School Photographers. Elizabeth Halley Deputy Head Thomas Mills High School Framlingham, Suffolk

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1 School Photographers We have valued the exemplary service of Vancols for over 30 years - super individual and family photographs, efficient turnaround and excellent whole school panoramic pictures. Elizabeth Halley Deputy Head Thomas Mills High School Framlingham, Suffolk

2 What Vancols Can Do For You Tried and Tested We have been in the school portrait business for 58 years this year and are still striving to improve the high standards of good old-fashioned service and quality to both schools and parents. Working Together Our many years experience in dealing with schools and parents means we understand how to make everything to do with the photographic service easy for you, including our Auto Import/SIMS system using our own bespoke software (version 4) at the point of shoot to ensure the very best possible results for you. S.O.S. You will have your own personal account handler, as well as our dedicated Parent line always on hand to deal with any query either you or the parent has, thereby relieving the school of the work and meaning any query gets dealt with promptly without you having to be involved, meaning you can get on with running the School! Easy Peasy - Time-Saving We make life easy for you, removing as much admin as you want from minimal (via our photopax proof service) to none at all with our easy to use online order website ( We know you are busy, so we do the work! We are constantly working to improve our service and are not happy with that will do, hence we are now on version 5 of our online solution. The Price Is Right We know price is always an issue, but cheap is no replacement for quality, so we maintain a constant watch on our costs, keeping them down where we can without jeopardising the renowned Vancols service and quality. Our packs start from as little as Snap Happy Because we take great pride in what we do, we have a tried, tested and constantly improving training regime for our talented photographers (not camera operators, there is a difference!). We monitor their work constantly, training them for some 6 months before we let them loose on you! All our staff visiting schools are CRB d even though we know that legally that s not required, again showing our commitment to doing the job thoroughly rather than just doing the job. High Tech Our printing and editing is done using state of the art printing machinery and computers, combined with our own software workflow solutions, as bought in stuff just wouldn t do, on Kodak paper in our own lab. We use the best materials for your peace of mind and our pride. Our dedicated quality control team will not let second best out of our doors. It s Easy Being Green We care about the bigger picture as well. Vancols have always kept an eye on the environment, it s not a recent thing, something we learnt from Mrs VH (our founder)! Our suppliers are chosen carefully as is everything we use, when we use it and when we replace it. We feel we have a realistic long term approach to the environment rather than short term trendy fads. Our mantra is be careful what we use, when we use it, where we get it. This goes for everything from consumables to cars and buildings. No Hidden Extras Sometimes life gets in the way and things cannot happen as one planned or might have wished. We know that, so we are one of the few companies not to impose a surcharge on late orders. Generally, if we can fix it for you, we will fix it rather than fob you off with excuses as to why it can t be done! Kerching! We pay generous commissions and we pay them fast. We know we need to be fair to the parent as well as the School, whilst enabling us to keep our service improving constantly as well. You - and we - want us to be there next year as well! We also realise it s a competitive world, so we listen to what you have to say. Supersize me We are one of very few school photographers able to accommodate REALLY LARGE groups on our own custom built staging. Our Panoramic Team know how to handle up to 1800 students (and staff) at a time; we are often asked if we would leave them with the school permanently! Is There No End To Our Talents? School photography is just a part of the many services we can offer you. A bespoke brochure/prospectus or a uniquely designed website from our creative studio will enhance and promote your School (we do this in the commercial world as well), while display prints and fabulous wall art can really make a difference to your workspace cost effectively. If you would like to know more about any of our services or products, we have a brand new website full of information and fabulous photography at Team work No delays, no waiting, no excuses. Behind every Vancols photographer is the reliable support of the entire Vancols team a well-oiled machine behind the creative eye. We will never let you down because we never let each other down. Combined with you, this makes us unbeatable!

3 We have valued the exemplary service of Vancols for over 30 years - super individual and family photographs, efficient turnaround and excellent whole school panoramic pictures. Elizabeth Halley Deputy Head Thomas Mills High School Framlingham, Suffolk

4 History Vancols was started in 1957 by Cora and Eddie van Helfteren, who moved to the UK from the Netherlands a couple of years before that. Both enthusiastic photographers, they started by travelling to photograph schools by bus, with suitcases with lights and cameras under each arm, then coming home and processing the photographs in the family bathroom. Two years later Vancols moved into its own office and moved again in 1980 to an old village school, where we soon built a commercial studio in which advertising of all sorts, from people to cars, was shot. We then extended into the adjacent scout hut, which we used for our packing and quality control and a few years later we installed our processing laboratory there. We then built a new administration block onto the Old School which now houses all our Customer Services. Cora van Helfteren, or Mrs Van as she was known by her Staff, was an absolute stickler for quality and customer service, a trait which is now ingrained in the culture of the Company and its Staff, past and present. The Company is still a family firm, with the Staff all feeling part of the extended Vancols family and carrying on with the ethic Mrs Van instilled. It is now run by a management team who all have quality at their heart, led by M.D. Janus van Helfteren and Antonius van Helfteren on the operational side and Mrs Van s secretary Margaret King, who is still making sure the boys behave! They are helped by a number of fiercely loyal staff who have also all caught the Vancols quality and service bug. In 58 years we have seen some changes from the fairly simple way school photography used to work, to the complex methods of production and sales we use now, which has only been possible by staying up to date with technology and being able to afford to invest in it. Testament to this is the loyalty from our customers, some of whom have been with us since outset. We now obviously have our own online solutions and we keep up to date with modern methods and trends where it is practical and appropriate. We can t wait to see what the next 50 years brings! As usual the service was excellent, the Photographers were fantastic, in fact we finished ahead of schedule. Very pleased. Saffron Walden High School Saffron Walden

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6 Photo-Pax Available using white, blue or grey background Our BEST SELLER Easy administration Suits all Schools, from Primary to 6th Form Lots of Pack & Price Choices All prints supplied with mounts, except mini prints A B C OPTION A 3 10x7 Prints 2 5x7 Prints 6 5x3.5 Prints 4 3.5x2.5 Prints 9 Mini Prints Free 1 10x7 Calendar Free (Seasonal variations may occur) OPTION B 1 10x7 Print 2 5x7 Prints 2 5x3.5 Prints 9 Mini Prints Free OPTION C 1 5x7 Print 2 5x3.5 Prints 4 3.5x2.5 Prints D OPTION D 1 10x7 Print E OPTION E 4 3.5x2.5 Prints F OPTION F 2 10x7 Prints G OPTION G 1 Copyright free digital image on CD We are a Capita Accredited Photographer and, as such, can provide school record images for SIMS and other school management systems. We can offer this and all of our products with the ease of online ordering.

7 Take Your Pic Available using white, blue or grey background 2 POSES ON 1 PROOF! Easy administration Pose choices Price choices Pack choices All prints are supplied with mounts, except mini prints A B C zoption A 3 10x7 Prints 2 5x7 Prints 6 5x3.5 Prints 4 3.5x2.5 Prints 9 Mini Prints Free 1 10x7 Calendar Free (Seasonal variations may occur) OPTION B 1 10x7 Print 2 5x7 Prints 2 5x3.5 Prints 9 Mini Prints Free OPTION C 1 5x7 Print 2 5x3.5 Prints 4 3.5x2.5 Prints D OPTION D 1 10x7 Print E OPTION E 4 3.5x2.5 Prints F OPTION F 2 10x7 Prints 1 of each Pose G OPTION G 1 Copyright free digital image on CD We are a Capita Accredited Photographer and, as such, can provide school record images for SIMS and other school management systems. We can offer this and all of our products with the ease of online ordering. Please see price list enclosed.

8 Coolgrey This product is a new concept and we love it! It s not for everyone or every school, but it may be well suited to you. It occurred to our Managing Director (yes, he is a photographer too) that in some cases we were trying to make students look like who they aren t. He realised whilst working on brochures or prospectuses, as you may know them, for some secondary schools, in let s say fairly challenging areas, that we were spending a lot of time making students look smart and by the time we had done that, they were not happy with the look and we were in some cases removing the true character from them. So he thought the same must be true of the school portraits, with regards to the school uniform. So he thought why not let them look cool in their eyes. They ll be happier with it, the photo won t look staged and they ll be far more inclined to want it done and buy it. So we came up with what you see here, shots which are lit more subtly, with a background which looks maybe more sophisticated and poses which are not the norm for school portraits. Furthermore, it s giving parents and students a better choice, with a 2 pose option. Our tests, which a few of our customers let us run at their schools, show that the students absolutely loved them and by far preferred them over the normal school photographs! It takes a little longer to set up the studio at your school, the lighting is more subtle, the posing is more subtle. It takes skilled photographers, it s not something which can be done by a camera operator. We recognise the value of continuous training and the development of our staff to ensure we maintain our excellent high standards. We hope you will see from the few samples we have included here, with 1 or 2 students dressed let s say more casual than conventional perhaps, this is the way forward in school photography! It s school photography plus! It s more sophisticated, picks up more of the character of your students and pleases more of the stakeholders! (We can obviously still produce your Auto Import SIMS type disc from this.)

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10 Mini Proof Groups Our BEST SELLING Group Option Choice of 3 sizes available Less administration SUPERSIZE option! Size 8x6 Size 10x8 Supersize 16x12 supplied in a tube School/Pupil Named Mount Pupil Named 8x6 Size Sale or Return System Typed name list from School is required on take More administration with name checks, etc. School Named 8x6 Size Proof System Year / School Name as required SIZE: 8x6 PRINT SIZE: 8x6 PRINT

11 School Named or Pupil Named Dual Packs Photographs supplied printed with School Name and Year OR with Pupil Names Available using white, blue or grey background Flexible - individual and group photographs may be purchased separately Popular with students NOTE - For Pupil Named packs a typed name list from the School is required on take More administration with name checks, etc. A OPTION A B OPTION B C OPTION C 1 5x7 ind & 8x6 1 5x7 Print group with School or Pupil Names 2 5x3.5 Prints 4 3.5x2.5 Prints 2 5x3.5 Prints 4 3.5x2.5 Prints School or Pupil Names Presentation Album 5x7 ind & 8x6 group D OPTION D School or Pupil Names Group 8x6 E OPTION E 1 5x7 Print Leavers Dual Packs Senior Leavers Pack Traditional Available using white, blue or grey background PROOF SYSTEM ONLY Staging supplied for Senior Leavers groups A great souvenir of schooldays and schoolfriends Mini prints for swapping - popular with pupils and useful for university and job applications 5x3.5 Group size 12x5 Dual Mount 5x3.5 5x7 Please see price list enclosed.

12 Panoramic Photography A panoramic photograph of an entire year group or even the whole school is the ultimate souvenir of schooldays and looks fabulous hanging in your school! We are one of the few companies able to provide our own staging, which enables us to photograph groups of 1800 pupils easily and with minimum disruption. Reasonably priced for such a precious artefact - prices start at just 20. The small print A full panoramic is only available to suitable schools and in some cases a pre-order arrangement may be necessary to help cover the high costs of providing this service. Please contact us to discuss details. Pan-tastic Also, via the magic of technology, we can even produce a whole school group just by photographing your pupils individually. No need for staging or to worry about the weather - and everyone looks their best!

13 Creative Photography Above all, we take memorable creative photographs We are famous for the quality of our exciting and imaginative photography with which we capture the unique character and ethos of your School. Our photographs are spontaneous and dynamic and can be as traditional or exciting as you like! Real life (only better) We use believable images that capture the energy and personality of your School and we often receive requests for blown-up shots to be printed for display. With your help we will photograph a wide range of subjects so that we can portray a true representation of life in your School whilst showing you at your very best.

14 School Brochures and Prospectuses Schools need good publicity. We have years of experience in providing great imaginative eye-catching design, in both the education and the commercial sector. We are a full in-house marketing solution who understand schools and how they work. We produce what you need as effortlessly as possible. We understand how hard it is running a school with a busy timetable and a lot of pupils, so we take the pain out, organising a shoot and building stunning artwork to get you the publicity you need without causing havoc with your core task! With design and photography in-house, we will provide you with a friendly and personal service that is both efficient and professional. We give you fast results to meet important deadlines and excellent value for money, all without compromising quality! Our production team have over 20 years experience in doing all this in a friendly personal manner, exceeding your expectations every time. We know how to hit a deadline and never miss! This is a different skill base to normal school portraiture which demands quite different talents, hence we use people with quite different skills!

15 School Websites Vancols websites are a sure-fire way to get a sturdy and modern design working for your School. From a bespoke project for a unique look and feel, to template designs offering speed and simplicity. All websites are created with SEO in mind and our content management system ensures you have full control over your website material. Rollback backs up your content continuously, allowing you to view and reinstate any previous version of a specific web page. Content scheduling helps you stay one step ahead. With some help from you, Vancols are expert in providing Ofsted and DFE compliant sites that look great and different from the crowd! Visual Displays Wall Art can quickly change the look of a place and really improve your School halls and corridors. It can also easily be changed and updated to alter the feel of the space and to reflect current activities and events. Big is beautiful We provide striking and eye-catching display prints and large panels - to dress your School halls and walls. Leading the way Signage can be produced for all individual specifications and environments, including main school entrance signs, playground signs, banners and notice boards. Anything you think we haven t thought of? We can help you make your idea a reality and we love a challenge! List of Services Brochures Prospectuses Design Photography Websites Multimedia Promotional Videos Corporate Identity Signage Wall Art Pop Up Banner & Display Stands Promotional Adverts Call now: or [email protected]

16 V a l u e V i v i d V i b r a n t School Photographers Van Cols Limited, The Old School, School Lane, Great Horkesley, Colchester CO6 4BN t: e: [email protected] w: