RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL OPEN EVENT WITH LIVE Q&A – SELBY HIGH SCHOOL

23 Feb 2022

Selby High School created an interactive Open Evening via private chat

Nick Hinchcliffe is the Principal of Selby High School, an inclusive secondary school for boys and girls aged 11 – 16 based just outside Leeds. Faced with the restrictions of the pandemic, he was keen to do something different and innovative with their usual open evenings whilst ensuring they could remain over-subscribed and maintain the great levels of engagement they usually enjoy from their face-to-face events.

Having seen some of the work they had done for other colleges and following a recommendation from Leeds University, Nick contacted video production company Clearhead to work on their first virtual evening. Getting the right balance of technology, stimulating visuals and safeguarding measures was crucial as was the ability to appeal to both parents and young audiences aged between 8 and 11.

Engaging content

Video footage was pre-recorded with a selection of teachers, support staff and students allowing Selby to be safe in the knowledge that there wouldn’t be any technical issues on the day, plus they could check everything before it went live.

Brand new content was also created including a school tour and a welcome video from Nick which provided a personal touch and an opportunity for people to get to know Selby and their unique values and of the facilities they have on offer. An animation was also produced guiding people through the application process of application and highlighting Selby’s unique approach.

YouTube was selected as the delivery platform for the event which featured the film footage and a live Q&A creating regular questions throughout the 3-hour event which were then answered by the school’s moderators. Live links were also into the production to help with engagement and momentum whilst providing useful information and support.

An online legacy and continued engagement

After the event a virtual open event page was created which included a website chat function allowing for continued interaction and relevant signposting, not to mention continued engagement and presentation views.

Nick said,

“Our first ever virtual evening was a major success, with over 550 people viewing the Open Day, and many more looking at the individual films. Clearhead provided an excellent service and supported the leadership team throughout with the key messages and the best ways of presenting them."

"The live question feed was particularly effective, allowing prospective families to find out as much as they could about the school, even though they weren't actually able to come into the school for a real Open Evening this year.”

To view the presentations from the event click here. For more information about Clearhead and the animation they created for Selby High School click here.