School Communication Software

While you need to share information to build community, too much communication can be counter-productive. 

Like any person living in the modern world, parents and carers receive a huge amount of information each and every day. Even a piece of good news might feel overwhelming if it’s the third email from the school that fortnight. 

To keep your communication concise, you can try: 

• Sharing positive news or updates via a monthly newsletter 
• Coordinating the majority of communication via a school messaging system app 
• Using texts and emails sparingly to avoid message fatigue. 

From reassuring families, to communicating difficult messages to trying to avoid misinterpretation, it can be tempting for school staff to “get it all out there” when communicating with parents/carers.   

However, longer messages can have significant drawbacks, like being: 

• Difficult to quickly digest (and, therefore, forgotten) 
• Intimidating for parents/carers who aren’t strong readers 
• Too similar to longer-form “crisis comms”. 

To help staff stay concise, you can create templates for common messages in your school’s communication portal. By keeping things simple, you’re more likely to engage parents and carers, helping you build greater community. 

Part of building community is giving everyone the power to communicate on their own terms.  

Communicating exclusively via a parent communication app (rather than a mix of text and email) means families can “self-serve” and engage with school messaging when it’s convenient. This also means: 

• Notifications are easier to manage (unlike emails or texts, which can get buried) 
• Messages are centralised and easier to keep track of 

• Attachments and important documents are kept in one secure location. 

Proactive communication can help build community by equipping parents and carers with what they need, even before they need it. 

Use your parent communication portal to share useful messages ahead of time, to give parents/carers the chance to absorb and respond. You could share information like: 

• Behavioural policies 
• How parents/carers can get involved (e.g. PTA) 
• Curriculum changes (and how families can support)  
• Upcoming SEN assessments 
• Leadership/staff changes. 

Proactive communication can help families feel more involved and in control.  

Don’t wait until a child’s first day of school to start building a community with parents and carers. 

Whether it’s hundreds of 11-year-olds ready to start secondary school or a single new student, start communicating with parents and carers as soon as they’re on the parent communication portal.

Using your school or trust’s MIS, you could share information on: 

• Class timetables 
• Grading and examination policy 
• Extra-curricular activities 
• Teachers and school/trust leadership 
• SEN and additional support available
• Accessibility measures. 

This approach means parents/carers feel valued and, hopefully, better equipped to support their child in starting a new school.