School prospectuses, open evening flyers, sixth form guides and PTA event leaflets
Schools print most in the run-up to admissions: an A4 or A5 prospectus booklet for open evenings, A5 flyers inviting families from feeder schools, and folded guides for sixth form and transition. This page sets out the products, live prices, packs, sample layouts, wording and an admissions-calendar timeline, plus what to check before quoting Ofsted or exam results.
School print is tied to the admissions calendar and the school year. Most of it is read by parents at the kitchen table, comparing two or three schools before a deadline.
Prospectus
The school's main printed piece: ethos, curriculum, pastoral care, enrichment, the day and the uniform, with photographs taken in the school. Most schools now keep the detail online and print a shorter, well-photographed booklet for open events, with a QR code to the full information.
Open evening and open morning flyers
Sent home through feeder primary schools, dropped in nearby streets and handed out at community events. The date, time, tour times, the head's talk and how to find the school, with the admissions deadline printed clearly.
Sixth form guide
A separate booklet or folded leaflet for Year 11 students and external applicants: courses, entry requirements, enrichment, destinations, the application process and the sixth form open evening.
Transition and welcome packs
For new Reception or Year 7 families: the first-day timetable, uniform, equipment, lunch payments, key contacts and the term dates. Families keep it on the fridge for the first half term.
Curriculum and options booklets
Year 9 options evenings need a booklet describing every GCSE subject, assessment, and what it leads to. Students circle and fold them for weeks, so they need decent paper.
PTA and community events
Summer fairs, Christmas markets, quiz nights and fun runs are how the PTA raises money. A flyer per event in book bags and on local noticeboards, with date, time, prices and what is on.
Lettings and holiday clubs
Schools that let the sports hall, pitches or rooms, or run holiday clubs, need a leaflet for local clubs and parents with facilities, hours and how to book. It brings income in during evenings and holidays.
Recommended leaflets for schools
What we would print for a school, starting with the prospectus. The 'from' price is today's live price for the lowest-cost options; the example line is a real configuration schools often order.
A4, 16 pages, 170gsm silk, 350gsm matt laminated cover
A4 gives room for photography to breathe; 16 pages covers the essentials without becoming a manual. The laminated cover keeps it clean through a busy open evening.
Three packs: the open evening, sixth form recruitment and the PTA summer fair. Each total is the lines at today's prices, which helps when the budget holder asks.
Package 1
Open evening pack
For the autumn admissions season: prospectuses for every visiting family and flyers for feeder schools and nearby streets.
Agree with feeder primaries when flyers can go home in book bags, and allow a week for them to be handed out.
Saver speed, about 7 working days for the slowest item. Prices are the live Saver prices for exactly these options. Order each item from its own page; one delivery charge covers the basket.
Print entry requirements in the booklet only if they are final; otherwise point to the website and keep the booklet for course content.
Saver speed, about 6 working days for the slowest item. Prices are the live Saver prices for exactly these options. Order each item from its own page; one delivery charge covers the basket.
Send the book-bag flyers home two weeks before the fair and again three days before.
Saver speed, about 5 working days for the slowest item. Prices are the live Saver prices for exactly these options. Order each item from its own page; one delivery charge covers the basket.
Three layouts we drew for invented schools: an open evening flyer, a PTA fair flyer and a sixth form guide. Each leads with the date and the practical details families need.
These are sample designs we made to show layout and wording. The business names, numbers and addresses are invented.
Sample design
HHillcrest AcademyFor Year 6 families
Open evening, Thursday 2 October
5.30pm to 8pmHead's talk at 6pm and 7pm. No booking needed.
hillcrest.example/open
Front
On the evening
Tours led by our students
Meet subject teachers
Clubs and sports showcase
Questions for the head of Year 7
Apply by 31 October through your council
Applications for secondary places are made to your home local authority, not to the school.
12 Sample Street, Anytown AB1 2CD
0161 496 0127
Sample design: invented school.
Back
Sample: Hillcrest Academy open evening
A5 flyer, both sides, 170gsm silk
Front: who the evening is for, the date and the hours, plus the head's talk times so families can plan.
Back: what happens on the night and the application deadline, with a line on where to apply, which new parents often do not know.
Lines that suit school print. Families want facts and dates; let photographs of the school do the persuading.
Headlines
Open evening: come and see us at work
Choosing a secondary school? Visit us on [date]
Your next two years: sixth form open evening
Welcome to Reception: everything for your first week
Summer fair, Saturday [date], free entry
Our sports hall and pitches are available to hire
Body text
[School] is a [type] school for [ages] on [street]. Come to our open evening on [date] from [time] to see lessons, meet teachers and take a tour led by our students. The headteacher will speak at [times]. Applications for September places are made through your home local authority by [deadline].
Welcome to [school]. This leaflet has everything you need for your child's first week: the timetable for the first days, what to wear and bring, how lunch payments work and who to contact. Please keep it somewhere handy. If anything is unclear, the school office is open from [time] to [time].
Calls to action
No need to book: just come along
Apply by [date] through your local council
See the full prospectus at [school].example
Book a tour on a school day: ring 0161 496 0000
Use photos of real lessons, clubs and grounds, taken with consent under your school's photo policy.
If you quote exam results, give the year and the measure (for example, the percentage of pupils achieving grade 4 or above in English and maths).
When, where and how many
School print runs to the admissions calendar. Get the timings wrong and the flyer arrives after the deadline it advertises.
September and October are the peak months for secondary open evenings, with the 31 October secondary deadline; primary open days run from autumn to the 15 January deadline. June and July bring transition evenings, welcome packs and summer fairs.
When to print
Order prospectuses and open evening flyers before the summer holidays so they are ready for the first week of September. Transition packs need to be ready for June transition days. PTA flyers go out two weeks before each event.
How many
A secondary school typically needs a prospectus for every visiting family (often 300 to 800) and open evening flyers for every Year 6 child in its feeder primaries, plus spares. Welcome packs: one per new pupil plus 10 percent.
Where
Feeder primaries' book bags (agreed with the heads), nurseries and preschools for primary schools, local libraries, community centres and doctors' surgeries, and door-to-door in the immediate area. Keep a stack in reception all year for families who move in mid-year.
What response to expect
Open evening attendance depends far more on the school's reputation and location than on the flyer, but a clear, well-timed flyer through every feeder school makes sure no family misses the date. Count visitors at the door and compare with the number of flyers sent home.
Paper, size and finish for schools
School print ranges from prestige booklets to thousands of book-bag flyers. Spend where families keep the piece.
Job
Size
Paper
Finish
Why
Prospectus
A4 or A5 booklet
170gsm silk, 350gsm cover
Matt laminated cover
Photography prints well; cover stays clean.
Open evening flyer
A5
170gsm silk
None
Clear and professional for book bags and doors.
Options or sixth form booklet
A5 booklet
130gsm silk
Self cover
Light and affordable for a whole year group.
Welcome leaflet
A4 folded to DL
170gsm silk
Roll fold
Six panels, fits a book bag and a fridge.
PTA flyer
A6
130gsm gloss
None
Lowest cost per family for frequent events.
Use your school's brand colours and crest consistently across every piece; families see several at once on open evening.
Check readability for families who may need it: body text at 10pt or more in a plain font, and avoid placing text over busy photographs.
Questions about leaflets for schools
What should a school prospectus include?
Your ethos and a welcome from the head, the curriculum and how pupils are taught, pastoral care and SEND support, clubs and enrichment, a typical day, uniform and how to apply. Many schools keep detailed policies online and link to them with a QR code, so the printed booklet stays short and in date.
How many pages should a school prospectus be?
Twelve to twenty pages suits most schools. Sixteen A4 pages gives space for strong photographs and the essentials. Saddle-stitched booklets need a page count in multiples of four.
When should schools print open evening flyers?
Before the summer holidays, so they are ready to send home in the first weeks of September. Secondary open evenings mostly run in September and October ahead of the 31 October deadline; primary open days run from October to January.
Can we quote our Ofsted grade in the prospectus?
You can quote your most recent published inspection, with its date, using the report's own wording. Ofsted has been changing how it reports inspection outcomes, so check your current report rather than repeating an older grade or a phrase from a previous inspection.
Can we print photos of pupils?
Only of pupils whose parents have given consent under your school's photo and data protection policy for use in printed publicity. Group shots from behind, hands at work and empty spaces are useful alternatives.
Which paper is best for a school prospectus?
170gsm silk inside with a 350gsm card cover and matt lamination. Silk prints photographs with natural colour and is easy to read, and the laminated cover keeps it looking new through a busy open evening.
Can you design our prospectus?
Yes. Send your text, photographs and crest through our Artwork and Design Service, or upload a print-ready PDF. Every upload gets an automatic check for size, bleed and resolution; File check (£4.99) adds a person looking over it before print.
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