Primary school leaders’ guide to effective parent communication in the age of the smartphone

The widespread use of smartphones has revolutionised the way we connect, and in doing so, has presented certain challenges for educators. This article will highlight key areas primary school leaders should focus on to nurture effective communications strategies which can help foster strong parent-school partnerships.

Choose channels wisely

Unlike in previous generations when printed letters sent home in rucksacks were the main means to communicate, today’s teachers are spoilt for choice when it comes to channels. Will there be a weekly email to parents from the class teacher summarising the lesson plans for the week ahead? Or will this information be posted on the school website as a blog which parents need to remember to check themselves?

Establishing a channels strategy at the start of each academic year can help to align the communications by telling parents when and where they can expect updates.

As per Shannon and Weaver’s Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver model of communication, teachers may feel obliged to duplicate the same message across different platforms. The rationale being that parents must receive the intended message and that the school’s role as the ‘sender’ of the comms must be fulfilled. Ultimately, this can trigger information overload with schools running the risk of overwhelming parents with duplication.

Primary school leaders should take note to implement a consistent and unified communications channels policy across the whole school and actively encourage their teachers to stick to the agreed platforms to save confusion amongst parents.

An integral element of any communications strategy is intelligence gathering. The Government Communication Service utilises the OASIS model for building effective communications strategies, whereby audience insight is the key driver in the overall plan. Primary school leaders may want to adopt this approach by devising annual surveys to find out the preferred channels of parents, as well as what matters to them when it comes to school communications. As an overall indicator of digital habits, research from 2020 showed that 85% of UK adults use email to send or receive messages weekly, with 62% using a smartphone to access their personal email accounts. But does this national trend mirror that of your school?

As public services and institutions increasingly move online, families from low-income households are four times more likely to be limited digital users compared to those from higher income families. This research from the Good Things Foundation into ‘digital poverty’ highlights how users not only lack the skills to navigate the online world but are also juggling constrained data allowances and concerns over the cost of broadband.

Videos are a great way to communicate and can easily be embedded into digital newsletters or as a private YouTube link. But is this a suitable option if large numbers of your audience may not have a reliable internet connection for it to download and be viewed? No one size fits all and demographics will vary from school to school. It is therefore paramount for school leaders to devote time into gathering the specific intelligence that reflects their own school’s community, and then invest in the preferred channels consistently, instead of a scatter-gun approach.

Clear messaging to prevent misinformation
In the smartphone era, parents are bombarded with information from multiple sources. Cutting through the noise and ensuring that school messages receive attention can be challenging. To overcome this, leaders and teachers must streamline their communication by delivering clear, concise and timely messages that leave no room for doubts or further questions from parents.

Take a hypothetical situation of a PE lesson being cancelled. Parents are sent a text message update advising the child must attend school in their regular uniform, however there is no mention if this lesson will be rescheduled and whether there is an action for parents to ensure the PE kit is ready for a different day that week. This could spark parents to seek clarity elsewhere – namely the class parent WhatsApp group. A screenshot of the text message from the school, followed by some innocent queries by a puzzled parent can inadvertently trigger a wave of misinformation and whip up confusion and anxiety amongst other parents.

Parent WhatsApp groups have gained popularity as a means of communication among parents in various schools. While these groups can be beneficial for fostering parent-to-parent connections and sharing relevant information, they can also pose certain challenges and disrupt school communications.

In line with the Shannon and Weaver Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver model, there is significant potential for noise on the line to disturb the school’s position as the authoritative voice, with much of this being generated on private social media platforms. Such groups are typically created and managed by parents themselves, without direct involvement or oversight from school leaders. This lack of control can result in unregulated discussions and exchanges, sometimes veering off-topic or even becoming contentious.

To mitigate the negative impact of this, primary school leaders must establish their authority as the official body of information. The “think, feel, do” model can be a useful framework for leaders to follow in this regard. By considering the thoughts and concerns of parents and anticipating the questions they might have, school staff can tailor messages accordingly and prevent the need for parents to speculate elsewhere.

Partnering with parents and being authentic
As a way of alleviating the “us and them” culture that has increased due to the rise of parent WhatsApp groups, school leaders should invest in partnering with their parent communities and take the time to hold regular dialogue with them. The importance of identifying stakeholders whose power and influence can support you to achieve your objectives is a central tenet of many successful communications strategies, and something school leaders should look to implement.

These groups can play a vital role in disseminating accurate information, organising workshops, and addressing concerns related to communication. Collaborative efforts ensure a unified approach to tackling misinformation while strengthening the bond between parents and the school. Similar to the practice of social listening, the formation of official parent associations or committees can act as liaisons between the school and parents and give leaders further insights into the mood and atmosphere amongst parents. This can help to shape the tone of their communications accordingly.

Returning to the “think, feel, do” model, it is imperative school leaders recognise the emotional aspect of communication. Understanding the emotions parents may experience such as anxiety, worry, or excitement and empathising with these feelings by addressing them appropriately can go a long way in fostering a nurturing school community. Sarah White, the headteacher of Coates Lane Primary School went viral in January 2021 with an honest and impassioned letter to parents at the height of a covid lockdown.

Instead of a generic formal school letter, this communication showed how vital it is to know your audience’s disposition, and partnering with parents can help school leaders tap into this. By applying network theory principles and using parents as ambassadors, schools can develop a comprehensive communication strategy that optimises the flow of information, strengthens parent-school relationships, and ultimately enhances parental engagement and involvement. It allows schools to understand the network dynamics and leverage the power of social connections to create a more inclusive and collaborative educational environment.

Summary

Primary school leaders face numerous challenges in communicating with parents in the smartphone era. However, by adopting a consistent channels approach, streamlining communication, emphasising personal connections, and acknowledging potential ‘digital poverty’ concerns, they can overcome these obstacles. Effective communication is essential for fostering strong partnerships between parents and schools, ultimately benefiting the educational journey of our children by creating a supportive learning environment for all.

This article was researched and written by Faaiza Ahmed. AI was used for the main image.