This document discusses effective communication with parents/guardians of students at Brock College. It recommends communicating regularly to share information about students' progress, attendance, and achievements while integrating existing systems to avoid extra workload. Brock College implemented an online parent portal connected to their student information system to efficiently share updates and reports. The portal allows parents to access information anytime while reducing administrative costs. Parents have provided both positive and constructive feedback about the portal's convenience and functionality.

1. How to... communicate effectively
with Parents/Guardians
Robin Gadd
Head of Information & Systems Dev

2. Themes for today
• Why communicate?
• How to do it effectively and efficiently
• Linked to wider business processes
– What to share? And what not?
• Technology hazards
– Identity management
• Focus on under 19 year olds
• Most important: we’ll see what our parents see

3. About Brock
• Midsize tertiary FE college
• Semi-rural Hampshire (New Forest)
• c.3200 full time under 19s this year
• c.250 under 19 international/overseas learners
• Wide geographical catchment area
• c.350 FTE staff
• Beacon College
• Becta Technology
Exemplar

4. The big issue
“82% of parents feel 'left in
the dark' when it comes to
their child's schooling”
Becta 2009

5. The government response
Jim Knight, Minister of State for Schools and Learners,
said parents “want to be more involved in their
children's education”
Target set: Sept 2010, all secondary schools reporting
online (primary by 2012)
DCSF Jan 2010: ‘A guide to the law for school governors’

6. The response
• the Inspection Framework (for schools – 0-19 age) from
September 2009 included these expectations:
– The effectiveness with which the school communicates
with all parents and carers, including those who may be
reluctant or unsure about approaching the school, such as
mothers and fathers not living with their children, those
accessing additional services and those whose children
have special educational needs and/or disabilities
– The frequency and quality of the school’s communications
with parents and carers regarding the achievement, well-
being and development of their children
– The mechanisms for helping parents to support their
children’s learning

7. So why should FE
communicate with parents?
• Discuss…
– Is FE different to schools?

8. Why do we communicate
with parents at Brock?
• To share general information:
– About what’s on: snow closures, parents evening reminders etc
– With multiple parents (rather than a single house address)
• To monitor:
– Progress, attainment and behaviour
– Unexplained/ unauthorised absences (EMA -> Bursary)
• To enable parents to share in support, including:
– Engagement in their children’s learning
– Recognising achievements so far, understanding current targets and helping learners achieve them
– Enabling dialogue
– Making better use of limited face-to-face time
– When and where they please
• But without adding unreasonably to workload of teachers, by:
– Integrating existing on-going assessment mechanisms into online channel
– Ensuring efficient capture and sharing of information; not creating new information just for parents
– Maybe fewer routine interruptions in the office too for simple information needs!

9. So what do we communicate?
(let’s go online…)

19. All of the above is integrated
directly with “Emily” (our student
support system) and has been
available for parents since 2006.
(we’re not creating new information
exclusively for parents)

20. Except…
• The Emily “Contact Log”
– A staff tool for recording contacts with students
and/or parents – sharing knowledge
– But careful guidelines about appropriate content
(since could be subject to DPA/FOI requests)

21. Effectiveness (done efficiently)
Ofsted said (in 2008): “Communication with
parents is excellent and a parental portal is
available on the college intranet.”
Cashable savings?
(not the reason we did it!)
Value for Money!

22. Simple, efficient tech architecture
Populate from MIS

23. Key technical hazard
• Security
– User account control: to AD or not to AD?
– How to associate parents with children?
– You could end up employing somebody just to
manage account creation, forgotten passwords
etc!

24. Questions/comments?

25. So what else do we communicate?
Our latest developments…
(and this is about saving money!)

36. Efficiency (done effectively!)
• A modern way to interact with Brock
– Perception matters!
– Anytime to suit you!
• Reducing the admin burden
– Saving real money on the temp bill
• Better MI
– Up to date
– Better cashflow and debt management!

37. What do parents think?
“I understand using the internet is free however I am sure I
am not the only parent who prefers the personal touch - e.g.
letters.”
“Since I am not residing in the UK, it would help parents
overseas if the highlights of the parents' meeting can be
uploaded onto the parents portal for us to view when ready.”
“I email staff and the portal makes this easy. Response time is
very good and this is more helpful than trying to phone
anyone at college.”
“I have found it a little frustrating when looking at my son's
attendance on the parents portal that tutors don't always
mark the register on the day.”

38. Summary
• Communicating with parents effectively is
good for students and their progress
• Re-purposing the information we already have
is cost effective and quick
• A modern communications infrastructure is
good for wider reputation
• A means to save money too!
THANK YOU!