“We wanted background research on how the Trust and its four schools were perceived by the community and potential parents, how the market might develop, and what we needed to focus on to make the most of our opportunities. Mungo and his team delivered perceptive and thought-provoking reports that clearly identified and differentiated between the views of various groups, including those who had considered our schools but gone elsewhere. It also set that in the context of how the Trust as a whole was perceived and what our potential parents and partners thought of us. The style of the work and report was not the usual, heavily data-driven version of market research. Instead, it painted a truly insightful picture of how we are perceived and what challenges we face but also where we can make progress and hence where we should focus our efforts. This kind of initiative is something we do not do very often or very effectively – seek out the views of the people who are our customers; not only the noisy complainers or supporters but the vast silent majority. We felt it gave us a picture of their real concerns, not just those prompted by ticking a box on a survey monkey questionnaire. The feedback is not warm comfort irrespective of the facts; it holds a mirror to the face of the organisation and invites you to see yourself as others see you. Often uncomfortable, sometimes reassuring, but always invaluable.”