WhatsApp – Pros, cons and managing it for your school

Instant messaging service, WhatsApp, has become an integral part of staying in touch with friends and family for adults across the UK. Many parents also use WhatsApp groups to share information about their child’s school with other parents.

Earlier this year, we wrote an article on our blog, What’s up with WhatsApp? after a Mumsnet thread hit the headlines when a post referring to the different types of mum found in ‘every’ school WhatsApp group struck a chord with parents across the country.

Parents were quick to state that the WhatsApp group created at the beginning of the school year is a handy way of staying up to date with the latest classroom news. However, the sheer quantity of messages sent by the 20+ parents all part of the same group can be quite overwhelming and ‘fear of missing out’ often warrants us incapable of turning notifications to silent.

Sometimes WhatsApp groups for parents may not share accurate information, and details about children may be shared with little thought for privacy. In this video, Sue Atkins – parenting expert and ex- deputy head – gives her views on how parental engagement software can keep communication between school and parent clear, whilst keeping all data safe.

If you want to find our more about ParentMail’s communication applications, and what else it can do to help your office staff save time and money, get in touch on info@parentmail.co.uk or give the team a call on 01733 595959.

Simon Freeman

Managing Director for Education

Simon Freeman is Managing Director for Education at IRIS, where he leads the strategic evolution of the organisation’s education portfolio. He is responsible for leading the team to deliver innovative, technology‑led solutions that support schools, multi‑academy trusts and independent institutions worldwide to be more effective, and improve student outcomes.

Driven by a strong commitment to improving outcomes in education, Simon brings extensive senior leadership experience from large‑scale technology and services organisations.

Simon is focused on positioning IRIS as the partner of choice for institutions navigating increasing operational, financial and regulatory complexity.