Bromcom’s Parent App, MyChildAtSchool, gives schools a simple and convenient way of engaging with parents, while simultaneously reducing the school office’s workload. MyChildAtSchool allows schools to move away from a deluge of paper forms, payment platforms and booking systems, simplifying school-parent communication and interaction.
Among other things, parents can:
- Sign up to clubs, trips, wraparound care and events
- Purchase items from your school shop
- Keep track of their child’s behaviour and attendance records
- Receive announcements and messages – whether via the app’s messaging platform or push notifications
- See what homework their child has been set
- Book parents evenings
- Top up dinner money balances
Schools can use the app to save, potentially, vast amounts of paper and time. For Example, if you need to tell parents that some roadworks are happening next week that will affect the school run – simply send an announcement out using the app. Ready to take bookings for the annual skiing trip? Parents can sign up and pay their deposit in just a few clicks. At the same time, the school office saves time that would otherwise have been spent printing letters to parents or organising parent evenings.
But it’s not just about convenience. Schools also benefit by reducing costs. Back in 2018, Education Executive reported that schools can get through up to one million sheets of paper and spend up to £60,000 a year on photocopying. Parental consent slips, termly club updates and pupil reports all contribute to this, meaning that MyChildAtSchool can help schools reduce both their paper reliance and costs simultaneously.
We’ve been working hard recently to bring even more features to the app. Late last year we gave it a makeover, making it more user-friendly and easier to use. We’ve also been adding a lot of new functionality for handling in-app payments – for example, schools can now set up products that can be paid in instalments, and parents can use the app to see and keep up with the payment schedule. As I write this blog post, the team is working on parental consent for clubs and trips – where required, parents will be prompted to give consent for a trip or club, removing the need for a slip to be printed, signed, handed in at the office and then processed. We see the app as a really important tool for our customers, and so we’ve got a lot more development planned for the next few months – keep an eye out for more news on that in the future.
The app is available on iOS and Android, and is available for any school using the Bromcom MIS. There is also a desktop version for users without a smartphone. For information on getting set up, contact Sales.
