Driving parent engagement and reducing paper with Schoolcomms

Overview 

Located in Wiltshire, The John of Gaunt School sought a communication system that would engage parents more effectively and reduce the time and cost associated with printing and distributing reports. After careful research, the school adopted Schoolcomms, including the School Gateway app, to deliver reports electronically and streamline attendance and messaging. 

Objectives 

• Improve parent engagement through interactive communication 

• Reduce time and paper used in sending reports 

• Ensure seamless integration with SIMS 

Solution 

• Selected Schoolcomms for its ability to send both Assessment Manager and Profile Reports electronically 

• Enabled two-way messaging and attendance tracking via School Gateway 

• Integrated directly with SIMS to log parental responses and automate report delivery 

“We found Schoolcomms was the only system with the ability to send the ‘Profile’ report.”
— The John of Gaunt School 

Impact 

• Significant reduction in paper usage—23,268 fewer reports printed annually 

• More engaged parents and improved two-way communication 

• Greater efficiency in staff time and reporting processes 

• Examination timetables now sent digitally, reducing printing and loss risk 

“Parents have engaged with the day-to-day life of the school… with a noticeable increase in communication.”
— The John of Gaunt School 

“Reduced the number of reports printed per year by 23,268.”
— The John of Gaunt School 

Parent engagement 

• Parents quickly adopted the School Gateway app 

• Attendance reporting via the app replaced voicemail, improving accuracy 

• Parental responses logged directly into SIMS 

• New communication channels helped parents feel more involved in their child’s education 

“Parents are seeing the benefit of using the ‘Report Absence’ feature… it allows us to log accurate information more quickly.”
— The John of Gaunt School 

Additional benefits 

• Attendance module proved more comprehensive than expected 

• Digital exam timetables reduced printing costs and improved reliability 

• Staff now spend less time on manual reporting and follow-up 

Conclusion 

Schoolcomms has helped The John of Gaunt School improve parent engagement, streamline reporting and reduce paper usage. The system continues to support efficient communication and operational clarity across the school.