Make things easier for parents, so responses improve

Earlier this year, the Department for Education was challenged on new guidance it released on School Exclusions. This could have seen children excluded from school for failings out of their control, such as being late too often, not going into school with the right equipment or kit and parents repeatedly not completing paperwork.

With many parents, charities and legal representatives coming together against this, the Department for Education has since withdrawn the guidance for reconsideration “to make absolutely sure that all relevant matters have been taken into account”. However, it’s not over yet. The DfE have warned they will be issuing updated guidance in due course.

While we eagerly await an update from the Department of Education, it’s worth considering that schools can avoid going down this road altogether, simply by helping their parents with reminders, or by making it easier for them to complete schools forms and permissions – and this need not burden schools with any extra workload.

For busy working parents, remembering the various different equipment, kit or homework they need to send their child into school with each day or finding the time to complete a form simply adds to the stress of an already hectic life, and as we know, can be easily forgotten.

Rather than punish these parents and their children, schools can help by using a system which makes it easier for parents to do the things they need them to do. At ParentMail, our focus is on making life easy for parents, because we know that by doing this we make sure schools get more responses than any other method.

While other parents may have to dig out the paperwork, find time to complete forms and then trust their child to send it back into school, parents at schools using ParentMail can simply pick up forms or school messages as soon as they’re sent AND respond should they need to on their smartphone APP, tablet or computer in seconds.

ParentMail also allows schools to send reminders, so if parents need to send their children into school the next day with equipment, kit or anything else, parents can receive a notification the evening before or in the morning simply reminding them what their kids need that day.

For parents there’s real value in our system; we make it easy for parents to read and respond to school requests, and this makes it the most effective parental engagement service schools can buy.

Book a free demonstration of our Forms, Permission and Surveys application, or simply have a tour or our new PMX system and see how you could improve parent-school relationships from today. Email info@parentmail.co.uk for more information.

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.