William Henry Smith Foundation

WHSF’s greatest barrier was the dilution and fragmentation of its identity. The organisation had long been known as The Smith Foundation, but few stakeholders understood how it connected to the wider William Henry Smith heritage. In fact, many weren’t aware of the foundation itself at all, and those who were struggled to see how its school, college, sixth form, and residential services were linked under a single mission. With each entity using its own naming and design style, there was a real lack of cohesion that weakened the sense of institutional credibility across the network too.

But this wasn’t the only challenge. WHSF was also burdened by the lingering, damaging perception of being a ‘naughty boys’ school’ – a label entirely at odds with its reality as a modern, deeply tailored, nurturing specialist provider. Without a clear strategic framework to communicate its expertise, this outdated perception continued to undermine not only its external reputation but, more critically, the confidence and wellbeing of the young people it supports. And, with a new specialist service planned for launch in 2026, the risk of carrying this misconception forward posed a real threat to its future growth.

We began with our Think Big™ brand workshop, bringing together senior leaders and trustees to uncover what truly defined WHSF. From those sessions – supported by our wider research – it quickly became clear that credibility could only be rebuilt by unifying the brand around its strong heritage and most recognisable asset: the full William Henry Smith name. Bringing the school and sixth form, college, residential home, and the foundation under one coherent structure gave the organisation the clarity it had been missing and created a future-proofed framework ready to support new services as it grows.

With this strategy agreed, we developed a new identity and messaging framework that finally reflected who WHSF is today. Visually, we created a dynamic logo icon built from abstract shapes, symbolising the individuality of every young person and the foundation’s truly bespoke approach to care. Meanwhile, a vibrant and uplifting colour palette brought warmth and energy to the brand, with subtle references to its heritage – including a re-imagined clock and DNA icon – ensuring it remained rooted in its history. Alongside this, we refreshed the brand’s messaging to centre on the qualities that define WHSF: nurturing, empowering, and entirely driven by the needs of its people. This gave the organisation a confident way to move past outdated perceptions and communicate its expertise with authenticity.