While Fortismere is several years into its new identity, other schools are beginning to follow suit, not least because of the ongoing transition of most schools in the UK toward "specialist" schools. Set up by the British government, the specialist program encourages secondary schools to specialize with a view to boosting achievement.

For instance, Blakeston School in Middlesborough became a community sports school in September 2004. "When we found out about the decision in February, we employed a PR company," says Karen Pritchard, director of specialism at the school. "The company helped us to get the information about us out into the press. They put together flyers to parents, primary schools and in public places like doctors' [offices] and libraries. We also conducted surveys to see what people thought about changing the school colors, the uniform and having a new name and logo. Everything was going to be brand new."

All this change helped to show how the school was progressing, and to get people talking. But it has changed the mindset of staff, pupils and people in the surrounding local area too. According to Pritchard, many pupils say that the school has changed for the better. Community use of the school's sports facilities has gone from 35 percent of capacity to 80 percent.

According to Linda Doyle, head of joint initiatives at the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, the very process of applying for specialist status forces schools to think more creatively about their identity and how it is portrayed. "Within the specialism movement there is the concept of celebrating doing things well. Schools are encouraged to do more outgoing projects and celebrating their success. They have to communicate a lot when they are raising the required £50,000 to apply for specialist status (US$87K), and once they are into it, they tend to continue to do it afterwards.

"Specialist status makes schools think about their image," Doyle continues. "Before they only tended to think of parents, now they have to think more widely and publicize more. It is not difficult to get into the local press, but before, most schools would not have thought of it."

Branding is not a word education people are using, Doyle concedes, "but they might talk about marketing, image or raising a school's profile in the community."

There's little doubt that Allaway and Pritchard believe their schools have benefited from a stronger, consistent identity. Graham Sturzaker, design director at Elmwood Design, would agree. He worked with Hookergate Comprehensive School outside Newcastle, also on a Joined Up Design project. "The school had a reputation problem in the area that was holding it back from attracting students," he explains. "There was a stigma attached. Parents would keep their children away from kids from Hookergate and pupils would be thrown out of shops.

Edwin Colyer is a science and technology writer based in Manchester, UK.