Communication Service
The communications offer to schools and academies from Learn Sheffield and Sheffield City Council were merged into one communications package from September 2019. This ensures an improved offer to schools, combining our strengths and making the offer available within the core Learn Sheffield subscription to ensure that more schools and academies can benefit when they are in need of support.
The pages below tell you more about the ‘crisis comms’ offer, the other services that are available and most importantly, how to contact the service if you need support.
Crisis Comms
Sometimes things go wrong and that can lead to problems with public perception and the reputation of your school or academy.
We have experts in managing crisis communications, and work with other organisations to provide help if the worst were to happen, including many of Sheffield’s schools.
This service is now jointly provided by Learn Sheffield and Sheffield City Council bringing together education and communication expertise.
If you are involved with something which might cause problems in the media, please get in touch, even before you hear from any media.
How to subscribe
- If you are subscribed to Learn Sheffield then this service is included within your subscription.
- If you wish to purchase this service as a stand-alone service the cost remains £1000 for the 2020/21 school year (if purchased by 31st October 2020).
- If you wish to purchase this service during the 2020/21 school year after the 31st October 2020 deadline – the cost is £1,500.
Other Comms Services
Audit and Strategy (£600)
How do you communicate with parents, staff and pupils?
Could you do it better?
We will:
- visit your school and carry out an
audit of your current communications
plan, messages and methods of
communications
- provide recommendations to help
maintain/ improve your communications
strategy, and help promote positive
messages
Further support is available at additional
costs (£290 full day rate; £145 half day rate)
Communications
Strategy
implementation
(£500)
We can help you
implement your
Communication Strategy.
After your audit we will:
- help identify your key
milestones and a
timeline for messages
- help create consistent
approaches to
messaging across
school
- offer support in
preparing and releasing
proactive positive stories
to the local media to
help build and boost
your reputation
- help set up any required
new social media
accounts to increase
engagement
- recommend the most
appropriate channels
for communicating
messages to your
different audiences
Social Media
(£500)
Are you happy with your
social media strategy
and planning but feel
some of your staff
would benefit from some
training? We can offer
sessions for up to five
staff to help you make
the most of your social
media channels and
maximise engagement
from staff, pupils and the
community. We will:
- provide training to
up to five identified
officers within your
school which includes
advise on any
relevant legislation
social media users
should be aware of
- review and set up
any new accounts
required to increase
Media training for
leaders (£700pp)
Do you feel comfortable
dealing with the media and
media enquiries?
Our training has been
developed by experienced
PR professionals and
journalists, and will support
your communications needs
in difficult events.
This three-hour session will
include:
- an introduction to media
and types of interviews,
including how to prepare,
key messages, developing
your own style and
confidence building to help
you appear and sound
relaxed
- help in understanding how
the things you say are
used and interpreted by
the media
- role-play interview
practice with feedback
and assessment to review
content, style and body
language
Other services available:
Media Engagement
we offer support to schools in preparing
and releasing proactive and positive
stories to the local media, to help build
and boost your reputation. For example
Ofsted results, positive community
engagement stories, exciting schools
visits.
Internal communications
we have specialists who can advise
on managing communications and
engagement with staff.
Marketing
we have specialists who can advise
on, and devise, creative and innovative
campaigns to grab attention and
change behaviours.
Communications
support based
on other bespoke requests.
Creative design
we offer a competitively priced design
service that can help protect and
enhance your brand. Services include:
- Graphic and digital design (i.e.
leaflets, posters, suite of branded
documents such as letterheads,
business cards etc)
- Animation and video, e.g. a short
film of your school for your website
to suit your budget
- Printed promotional materials
Online ordering for print and
communications
the communications service has
an online ordering system with
qualified, competitive suppliers of
print, design and communications
products and support. You can
order items such as standard print,
branded promotional products,
design, brochures, leaflets etc.
This system gives you a simple
way to order goods, and allows
you to re-order standard products
with ease, track progress of orders
and view an audit trail of all orders
raised.
To create a log in, visit
sheffieldcommsshop.co.uk
and click ‘create user account’.
You can also see the full range of
our services available to you by
visiting this online ordering system,
or by contacting the team.
Contact us:
tel: 0114 273 5538
communications@sheffield.gov.uk