Pat's Schoolhouse undergoes major brand refresh with name and curriculum changes

Early childhood education school Pat's Schoolhouse will be rebranding and will now be known as The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees, according to a statement by the school.

The rebrand, which has been in the works for five years, aims to prepare the school and its children for the future while preserving the qualities that have made Pat's Schoolhouse a notable name in the country for the last three decades. 

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"We have had the privilege of playing an essential role in nurturing young minds and providing a solid foundation for countless children for 35 years. As we embark on this new adventure as The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees, we carry with us the rich heritage of Pat's Schoolhouse, the dedication of our educators, and the unwavering trust and support of our families," said June Rusdon, CEO of Busy Bees Asia.

At the core of the transformation lies the belief in the transformative power of education, said the school. Children nowadays are growing up in a world of rapid change, where the realm of artificial intelligence intersects with the boundless potential of human capability. The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees wholeheartedly embraces this era and looks to future-proof its educational approach with the refresh. 

From 23 June, all Pat’s Schoolhouse centres will be known as The Schoolhouse, said the school when MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out. "Facade changes will be carried out in phases incrementally and it is scheduled to be completed by July 2023," said a spokesperson. They added that the first official The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees campus will be located in Alexandra and that it will be having its first open house this week. 

As part of its refresh, The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees will also be enhancing its curriculum "beyond traditional boundaries".

"We have reimagined learning by engaging children's senses, connecting them with their environment, society, culture, and technology. Through hands-on exploration, our children will develop the skills needed for tomorrow's world and embrace the values essential for future communities as global citizens," the school said. It added that skills such as collaborative learning, creativity, critical thinking, and empathy will continue to form the bedrock of our education, preparing our children for a life filled with opportunities.

"The next 35 years will be markedly different from the past, and we are dedicated to equipping our children for a rapidly evolving world. This entails integrating innovation and fresh ideas into our already robust foundation. Our enhancements encompass digital skills, global culture and language appreciation, ethics and compassion, sustainability, and much more. These additions will ensure that our children are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of an interconnected world," it said. 

Rebranding, especially in this day and age where we are seeing massive shifts in society is very important and many brands have been racing to keep up, even at the risk of backlash. This is something famous Malaysian biscuit brand Julie's knows very well.

When Julie's decided to rebrand their iconic snacks over the pandemic, a first in 35 years, they knew there would be significant backlash. But as Sai Tzy Horng, its director says, if you are getting backlash, you are doing something right. 

"Backlash tells us something and if you want to do something interesting and change the conversation, you need to expect it," said Sai who was speaking to a rapt audience at the second day of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Content 360 event last month. 

True enough, Julie's iconic rebrand in 2020 certainly turned heads with many ardent fans at first protesting the significant change. 

"We were constantly being told by our consumers and investors to leave the logo be and to not touch it when we reached out to them to get their views," said Sai who explained that because they have so many different markets, they had to reach out to get all their investors' views before coming up with an ultimate rebranding goal and direction. 

"It's not very sexy but we had to ask our consumers and investors extensive questions and do comprehensive research," Sai said. "After all, rebranding is a one-time thing you do, and it is a continuous moving target with a growth process. If you are constantly rebranding, there are other problems in your business," he said.

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