How do I improve parent communication at my school?

Practical advice for school leaders looking to improve communication with parents and carers, reduce administrative workload and keep every family informed.

Good communication between school and home is essential. Parents need to know what is happening, when events are taking place, what their children are learning and how they can support them. For school leaders, the challenge is delivering this information consistently without adding to the already considerable workload of teachers and administrative staff.

Emails, text messages, paper letters, social media and school websites can all play a part. But when information is spread across multiple channels, parents can miss important updates and staff can spend valuable time answering questions that have already been addressed elsewhere.

So, how can your school improve parent communication?

1. Give parents one reliable place to find information

One of the biggest frustrations for parents is not knowing where to look for information. Is the latest newsletter on the website? Was the trip reminder sent by email? Are term dates in the school calendar or buried in a previous message?

The more places parents need to check, the greater the risk that something important will be missed.

A dedicated school communication app can bring key information together in one accessible place. With mySchoolApp, schools can share news, calendar events, documents, contact details and other useful information through a single platform.

For example, a parent wanting to check when a school performance starts can open the app and find the event details, rather than searching through emails or contacting the school office.

This approach also gives schools a clear, consistent channel for sharing updates, helping parents know where to go first when they need information.

2. Make important messages hard to miss

Publishing information is only half the job. Schools also need to make sure parents notice it.

Emails can get lost in crowded inboxes, while paper letters may never make it home. Even information published on a website can go unnoticed if parents do not know to look for it.

Push notifications offer a practical way to highlight important updates directly on parents’ smartphones. Using mySchoolApp, schools can send notifications about upcoming events, changes to arrangements, deadlines and other important news.

Imagine a school trip leaving early the following morning. A timely notification can remind parents of the departure time, what their child needs to bring and when they should arrive. Linking the notification to the full information means parents can quickly check the details.

It is worth being selective, however. If every minor update generates an alert, parents may start ignoring them. Prioritise genuinely useful information and establish clear expectations about how different types of messages will be communicated.

3. Make communication timely, clear and relevant

Parents are busy, and school communications need to respect their time.

Keep messages concise, put the most important information first and make it clear whether parents need to take action. Include dates, times, deadlines and contact details wherever relevant.

Avoid relying on vague subject lines or sending lengthy messages when a short update will do. Equally, do not leave parents guessing about arrangements that affect their children.

mySchoolApp allows schools to publish news and share documents, images and videos, helping staff communicate in a format that suits the information being shared.

For instance, a short news update with a photograph can celebrate a recent sporting achievement, while a more detailed document can explain arrangements for a residential trip. Both can be made available through the same app.

Consistency matters, too. Agree school-wide guidelines for communication so parents receive a recognisable standard of information, regardless of which year group or department they deal with.

4. Make communication inclusive and accessible

Every school community includes families with different needs, languages, working patterns and levels of digital confidence. A communication strategy that works for one group may unintentionally exclude another.

Consider whether messages are easy to understand, whether parents can access them on a mobile device and whether alternative arrangements are needed for families without reliable internet access or smartphones.

Language can be a particularly significant barrier. mySchoolApp includes an optional translation feature that enables parents to view school content in their chosen language, supporting more than 60 languages. The app interface is available in English and Welsh, with other interface languages available on request.

This can help schools share news, event details and important notices with families who might otherwise struggle to understand English-language communications.

Schools should also retain appropriate alternative channels where necessary. The objective is not simply to move all communication online, but to ensure every parent can access the information they need.

5. Reduce unnecessary calls and routine enquiries

School offices can spend a surprising amount of time answering repeat questions. What time does the school day finish? Where can I find the uniform policy? When is the next parents’ evening? How do I report an absence?

Many of these enquiries arise because information is difficult to find, rather than because parents have failed to read it.

Making frequently requested information readily available can improve the experience for parents while freeing staff to deal with more complex matters.

mySchoolApp provides schools with a place to publish useful documents, calendars, contact information and news. Its structured absence-notification feature, available with the Advanced package, enables parents to report an absence through the app, with the information sent to a designated school email address.

Schools can also explore ParentBuddy AI, which mySchoolApp has been trialling, to help parents find information by asking questions in natural language. Instead of searching menus, a parent could ask when an event takes place or where to find a school policy.

These tools can make routine communication more efficient, although sensitive issues and individual concerns will still need a personal response from school staff.

6. Make communication work for parents and staff

Good parent communication is about keeping families informed while making sure teachers have the time they need to focus on teaching and supporting pupils.

Regular, well-timed updates help parents feel connected to school life, but that doesn’t mean every interaction needs to become a conversation. Often, parents simply want to know what’s happening, what they need to do and where to find more information.

mySchoolApp focuses on making this kind of communication straightforward, with one-way messaging that enables schools to share news, reminders and important updates without creating extra demands on teachers’ time. Parents get the information they need, while staff can communicate efficiently and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Of course, there will always be times when a conversation is the best way forward. Make sure parents know how to contact the school with questions or concerns, and provide clear routes for getting in touch with the right member of staff.

By combining regular updates with appropriate opportunities for discussion, schools can build positive relationships with parents while keeping communication manageable for everyone.

7. Review what is working

Improving parent communication should be an ongoing process, not a one-off project.

Start by reviewing your current approach. How many communication channels are in use? Are staff duplicating work? Do parents know where to find key information? Are important messages reaching the intended audience?

Then identify a small number of improvements and measure their impact. Depending on the tools available, you might monitor message engagement, app adoption, routine enquiry volumes, parent feedback and participation in school events.

Use the results to refine your approach. Better communication does not necessarily mean sending more messages. Often, it means sending the right information, through the right channel, at the right time.

The bottom line

Good parent communication is about making school information accessible, timely and useful, while giving families confidence that they can contact the school when they need to.

For school leaders in England, Scotland and Wales, a clear communication strategy can improve the parent experience, strengthen relationships and reduce avoidable administrative work.

A dedicated platform such as mySchoolApp can help bring school news, calendars, documents, notifications and other communication tools together in one place.

Want to improve communication with parents at your school?

Book a demo call with one of the team at a time and date to suit you.