Teachers2parents

[gremlindolphin]

Does anyone have any experience of this text information service? Our school is currently making rather a meal of looking into Parent Mail and as most people have mobiles but there are issues with everyone having access to email I think texting might be the way to go?

Any advice?

We use texting - it's fab and deffo the way to go!

works well here

They have a texting service for emergencies ie when the school was closed in the snow. Our school uses Parent Mail and it works a treat. Our PTA also use it for publicity (with our Heads permission).
M

School website is our main source of information. During the snow the bursar was on site by 5am putting up messages to say that school would be open.
We are asked to check the school website regularly when there are adverse weather conditions.

My sons school uses it and it is brilliant.

Both our primary and secondary schools use it - it's great, and it must be quite cheap, judging by some of the trivial texts they send

Hmm just saw this on the news ...

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2010416/Racist-telesales-firm-Teachers-2-Parents-Rahul-Jain-Rob-Matthews.html

and this ....

www.employmentlawworldview.com/discrimination/whats-in-a-name-potential-for-race-discrimination/#page=1

Personally I think that's terrible and we were considering using them at our school. We'll be using someone else now.

Tracy.

Any company with a call centre in India makes their staff adopt english-sounding names. I don't agree with it but realistically if you want to boycott any company for that reason you will be significantly reducing the companies you would deal with. Mind you, I aim to boycott any company with a call centre outside the UK...

We use teachers2parents btw and it works very well.

Prefer parentmail as I can go back and look at old messages.

Am relieved to hear positives as I've ust signed up to ParentMail. I was a bit when I found out we pay per text, and haven't actually comitted yet to how many texts/how much to pay. I think it's something like 40 texts for £6.00 and 85 texts for £12.00... I don't know which one to choose!

I've never paid as a parent for texts. In bad weather the school still texts (real emergencies). But email is preferable given how often I mislay my phone etc.

Both my dd's schools use text services and they are brilliant at keeping us in the loop with whats going on; reminders and un forseen events/cancellations. We have never had to pay for the privilege!
www.txtlocal.co.uk is another provider who is UK based.

It's not the parents who pay for the texts, it's the school, and texting services are FAR more expensive than e-mails. Schools generally find they end up spending more on texts than they originally anticipated... and it is out of an already tight budget, particularly these days.

I'm confused! I'm definitely being asked to pay for texts...

To quote from my account login page:

'To place your order choose the number of text alerts you wish to purchase and click the 'Place Order' button, you will then be transferred to the Worldpay website for your order to be processed

Once payment has been received your text alerts will immediately be credited to your account'

On the ParentMail website the pricing page shows the cost being to the school - 500 texts for £30 etc - sounds a bit odd - are the school trying to pass the cost on to the parents?

Looks like it. Hmm, that's typical.

That has always been there, however I have never paid but have received texts when the school needs me to. I wonder if they just text to let you know you have an email or something (not something I need).

parent mail has both texts and emails BUT the parent pays to receive the texts.

Previously we used teacherstoparents and the school paid for the texts.

who pays is the only difference I can think of (except the emails of course)

Just wondered if anyone is still watching this thread? Interesting to see that Parent Mail and Teachers2Parents are very popular. Are there any other companies out there that are any good?

Am hoping that next year my DS's new school has a text system - seems better than finding a letter at the bottom of his bag days later

Teachers2Parents are used at both of my children's schools.

There is no charge to the parents.

Most people are much more likely to read texts than the letters anyway.