There may be plenty of reasons why your school should take the plunge and get their own dedicated app but convincing those in charge can be a challenge in itself. Leadership teams often have more on their minds than the latest technology. What they may not realise is that a school app could take the strain off their administration processes, keep parents better informed and free up valuable resources.
Here are just some of the arguments you should be using to convince head teachers that they need a school app:
- Most of us use smartphones, particularly parents who have to juggle busy work and social lives. The fact that many of us carry these devices around with us provides a quick and easy chance to communicate better. Sending an alert straight to a smart device can keep parents informed and allow them to better manage their lives.
- The trouble with the text systems that many schools use is that more often than not parents are overloaded with information which is not particularly relevant. A dedicated app allows parents to switch off certain notifications that don’t matter to them. So, for instance, if a son or daughter isn’t on the school cricket or football team they can block information about these training sessions. If you only have one child in the first year, you don’t want notifications about what other years are up to. Dedicated notifications mean that parents only get the stuff that is relevant.
- Communication is another issue as some parents don’t have English as their first language. With the latest technology, any parent can choose the language they get their information in. Not only that, it shows your school is inclusive and able to go that little bit further than all the rest.
- Parents don’t have to go to your website for information because it’s all on their phone when they bring up the app. Busy parents are unlikely to check a website too often but if they get a notification of a new development that goes straight to their phone, they are unlikely to miss out.
- Because everything is now going through the app, you can organise your school administration better. No sending out pointless texts or having to print out information to send home with the kids, your app can be controlled by you from a central location to do almost everything. There’s flexibility built into most school apps which means you can define the content and include updates like photos and videos. You can even add pdfs of lunch menus and timetables so parents and students can check what’s happening.
Of course, the cost of developing an app is going to be at the forefront of your leadership team’s thoughts in this area. The great news is that the cost has come down considerably in the last few years and you can get a bespoke school app for a lower price than you think. Not only that, you can usually try it out for free and make sure it provides your establishment with everything it needs.