Our new School BRANDING In 2018, PISA testing data highlighted the fact that New Zealand students didn’t seem to have a particular sense of belonging or ownership of their school. Our school data also supported this view. Armed with this data, and the recently announced building redevelopment project, the college Board saw this as an opportunity to improve some aspects of our branding in order to improve our student’s sense of belonging. Woods Agency were contracted to create a coherent pathway to link our proud history to the future. Their brief was to make this story meaningful and relevant for our students and to create a sense of pride for the whole school community. Woods Agency began their consultancy with six workshop groups of students, staff, and the board, as well as a parent / community survey. The feedback that Woods stakeholders are as follows:
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School Strengths: Being inclusive and accepting of diversity – preparing for the real world Co-ed - cross section of all society Size – allows us to offer more opportunities Strong in special education, music, drama and dance Teachers genuinely care about students and helping them There is a unique and beautiful story about the origins of the site which aligns with the concept of community, and working together to bear fruit
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School Challenges: Large size – students can get lost, feel overwhelmed or isolated Te reo isn’t normalised here – culture shouldn’t be an afterthought Not everyone is aware of the opportunities here – we need to promote these better Lacking a strong brand identity Lack of consistency across our communication The school community struggles at times to cope with change and uncertainty Woods Agency summary of this process was: “We have found that students are conflicted around the issue of change as they don’t like too many things changing, but also complain that the school brand doesn’t reflect them.
They want their school to be relatable to them. It is a confusing time as they are unsure of their identity – so we need to help create a brand that communicates what the future looks like and what it means to them. The college can anticipate that there will be some pushback from parts of the school community with any changes to the identity. Given this lack of surety, we had to be sure of our Why, How and What: We agreed on the following: Our…Why is to prepare students for life. Our… How is to create opportunities for them to grow and develop in a safe, inclusive learning environment that reflects the diversity found in the real world. Our… What is that Ōtūmoetai College provides a complete and enriching education that encompasses students’ academic, social and emotional development needs. What Woods learnt about our crest and motto (DOCTRINA VITAM ILLUMINET): The crest seems very formal and foreign to their world. The language doesn’t connect with the student base. However, the essence/meaning behind the motto that school prepares students for the rest of their life is still very relevant. Latin? should be a te reo translation. The logo and identity: Woods Agency explored three options for evolving the school’s identity and considered refining and improving the logo through to a modern reimagining of the logo. Their consultation process indicated a modern reimagining was the best way forward. Through this reimagining process Woods were careful to retain the heritage and tradition of the current brand, showing that the school has solid foundations, while being deliberate about defining a clear new focus. By reimagining the logo Woods were able to craft our identity in order to tell the story we need to. They saw the opportunity to create a modern aesthetic that will enhance the design of the new buildings and set the school up well into the future.
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