Schoolcomms Insights

The Ultimate Toolkit for Parental Engagement in Schools

It’s no secret that we’re strong advocates of parental engagement in schools and the impact it has on pupil progress. In fact, we’ve been helping schools to better engage with parents since 2003. And it’s easy to see why. Time and time again, studies have shown that parent power is key to improving pupil attainment. But with so […]

Attainment Gap: What Does it Mean and How Can You Close it?

This ‘gap’ in academic achievement for children of low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds is what many describe as the ‘attainment gap’, and it hasn’t shown signs of closing for 20 years. But what causes the attainment gap? And what would closing the gap mean for schools?

How Parent Apps Can be Great for School Business Managers

We know it’s not easy being a School Business Manager (SBM), especially right now. Now with the cost of living crisis, there’s more than just a strain on your time; some School Business Managers have taken on the added stress of organising fundraisers to support struggling families.

7 Ideas to Refresh Your School Newsletter

A school newsletter lies at the heart of effective communication between students, staff, and parents. The question is: how do you make the most of this invaluable communication tool?

Parental Engagement Questionnaire: the Dos and Don’ts

Looking to improve your parental engagement but not sure how? A parental engagement questionnaire is a great place to start. And with mountains of research supporting the link between parental involvement and student success, listening to parent opinion is key to improving learning outcomes. Despite this, according to ParentKind’s 2020 Annual Survey, only 50% of parents feel they’re able to have a say on decisions affecting their children’s education.

6 Ways a School App Benefits Parents

You are probably well aware of the many ways investing in a school app can make life easier for your school. But have you considered the advantages for parents? Getting parents on board with school apps is a critical step. If your school is planning on investing in a parent app, be sure to communicate the benefits to your parents. So, how will investing in a school app benefit the parents of your pupils?

Channels for Effective Communication with Parents in Schools

6 Ways to Improve Parental Involvement

Were you aware that meaningful parental engagement can equivalate to an additional 4 months of progression per year for children in school? It isn’t just down to teachers to ensure that children get the best education and support they can. Parents also play a key role in their children’s educational experience and, as such, it’s crucial that schools can involve them in the best ways possible.

School Budgeting Tips: How to Develop an Effective Budget for the New Financial Year

5 Common Barriers to Communication Between Parents and Teachers

Parental Engagement: Strategies for Success

With parental engagement proven to have a positive effect on academic achievement, it’s clear that investing in long-term strategies is crucial. But with ever-shrinking budgets and heavy workloads to contend with, how can schools improve parental engagement? We've compiled a list of simple and affordable parental engagement strategies for improving parental involvement in their child's learning.

Overcoming Barriers to Inclusive Education in Your School

71% of schools say that social inclusion causing limited access to the internet is their biggest barrier to adopting education technology (EdTech) solutions, according to our recent survey of 3,000 UK school staff. Although a daunting obstacle for schools to tackle, there is a lot that schools can do to support low-income and low-social-economic status (SES) families to promote social inclusion.

5 Ways to Cater for all Dietary Requirements in School Meals

School Meals: Allergy Menus in the Wake of Natasha’s Law

How has your school meal service responded to the requirements imposed by Natasha’s Law? While the purpose of Natasha’s Law is to enforce accurate labelling of potentially fatal allergens, it also represents a shift towards further inclusion and care for people living with food allergies.

Need help getting parents involved with your new systems or processes?

These EdTech companies could help your school overcome its biggest challenges

Are virtual parents’ evening systems the future for schools?

A Guide to Running School Activities During COVID-19

With the return to school, we can finally experience a small slice of normality again. And while catching up with academic work is crucial, it’s important that you still make time for school activities. Given many children have been experiencing mental health problems  in lockdown, the return to school is welcome. However, there may be some lasting effects […]

Return to School: 8 Tips for Supporting Staff, Students and Parents

The New School Year: 6 Things to Add to Your Plans

Having made it through September, now is as good a time as any to review the progress of your back to school checklist following the start of the new school year. Planning for the new academic year amid a global pandemic has undoubtedly been anything but straightforward. Social distancing measures are sure to have dominated most back […]

Schoolcomms Dinners: Meal Management Made Easy

Schools have a lot on their plates when it comes to meal management. Success lies not only in the food but the service. Mealtimes provide a perfect opportunity for schools to promote healthy eating. Given almost 1 in 5 children are overweight or obese when they start primary school, rising to 1 in 3 when they start […]

20 Questions Every School Should be Asking Their Parent App Provider