Creating extraordinary lives
West House
Redefining an institution
West House is an independent preparatory school, renowned for striking the perfect balance between academic rigour and providing a nurturing environment in which children thrive. Despite this, its identity had become lost over time and so we were tasked with revitalising it.
Creating a platform
To get a deeper appreciation into the school, we surveyed its stakeholders – staff, pupils, governors and parents – as well as trawling the school’s archives to understand how it has evolved over its 125+ years. This extensive preparatory work gave us invaluable insight before we put pen to paper.
The new brand needed to be fresh, vibrant and contemporary while celebrating and amplifying West House’s heritage, so a number of subtle historic elements were incorporated. This also provided the continuity essential for logistical issues such as uniforms, badges etc.
Establishing a vision for the future
A West House education remains as value-driven today as it has throughout its existence. To help bring these values into sharper focus, we created ‘The West House Way’, a set of guidelines that pupils could easily understand and adopt into their everyday school lives.
Finally, we needed an emotive call-to-arms that the school and its stakeholders could stand behind with pride. Something iconic, aspirational and memorable…
Experience-led insight
To better understand how families encounter West House Nursery, Core delivered a Secret Shopper and Competitor Review programme. Independent visitors evaluated each stage of engagement, from online discovery and initial enquiry through to on-site visits, providing a clear picture of perception, communication and positioning within the local market.
Transforming the parent journey
These findings informed a programme of meaningful change, reshaping how West House Nursery presents its offer and engages prospective families. Enquiries, visits and follow-up processes were refined to better reflect the warmth, quality and care at the heart of the nursery, creating a more confident and consistent introduction.
Rolling out the brand
A sparkling new website, captivating photography, engaging videos and refreshed printed materials were all produced with meticulous care and attention, embedding the new brand into the school’s many touchpoints.
Our work has furnished West House with a distinctive and flexible identity with which to confidently enter the next 125 years.
