Communications best practice for schools, your help needed!

[BeccaMumsnet]

Hi all,

As you're no doubt aware , the education boards on MN are full of discussions about schools and the different ways in which they operate, and the great (and - ahem! - less than great) ways in which they communicate with us as parents. Given there's all this fantastic feedback spread across the boards, we thought we'd have a go at corralling it all in one place and see if we could come up with tips for schools on communications best-practice, and how we'd like them to engage with us about all things, both good and bad.


We'd love to hear your views on the really brilliant things your schools have done when it comes to communication - and, obviously the not so brilliant things, too. Below are a few idea questions you might like to have a think about - but obviously feel free to tell us anything: we're all ears

If you have a complaint about your child's school, do you know what to do?

Have you ever posted online about your school, either positively or negatively?

How would you like schools to engage with you?

Do schools have a place on social media?

Would you find it useful to have a live Q&A session with your school's Headteacher?


Many thanks all.

[OldBeanbagz]

Forgot to say i would never post anything negative online about either school. It's very unprofessional.

Even worse - there was a very public spat on one of the teacher's FB pages recently which had the parents gossiping in the playground.

[dulcefarniente]

Primary school - sends out weekly newsletter via email and reminders via text. Both good.

Not allowed to speak with teachers without an appointment and they are only available in the half hour before and after school. This is a non-starter when you work full time.

Homework/permission slips I think are just put in trays for the children to take home so it's hit and miss if they make it home in time. Would much prefer it if it was sent via email.

Information about topics is sent home when they complete the topic. I'd rather know at the start so I could be aware of what I might be asked about or to get ideas of things we could do at weekends.

Like lots of PPs have said we are not all able to drop out of work or other commitments with a couple of days notice to attend events or produce costumes etc. We get a few weeks notice about sports days, nativity and inset days but winners of HTs awards are told late on a Friday for a Tuesday ceremony. Hopeless.

[MammaTJ]

We have a middle school system here. DS goes to First School and DD goes to Middle school.

If you have a complaint about your child's school, do you know what to do? Yes, with both.

Have you ever posted online about your school, either positively or negatively? Only positive. I do believe they should be given the chance to deal with negative things before they are made public.

How would you like schools to engage with you? As they do. Newsletters each week, letter as and when necessary. Phone calls and texts for more casual exchanges.

Do schools have a place on social media? Yes, good to have a place to check dates.

Would you find it useful to have a live Q&A session with your school's Headteacher? Not needed for FS, HT is at the door greeting people every morning and at the gate saying goodbye to everyone every evening. Very accessable.

[BoboChic]

If I have a complaint about my child's school I make a personal judgement call as to how to address it: there is no complaints procedure or policy (French school, but no excuse for being unprofessional).

Yes, I post online about my DC's school, both positively and negatively. I find that discussing queries online with parents/teachers in other schools is a very helpful way of evaluating issues and shedding light on practice.

I like schools to engage with me factually and with clarity. I don't want wishy-washy emails welcoming me back after the holidays and telling me about all sorts of future initiatives, most of which are unrealisable. I want hard information and I want issues that are raised by many stakeholders to be addressed overtly and to a timeline.

I think schools should probably stay away from social media.

We get Q&A sessions with the SLT from time to time. This is a good thing but doesn't replace management, leadership, decision-making skills, action, resources etc...

[catkind]

Things I like: website with up to date calendar and newsletters. Timely info on trips, productions, costumes required etc.
I liked in reception having a home-school communication book that was looked at daily, but guess this would be too much faff for teachers higher up the school. I like DS current school system for homework where it's always on the same day and stuck into their book, compared with previous school's system of loose sheets that half the kids left in their trays. And these were issued on Fridays so no chance to check if you'd missed something or if you didn't understand.
I would love to know DC's academic targets on a more regular basis, however this might be communicated. Particularly reading as we're asked to do a lot of it at home but not really seeing any challenge or progress.
I'd like to know how teachers prefer to be contacted about what. Is sending an email more faff than returning a phone call? If I send DC with a note, will it get to the right place or would sending a note via the office be easier? Are they happy to be cornered at the end of the day or would they rather we make an appointment? Are any of these methods for urgent matters only?
And the unofficial class fb page is a lifesaver. But schools can't really interfere with that.

[Cargundian]

If you have a complaint about your child's school, do you know what to do?

Hasn't happened, but yes, I know what I'd do.

Have you ever posted online about your school, either positively or negatively?

Positively (including this post ).

How would you like schools to engage with you?

Efficiently for stuff I/they need to know, interestingly for stuff we might like to know. One great thing about my child's school is that everyone answers emails promptly (sometimes shockingly promptly: I send a mail late one Sunday evening, i.e. when I remembered, and got a reply a few minutes later - wouldn't want anyone to be feeling they had to be that prompt!).

Do schools have a place on social media?

I used to think not, but the school has recently started a lively twitter feed and I find myself going to twitter specially to read it. Must be significant amount of work, mind.

Would you find it useful to have a live Q&A session with your school's Headteacher?

Useful, not specially as I feel well informed already; interesting, surely!

[cheapandcheerful]

My dc's school is generally very good at communicating dates etc. by several methods: Newsletters, website, text message.

However, it's all of the PTA things that are not communicated well. Once this term I sent mine in uniform on a non-uniform day and then a week later I just about avoided doing the same thing (I found out by overhearing a conversation on the playground the day before).

I have set up a facebook group for parents in an attempt to make it easier for the PTA to communicate in the future. It's proving effective so far.

I work at a school and the head held a 'Q&A session' which wasn't altogether helpful. A few parents saw it as a 'complaining session and a lot of the questions/complaints were very individual and would have been better discussed 1:1.

I know how to complain if I need to.

[BikeRunSki]

Our school secretary might send several emails or texts a day. If she sends an email, she also sends a text to say she's sent an email. Nothing is ever so urgent it can't wait til the end of the day. I would much rather have one communication with all the messages in once a day.

Also - for the school to use class contact lists. All comms from school appear to go to all parents. Confusing and inappropriate. I don't need to know that the children from a class neither of my children are in have settled well on their residential, or than Class X need their violins on Tuesday.

Some clear guidance on how working parents should contact school, return forms etc.

Our (primary) school has a blanket ban on social media and that's fine by me. If I need to check homework details/dressing up days I know enough parents to ask.

[bruffin]

Dcs secondary school have always been great at communication, i think they got some sort of award.
All teachers email adresses are on the website and usually get a reply very quickly.
Letters are emailed and available on the website. Ie trips on calender as well as listed and can click on and get a copy of letter.
Website has link to childs achievement in each subject, test results and reports.
They were also have a facebook page with photos of say xmas jumper day and basically good news and announcements of new Head girl/boy etc No one other than school can post on it.
Some teachers also use twitter and dc can contact them through that.
There is also a long parents survey every year as well.
I do post about dc school a bit on MN as it is a lovely school and i have seen my children really thrive and grow into responsible adults there.

[anotherbusymum14]

Previous primary did a great weekly newsletter. It kept us in the loop and helped us feel a part of the school and their community, as it was uptodate and covered most things they had done at school that week. Also they sent out group texts about activities the class would go on- if they were running late - and if an after school sports or club was cancelled. Yes it was great. Current primary does not do this quite as well although we do get messages by email updating us on things. I think I prefer a letter in the hand and texts.
Current secondary really good at having the class tutor ringing us and updating us with how child is doing. This is very good. Also group emails including newsletters - although I do like having hard copy of newsletter in the hand. I do read the newsletters tho. I like newsletters which tells us about the school and what has happened and what is coming up each week. I also really like and appreciate the texts saying if your child has been noted as absent (especially if I've forgotten to ring them). This is great to know that they are onto absences and will let you know of any absences. Great communication overall and it mostly seems to work for us although I do still miss updates especially the emailed ones. Sometimes if you get too many emails in your box it's easy to miss the school ones that come through.
Hope that helps :)

[riodances27]

teachers who call you on the phone. It's quicker than email and not everything has to be worded perfectly grammar checked. To keep communication brief - for those of us parents who can't seem to stop talking- they can indicate they have another meeting in 5 or something like that.

I like school reports that detail 'I can' - details of which objectives are achieved and being worked towards rather than one overall mark for Maths and English. However, the long written school reports - are nice- but effort seems to outweigh the benefit.

I'd like something to be done nationally about schools that deal harshly with parents of mild SEN kids in a bid to get them to withdraw - like whistle-blowing. I've seen too many posts on these forums and teachers even admit their school has a problem. It's completely uncivilized and disturbing and not the way to bring up league tables.

[riodances27]

oh and love the website calendar updates!