Parents choose schools on trust, clarity, and confidence. Our Secret Shopper service reveals how parents really experience your school – and where confidence is quietly lost.
For most parents, choosing a school is one of the most important decisions they will ever make. It's rarely about glossy marketing. It's about trust, reassurance and confidence that their child will be safe, supported and able to thrive.
Our Secret Shopper service helps schools understand how families experience their school, from initial online search to first visit, and where small improvements can make a meaningful difference.
Who is this for?
Nursery & early years
Primary & secondary school
Colleges & sixth forms
Independent & specialist schools
How it works:
A trained evaluator poses as a parent and follows the full admissions journey, assessing everything from website clarity and enquiry handling to safeguarding cues, on-site impressions, tours, staff messaging, and follow-up communication.
The outcome is an objective, evidence-based view of your school, free from internal assumptions.
The outcomes:
- Greater parental confidence in your school
- Clearer, calmer admissions journeys by removing friction and improving responsiveness
- More purposeful and reassuring visits that build reassurance and tell a compelling ‘why us’ story
- Stronger alignment between what you promise and what families experience
- Evidence-based insight to inform improvement planning
- Evidence-based practical recommendations grounded in real behaviour, not opinion
Most importantly, you gain clear, confident insight into how your establishment is truly perceived.
Core helped us see where our admissions pathway could be stronger. The changes we made as a result have driven a dramatic increase in numbers.
Alistair, Headmaster
Ready to understand how your school is really experienced?
Book a confidential discussion to explore how Secret Shopping could support your admissions and engagement strategy.