Schoolcomms case study
Phase: Secondary
Local Authority: West Sussex
Unique challenge: Finding a system that integrates seamlessly with the cashless catering system.
What goals were you hoping to achieve when you decided that an engagement system would be a good fit for your school?
Our online payments system was continually causing the school and parents issues so we decided to take the plunge and move to a new payments system.
Why did Oathall Community College decide to use Schoolcomms to reach these goals?
We had to find a system which would work well with our cashless catering system. We were advised by our till system provider (Sharps) that Schoolcomms was compatible with their system. Having looked at the systems available to us we felt that Schoolcomms would be the best solution.
What has parent and staff reaction been to School Gateway?
- Parents like the app and find it easy to use.
- It is useful that parents can get their own PIN and we don’t have to get involved with password resets.
- Having to sync with the email and mobile numbers on SIMS makes SIMS more accurate.
What challenges were you concerned about and how did you overcome them?
We were concerned about the uptake but 85% of our students have at least one parent on School Gateway which we think is a good response.
What has been the impact of adopting Schoolcomms?
We have fewer problems with the link between payments and school meals and have found the system generally instinctive. Assistance from Schoolcomms has been good. The software is intuitive to use and the graphic interface is well designed for users.