thinking, government funding support for study abroad through the Tobitate scholarships programme, and strong demands from industry for graduates with ‘global skills’ (broadly speaking this refers to intercultural competence/understanding and strong English language skills).

Campaign Format

This is an integrated campaign featuring print promotion through the UK Boarding Schools Guidebook 2020 and digital promotion via Study UK online channels.  The below options are available:

*Profile page will consist of:

• General information (school name, logo, contact details, gender profile, student number, school fees etc.)
• Brief information on the institution (up to 150 words)
• Up to three photographs (the British Council will select 1-3 images that best fit the space)

Institutions will be asked to complete a profile template, the contents of which will be translated into Japanese by the British Council. The British Council reserves the right to edit the content should the profile exceed the word count.

**Advertisement artwork to be provided by the institution.

About the UK Boarding Schools Guidebook 2020

• Dimensions: W182mm x H257mm
• Language: Japanese
• Total pages: approximately 32, full colour
• Print run: 2,000 copies
• Shelf life: 1 year (from late-February/early March 2020)

Contents

• An introduction to UK boarding schools highlighting strengths and attractions (article prepared by the British Council)
• Message from the British Ambassador to Japan
• A map of the UK to show the location of the participating schools (prepared by the British Council)
• Profiles of participating UK boarding schools 

Distribution

Printed Version (2,000 copies)

• British Council Japan student-facing events including our flagship Study UK Fairs
• British Council Japan agent-facing events
• Postage to local study abroad agents on request
• British Council front of house display
• Outreach organized by schools / local authorities

Online Version

An on-line version of the guidebook will be available on the British Council Japan website in easy-to-view PDF format for one year. The link will be advertised widely through:

• Study UK e-newsletters
• The British Council corporate e-flyer, Facebook and Twitter accounts
• The British Chamber of Commerce in Japan weekly newsletter
• Other external channels provided by partners

Reference Material

• 2019/20 edition: https://www.britishcouncil.jp/sites/default/files/boarding_school_guide_2019-2020.pdf

Schedule

• Deadline for booking space: 29^th Nov 2019
• Deadline for promotional text/images: 6^th Dec 2019
• Guidebook publication: Late Feb/early Mar 2020
• Digital promotion (boosted Facebook posts / mailshots): Apr/May 2020