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The relationship between schools and parents is one that can never be taken for granted. Parents need to know their children are in safe hands when it comes their wellbeing and development in an educational setting.

Everything from their progress in class to incidents that occur over term time has to be communicated effectively from school to parent. 

As we continue our Education Pain Points series, we look at how you can communicate effectively with parents by using two-way radios and a feature known as Telephone Interconnect. 

Building the relationship

According to experts, parent engagement is defined by a shared responsibility between the teacher and the parent when it comes to helping a child learn and meet educational goals. This type of engagement can be achieved by schools involving parents in everything from sporting events to fundraising efforts. 

But, right at the heart of creating a strong relationship is effective communication. A study found that when teachers communicated more frequently with parents, grades started to improve, homework completion rates went up and there were fewer absences. 

Teachers who communicated with parents also reported feeling happier and more competent as an educator. Having an effective communication solution in place is key to influencing a young person’s education in a positive way. 

From a statistical point of view, somewhere between 75% and 85% of a child’s waking hours are spent outside school. This means that the 15% - 25% spent in school is vital when it comes to ensuring no lines of communication are blurred between staff and parents. 

A child’s parent plays a huge role in their educational development, so the more engaged they are with how they’re getting on at school, the more chance they have of knowing how to lead by example during out-of-school hours. 

Making the right connection

We’ve previously discussed why there’s a need for two-way radios in UK schools – with one of the key benefits being the ability to have two-way conversations instantly and securely. 

But whilst you may think that only relates to talking from radio-to-radio within the parameters of your grounds, there’s a smart solution that allows you to stay in touch with parents at the touch of a button. 

With a software feature known as Telephone Interconnect, you can make calls from radios to mobile and landline devices, and also receive them. This becomes handy in situations that require instant communication, such as:

• Alerting parents to an incident at school

• Letting them know about expected closures in adverse weather

• Updating them on progress at a sporting event

• Speaking in real-time to arrange or re-arrange who is picking the child up from school

In a climate where there’s an ongoing debate on the use of mobile phones in schools, this gives education leaders the perfect alternative as a device that can act exactly like a mobile phone, with added safety and security benefits. 

The deciding factors

Parents have an important decision to make when their child reaches school age – which school best suits the needs of their child, with everything from location to reputation considered. 

This is backed up by the 2021 Ofsted Parents Annual Survey which found that proximity of the school is the decisive factor in the final choice for parents of school-age children, followed by ethos and Ofsted judgement. 

A school’s Ofsted rating is determined by measuring four key categories – quality of education, behaviour and attitude, personal development of pupils, and leadership and management. 

Whilst there’s four separate categories, it’s important to see how each can be positively impacted by having a solution in place that engages parents on a regular basis through consistent lines of two-way communication. 

• Quality of education – As discussed previously, parents have a big impact on a child’s education, as they spend more time outside of school than in it. Opening regular lines of communication can have a positive impact on the parent and the child. 

• Behaviour and attitudes – schools need to lead with example. Being able to instantly communicate with parents when a child shows good behaviour or bad behaviour, can give them more insight into how their child is getting on, and measures can be put in place far quicker, the more you communicate with each other. 

• Personal development of pupils – a lot of this comes down to preparing young children for the future. And there’s nobody more central to that then their parents. Keeping good lines of dialogue open with them can put them on the right path. 

• Leadership and management – school leaders have to manage not only school but the expectations of parents. If a quick conversation, that requires the touch of a button, can help implement positive solutions, then you’re on the right path to leadership success. 

Ready to speak to us about a two-way radio solution that suits your needs?

You can find out more about our two-way radio solutions for schools, and how we help them transform safety, productivity, and efficiency for students and staff. If your school would benefit from having an effective two-way radio solution in place, then book a FREE, no obligation demonstration with us today via our contact us page.