Top Tips: Parents using ParentMail

Many of our schools have over 95% of parents registered and regularly using ParentMail; we’ve spoken to some to find out their top tips for making ParentMail a success!

Set 'ParentMail' as homework
Some schools set ParentMail registration as homework, meaning children go home and encourage their parents to take 5 minutes setting up their account and showing them how they can receive school communications on their computer, tablet or smart phone!

Target parents at parents evening
This is a perfect time to get parents registered as it’s one of the only times that you’re going to be able to communicate with parents face to face. You can have ParentMail registration forms to hand, computers ready for them to register when they arrive, or get a member of staff to act as “ParentMail representative” to be on hand to help parents register or answer any questions they might have!

Download and use promotional materials
On the help website you will find free to download posters, website banners and newsletter graphics which are the perfect way to catch the attention of your parents. Put the posters up where parents are likely to see them, website banners up on your school website and newsletter graphics in your monthly/termly newsletter.

Hire “Eco Kids”
Choose children in your school who can be hired as your “Eco Kids” whose role is to drive registration to reduce paper and printing within school.

Use your feeder schools
If you are a secondary school, get ahead of the race by contacting the parents of the year 6 students at your feeder schools, to let them know that you use ParentMail and that they will need to register before their child starts with you. This is a good way to get parents on board from the word go.

Create some school competitions
Hold competitions within your school, for example – the class who has the most parents signed up will win a prize OR each parent that makes a payment within a date specified will be entered into a raffle and those selected at random will win a prize!

Put a computer in reception for registration
Have a computer ready for parents to sign up if and when they come into the school. This is also a good time to answer any questions they might have and show them the ParentMail system.

Hire your parents to promote ParentMail!
It may be that you have some parents who are keen supporters of ParentMail – use them to your advantage! Ask them to speak to other parents about the benefits of ParentMail and why they love it – the good news will spread and soon you’ll have 100% of parents signed up!

Make sure your staff are on board
Any project or idea will not work without support or commitment from your staff – get your teachers trained and educated on ParentMail so that they feel enthusiastic enough to talk to your parents and children about the benefits of registering.

Try some of our tips and let us know how you get on with using IRIS Parentmail OR share with us some of your tips, by tweeting us @ParentMail or leave a comment below.