Maltby Learning Trust - Brand Guidelines

Our Brand Values Excellence

We are Maltby Learning Trust

Maltby Learning Trust was established in February 2014 and has a vision and values that resonates throughout its Academies. The ambition is to deliver exceptional learning experiences that enable all young people to thrive in a competitive world and live successful and fulfilling lives.

We provide outstanding provision for children and families, firmly rooted in the context of the local community. The locality based Multi-Academy Trust model was established to secure purposeful partnerships with parents, staff, governors, local community groups and broader business partners to deliver the very best learning experiences and secure positive progression routes for every child and young person in the learning community.

Academic excellence is a given in our educational settings. Our schools are about so much more; they are about offering a broad range of exciting learning experiences that really inspire our children and young people.

Academic excellence is a given in our educational settings. Our schools are about so much more; they are about offering a broad range of exciting learning experiences that really inspire our children and young people.

Our Core Purpose

We act in ways that are principled, built upon a clear set of personal values. We are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of all children, families and communities.

Our Vision

Delivering exceptional learning experiences that enable all young people to thrive in a competitive world and lead successful and fulfilling lives.

Exceptional experiences, successful lives

Our Vision

We are committed to delivering exceptional learning experiences that enable all young people to thrive in a competitive world and lead successful and fulfilling lives.

Our curriculum intent statement embodies the vision and values of the Trust. We passionately believe that every child should have the best possible start in life and deserves a curriculum designed to ensure they get the knowledge, skills and cultural capital they need to succeed.

Our Moral Purpose

Act in ways that are principled, built upon a clear set of personal values.

Passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of all children, families and communities.

Investing in the Right People

• Self aware: reflective, tactful and emotionally intelligent.

• Integrity: honest, fair, transparent and principled.

• Positive: optimistic, hopeful, confident, solution driven and resilient.

• Personal drive: innovative, selfmotivated, energetic and ambitious.

Committing to the Learning Community

• Aligned: Dedicated, loyal and committed to the organisation.

• Responsible: Dependable, organised, flexible and accountable.

• Relationships: Respectful, good listener, authentic.

• Supportive, inclusive and coherent team players.

Empowering all to Lead and Grow

• Holding to Account Challenges, supports, provides clarity and consistency.

• Impact and Influence - Persuasive, compelling, relentless, credible and adds value.

• Inspiring Others - Enthusiastic, energised and champions others.

• Developing Others - Empowers, enables, provides support and challenges others.

Brand Importance

Branding guidelines are a set of clearly defined rules and standards that communicate how Maltby Learning Trust should be represented to all stakeholders.

The guidelines create a unified identity when connecting multiple elements within our brand, such as colours, our logo, our tone of voice and our typography.

Consistency

Consistency is important in making our brand recognisable and reliable. It ultimately communicates that Maltby Learning Trust takes pride in the details. Every time someone visits our website, sees our signage, or receives our marketing material, they should continually have the same perception of the academy. When employees are introducing new brochures/newsletters/communications, a brand can quickly get diluted. By implementing brand guidelines, we have the tools to quickly and effectively maintain consistency.

Setting Standards and Rules

Our brand’s guidelines will include more than just a colour palette and versions of the logo. It will contain specific rules and standards in which those elements are to be used. Not only will the guide contain things like different logo variations, but it will include examples of how not to use those logos. Rules like clear spacing around logos are just as important as knowing when to use the logo.

Quality

When a brand’s identity is cohesive, it increases the brand’s perceived value. Consistency allows our brand to appear more professional and reliable. By implementing brand guidelines, it is easier to maintain the quality and integrity of our brand’s image.

Visual Identity

Our Logo

Logo Variations

These are single colour variations of our logo. They are included in our Brand Toolkit which can be accessed via

Logo Exclusion Zone

It is important to observe a clear space when applying the Maltby Learning Trust logo. The exclusion zone is defined by the height of the ’M’ from the logo type as shown. Please ensure that all text and design elements are clear of this area.

Things to Avoid

Our logos must be used correctly to uphold brand integrity. Please avoid all of the above.

Our Colour Palette

There are two core colours in our palette. Both are of equal importance and should be used as a foundation in all of our visual communication.

Century Gothic is our typeface and is used throughout our communications.

Century Gothic Regular

Century Gothic Italic

Century Bold

Century Bold Italic

How We Talk

Tone of Voice

Why tone of voice?

Maltby Learning Trust are committed to delivering exceptional learning experiences that enable all young people to thrive in a competitive world and lead successful and fulfilling lives. We are passionate about education and making a difference to all students and so we need to be clear about why we are different from other Trusts and to how we communicate this to all our stakeholders.

Every member of staff has a responsibility to support effective communications. We strive to ensure that communications between all members of the school community are clear, professional, timely and effective in their purpose.

This section of the guidelines does not show what we say, it shows how we say it. This is particularly important as the Trust grows and the number of communication channels increase. Providing tone of voice clarity will ensure consistency which will in turn build recognition and trust in the organisation. The more consistent we are, the more we reinforce the collaborative power of the Trust and the communities in which we serve will understand why we are unique.

What is our tone of voice?

All MLT communications should support and uphold our vision, values and behaviours and reflect our brand personality.

• Being a strong communicator, able to interact with anyone regardless of interests, position or background.

• Be positive with non-verbal communication including body language and making eye contact.

• To actively listen and go beyond hearing words to listening and understanding what others are saying.

• Reinforce the culture of collaboration and teamwork by using words like ‘our’ not ‘my’ and ‘we’ not ‘I’.

• Be confident and knowledgeable in what we say and how we say it but show humility in our interactions.

• Overuse positive language in all meetings, communications and interactions.

• Find opportunities to talk about the vision and values – overcommunicate the key messages.

• Be infectiously enthusiastic when talking about the Academy, Trust and local communities.

• Communicate professionally but adapt the approach to engage the different types of audience.

• Be knowledgeable without using too many abbreviations or complex language.

• Be concise and keep things simple in all forms of communication.

• Be honest and present the facts clearly.

Our brand voice embodies all of the qualities of the Maltby Learning Trust.

Application

Quick Guide

The Maltby Learning Trust logo must be present on all visual communication. It can be positioned wherever suitable but must always be placed top left on all brochures across the trust.

Use playful up-to-date images. Combine both black and white and colour photography.

Use 45° angles to create interesting design features.

Our font is Century Gothic and should be used throughout.

Quick Guide - Graphic Assets

The 45° Angle

45° Angle Used (Brochure Spread)

External Signage

Entrance Signage

Welcome Signage

Supporting Signage

Internal Displays

Photographic

You may use full colour or black and white imagery. Do not include any logos or branding for consistency.

Quotations

Quotation or text based displays please replicate the above. The Maltby Learning Trust logo must be present. Font: Century Gothic Regular, left aligned.

Internal displays and foamex boards must always be printed in high resolution at a minimum of 300dpi.

Internal Paint

Decoration

Corridors

Crown Acrylic Eggshell Grey Steel 3 or Equivalent

Classrooms & Offices

Internal Skirting & Architraves

Crown Vinyl Matt Grey Steel 3 or Equivalent

Black Acrylic Eggshell RAL 9005 or Equivalent

Black Acrylic Eggshell RAL 9005

Internal & External Greys (Gloss/Matt/Eggshell)

Dark Greys: RAL 7015

Light Greys: RAL 7047

Crown Vinyl Matt Grey Steel 3

RAL 7015

RAL 7047

Stationery

Letterhead

Compliments Slip

Business Card

Typography

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Literature Examples

Leaflet example

Brochure example (Cover)

Brochure example (Double page spread)

Banner example (With cut-out imagery)

Banner example (With Full image)

Photography Use

Combine both black and white and colour photography. Use a diverse range of shots from across all academies.

Use cut-out images where appropriate

Don’t use dark images

Photography must adhere to the academy's uniform policy. No earrings, nail polish or non-uniform clothing may be displayed

Photography is a key asset in communicating our brand personality. Imagery should be honest, spontaneous and authentic. Note: Only use royalty free/copyright free images.

Focus on detail for insert shots

Focus on our staff and students Don’t stretch imagery

Don’t use low resolution images

Social Media

Guidelines

Adhere to our brand guidelines to keep consistency across the board. Always follow the correct safeguarding procedures when you’re using our social media channels.

across the board. Always follow the correct our social media channels.

Writing

Use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation and avoid excessive exclamation points.

- Please see 'Tone of Voice 'page 14.

Imagery / Videos

Always use royalty/copyright free images and videos.

Handles/Hash Tags

Handles/Hash Tags

Always Include our handles and hash tags.