ParentMail

[IceCup]

Getting annoyed by school sending out ridiculous amounts of ParentMail... I don't mind the actual, important, day-to-day school info type messages obviously, but they seem to get lost easily amongst all the adverts from 'local' companies they churn out too. Holiday activity centres, sports clubs wanting new members, swimming teams wanting you to sign away your weekends, dance academies touting for new members etc. I end up automatically pressing delete whenever ParentMail appears - I'll miss something important one day. Wonder if these companies actually pay the school to advertise their (shady) businesses or if they are gaining access to our emails for free?

I always make a point of avoiding junk emails and tick the decline button whenever I give my email address away, so why should ParentMail/primary schools be any different? Feeling harassed! Thanks for the rant!

We only get messages from the actual school, or from clubs run within the school when it's a necessary message about change of dates etc (not advertising).

In the situation you describe, I would keep a log of what you receive in any given week, then complain to the school.

Thanks ThreeBeeOneGee, I'm in process of doing so, but not getting very far. In response to me asking them to stop the spam they replied: "We pass on information from organisations we know or work with which may be of interest to parents. Naturally at this time of year there are a number of such communications." Then promptly sent another one! Grr!

I think that if you can prove that it's an unreasonable amount (compile a list and present it to them) then they may be more responsive.

Failing that, you could take it to the governors.

I don't get any from ds's school.
I get about 2 a year from dd1's school (both secondary)

dd2's (Primary) school don't do e-mails but do texts instead. I can get about 6 or 7 a week from them, but that's disproportionate because my dd plays in so many teams / belongs to so many clubs.

I've never had any, from any school that isn't about something direct from the school though.

Parentmail only contains what your school chooses to send. It's never a case of other firms getting your address - your school is choosing to forward advertising e-mails. The school won't get a penny for it.

I'd email the school about it. All parentmail is forwarded by the school and they don't get money for it, so they may feel they are doing parents a favour by it. They won't know otherwise unless someone tells them.

We have parentmail and we only get school letters, PTA letters and things that are connected to the school by either having an afterschool club or using their grounds (very few do that).

It is entirely under the school's control. I send out all the messages at my school and have made it clear that I will only send messages relating to the school, the PA or the after school clubs we run as I want to ensure parents do read messages and not assume they are junk.

We are inundated with requests from commerical organisations wanting me to send mesages via parentmail and they are always refused. We do however allow some (but by no means all) which we think may be of benefit to parents/children to send in flyers to go home in book bags in exchange for a donation to the school fund.

If they insist on sending out everything could you suggest they save all the 'junk' and send it out say once a week with an appropriate title so you can clearly see it is one message you can safely ignore.

Brilliant. Thank you all. Dajen, I'm going to forward your ideas/practices next term if I may. Here's to a quiet inbox for a few weeks now they've broken up!