How did you resolve this? In 2013 we sent out a survey and the overwhelming result was that parents would prefer an app.
We worked with Apps Central, creator of the School Calendar and News App and soon had the perfect solution to meet our needs. It had the functionality we were looking for and the image we wanted to project. The costings were good and it was a really professional product. The app went live in October 2014.
Have the results matched your expectations? Enabling real-time notification of important matters such as trips and activities, it is an ideal way to send frequent reminders to parents. We also use social media to drive the message home. The results speak for themselves as we now have better and larger attendance of school events. There have been 500 downloads so far: 330 have been for Apple and 174 for Android. Although in some cases both parents of a child
“It is hard to believe that in 2016 so many schools are still so reliant on paper...”
will have downloaded the app, I estimate the school has achieved 70% to 75% coverage. The school hopes to extend coverage and sends out reminders in the printed newsletter which we still distribute.
On average there is a message every other school day. It links with social media, so generally I will write a post for Facebook which is automatically replicated on Twitter and then as a news story on the app.
What benefits did using an app bring, to parents and the school?
Parents approve of the app and say it's easy to download. They like being connected and feel they are communicating better with school. The messenger function on Apps Central’s School Calendar and News App has been particularly useful for real-time communication and the school can target messages at specific groups - for example, they can send a message to say that a coach returning Year 4 pupils from a school trip is going to be 15 minutes late so parents do not need to rush into school. The app has a pin number which is sent out in a newsletter so staff can ensure that only parents and people closely connected with the school have access to the calendar of events and activities. This gives an extra layer of security which is very reassuring for parents.
Where were the savings to the school in time and money?
Using digital communications means that teachers are able to reach more than one parent or guardian, and can share real-time updates and information. Paper-based communication can be a tedious process, especially when pupils forget to hand over a school trip form, delaying the consent and payment part.
Online home-school solutions, like Apps Central’s School Calendar and News, allow the school to contact parents directly, track responses
View from the classroom and send polite reminders.
“It is hard to believe that in 2016, so many schools are still so reliant on paper”, said Mick Empson, creator of Windmill Primary School’s parental engagement app. “It is slow, inefficient and bad for the environment. Much better options are available, with more and more technology dedicated to reducing use of paper. It’s estimated that by replacing paper-based notifications with online solutions such as ours that primary schools can save an average of £2500 a year by reducing paper usage, printing costs, freeing up administrators and improving efficiency and the environment.”
While I personally cannot put a specific figure on our savings at Windmill Primary, I know that the school is spending less on photocopying. We are also saving time because a simple short reminder on the app reaches most parents, replacing the need to send letters. The app is easy for staff to use and Apps Central populates a basic calendar with events and key dates at the beginning of each school year which can quickly be amended and edited to suit changing circumstances.
It is an all-in-one solution. Apps Central offers a fast professional service and the app has proved perfect for our needs.
http://appscentral.co/
March 2016
www.education-today.co.uk
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