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MANAGING YOUR PTA – Communication
Make social media easier ● Software such as Hootsuite (hootsuite. com/en-gb) allows you to schedule posts across your social media platforms. Its free plan allows you to manage three social media platforms and schedule 30 posts, making it quick and easy to do when you have some free time. ● Pin posts to the top of both Twitter and Facebook accounts to make sure visitors see the most important thing fi rst – don’t forget to unpin them once they’re no longer relevant. ● It’s a good idea to have multiple admins so that someone is usually available to answer questions and post messages. Allocate the task to a few trusted committee members. ● Many PTAs are concerned about social media becoming a place for parents to voice complaints about the school. Make it clear that PTA groups are for PTA business only and not a place to air grievances. Moderate your groups where possible and remove any offensive posts.
WhatsApp The messaging app WhatsApp is ideal for setting up group chats for different sets of people. Create one for your core committee and another for regular volunteers. If you have enough helpers, make a group for each class and ask each class rep to monitor it. WhatsApp messages can only be seen by group members.
Classlist The free Classlist app offers a GDPR-compliant way for you to
communicate directly with school families. Classlist allows you to set up different lists for different groups of people: send a message to the whole school about the summer fair; contact Year 2 to organise a bake sale, or reach out to the committee about an upcoming event. The app also helps PTAs manage events and sell tickets, and you can even raise cash with its sponsorship scheme.
Website A PTA website – or a PTA section on the school website – is an opportunity for anyone who has internet access to fi nd out about your organisation. To make the best use of your website, make sure the section is easy to fi nd and keep it updated.
School offi ce Many school offi ces will send out PTA information via their text or email services, which is a GDPR- compliant way to get the message to all parents.
Traditional PTA
communications Advancing your PTA into the digital age is important, but not everyone uses social media or looks at the school website. Maintain visibility among this group too by using more traditional methods to keep in touch.
Noticeboard A noticeboard is a good way to spread news using fewer resources. You may wish to have
two noticeboards – one outside the school to publicise events, and one inside for school-related information. Can you use a noticeboard in your town? Use websites such as canva. com or
postermywall.com to design eye-catching posters.
Newsletters Hard-copy letters used to be a regular fi nd in school bags, but there’s a high cost involved in printing and many schools and parents are keen to reduce paper usage. If you use this system, consider asking parents if they might prefer a greener method.
Community publications If your local area has a newsletter or magazine, such as a parish newsletter or business brochure, ask if you can occasionally advertise events.
Communicate
with other PTAs Reach out to other PTAs to get answers to questions and receive support and recommendations. PTA+ has set up more than 70 local Facebook PTA groups to bring neighbouring committees together. There’s one for every county, giving all members of local PTAs and Friends Associations a place to connect. Visit
facebook.com/ PTAgroupsUK/groups to fi nd your local group.
Top tips for good communication ● Creating a recognisable brand will make your PTA seem more professional. Use
canva.com to design a logo, or hold a design competition at school. ● Remember to use the logo on all your communication materials. ● Put details of other communication methods on each channel you use. For example, include your Twitter handle in the header of your letters, or the PTA email address in a pinned post on your Facebook page.
20 SUMMER 2020
pta.co.uk
● Creating a dedicated PTA email address is free, easy and allows people to contact you privately. ● Remember to check the email or set it to automatically forward to your communications offi cer. ● If you collect contact details, make sure you use them in line with GDPR. ● Ensure you have permission for any photos you use on social media and don’t include personal details such as phone numbers in communications.
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