A pioneering brand transformation

Loughborough Schools Foundation receives a commendation from the Independent Schools of the Year Awards  

We are delighted to share that Loughborough Schools Foundation has been commended in the The Marketing Award for Effective Brand Communication category by the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2026. 

This award category shines a light on the story behind a school’s marketing work and the impact this has on presenting a confident and compelling message about the school to the wider education landscape. 

For Loughborough Schools Foundation, the story behind our marketing work centres on ethical leadership within a modern digital landscape. With the rise of safeguarding risks posed by major developments in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), we eliminated identifiable, close-up pupil photography from our central marketing channels. 

With this, however, we took the opportunity to introduce a refreshed visual framework, using illustrations and creative photography to capture the warmth, ambition and community of our co-educational campus. This groundbreaking shift catalysed national industry debate. Following coverage in The Guardian, TES, Midlands Gazette and a prominent School Management Plus feature, the Foundation was recognised as a sector trailblazer. 

One question the award asks from submissions is ‘if our judges were to walk through your doors, how would the character, values and distinctive offer of your school already be clear to them?’ We believe that our values-led identity would be immediately clear. By transforming marketing into a vehicle for child protection and trust, we elevated our brand position, proving that a school can confidently market and communicate its excellence without compromising a single pupil’s digital footprint.