Paperless Communication

Communication between schools and parents has developed at a rate of knots in recent years, with many schools acknowledging the benefits of electronic communication. But what is all the fuss really about?

Whether it’s emailing newsletters home to parents, sending a reminder text about parents’ evening or uploading your new school menu onto the VLE (Virtual learning Environment) – it’s all electronic communication, and it’s quickly becoming the norm in many schools around the UK.

Electronic Communication

The real benefits are speed and ease of communication. Sending information via email and text message means that school staff no longer have to spend hours photocopying and distributing newsletters, or ringing parents to let them know football club has been cancelled. Instead, these messages can now be sent electronically, either via email or text message, within a matter of seconds.

Reducing Costs

For the schools, this not only saves a considerable amount of time, it also dramatically reduces printing, stationery and telephone costs, as well as considerably reducing the amount of paper consumed. This is a great way to demonstrate an eco-friendly approach to pupils, and gets around the hit-and-miss approach of sending letters home in the school bag.

A good proportion of parents now have email access, and an even greater majority have a mobile phone, making these two vital and effective channels of communication available to take advantage of. It also means your message will actually get to the parents – ON TIME.

Virtual Learning Environments

VLEs also have a part to play in this mix. Many schools now have VLEs up and running, and often post updates and news for parents.

However, for this to be effective schools require parents to actively check for updates, something that many busy parents simply forget to do.

Email services can step in to solve this problem, allowing the school to inform parents of each update, and link directly to the website or VLE, drawing parents into the site.

With Government plans to get broadband into every home by 2012, schools will be able to take full advantage of this technology and make school-home communication much easier!

Success

Numerous schools across the UK are already taking advantage of HomeContact’s paperless communications systems and making savings on valuable resources.

Anita Druce from Stanton St Quinton School commented: “We only send out 20 hard copy letters now, with all other families receiving email versions. It has greatly reduced our time, paper and copy costs and we are now able to contact all parents quickly and easily, which is great!”

Try it for free!

For a demonstration or a FREE 30 day trial of HomeContact – a secure, easy-to-use, web-based email and text messaging service allowing you to send messages to parents via e-mail and text message - visit: www.homecontact.co.uk or call our service line on 0208 099 8271.

Subscription costs from just £110 per year, and will save you plenty of time and money!