To support schools with parent communications we’ve put together some practical tips on how to best keep them updated.
1. Send personalised and targeted parent communications
Talk to the individual to keep them fully engaged. Making sure that parents receive messages and information that is both relevant and interesting is crucial in engaging them in school life.
To avoid ‘spamming’ parents with unnecessary information, think about what you want to push to parents and what you are happy for them to browse in their own time. This needs you to be consistent in your messaging strategy: allocate your use of different formats, (emails, SMS, newsletters) for particular types of message and parents will already understand the nature of the communication and its urgency, before they open it.
2. Ensure information is accessible
Reduce all friction points for parents and try to fit in with their normal digital habits. 97% of 35-44 year olds have a phone and therefore providing a mobile friendly app with all your resources and latest updates can make it easier to access information. Think about mobile-first in all your comms (not emailing random PDFs, requiring logins etc).
3. Make communications readable
Let clarity and brevity be your watchwords. Parents are busy - say too much, and you’ll overwhelm and lose many of them. Structure emails so that the most important information is prominent. Highlight key details so that they can be understood at a glance, especially if action is required.
4. Use data to optimise communications
Data can help decide when to send communications out depending on parents’ work patterns. For example, during lockdown some schools published home learning tasks on a Friday afternoon, allowing parents to review it over the weekend and help schedule in time to support their child during the following week.
5. Share regular news
You can help parents by continuing to share regular news and updates with them via your online portal - the more they can see the more reassured they will be.
If you would like to discover more best practices please do read our ebook on effective communications with parents.