Snow continues to disrupt the country and many schools are closed again today.
Schools can let parents know that the school is closed by text if they have a text messaging system linked to their school attendance software.
A single email can be sent which will deliver the message directly to the contact mobile number of parents and guardians held in the attendance database.
The Snowday website is a good resource – if your child’s school is registered with the Snowday site, you can go online before setting off on the journey to school to find out if the school is open or not – but not everyone has access to the internet.
Local radio stations have tried to keep people updated, but on a busy morning, you may be in the shower when the message about your school comes over the airwaves!
A mobile phone message is instant and available to view when convenient.
Lots of people have mobile phones (according to the latest statistics, the figure is 46 million, out of a total UK population of 61.4 million) and chances are that parents and guardians are a high number of this total.
If you have a text system in place, it has lots more uses beyond notification of ‘School Closed’:
- Tell parents about delays to school trips, good grades or even truancy
- Remind students of homework/coursework deadlines, after-school classes, library due dates
- Record special announcements for inbound callers e.g. alternative numbers
- Book parents evening appointment by text
Brockenhurst College and Castle View School are already using text messaging to improve communications with students and parents and as an aid to reducing truancy.
