A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningless?

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Snowdrops
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Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningless?

Post by Snowdrops »

A newletter about to come out from dd's school (it's on the website now ready to be sent this evening I think) contains the following passages, I'd like to know your thoughts:

SCHOOL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SERCO)
I am writing to inform you of a change which will allow you to gain access to information which is held about your son or daughter on the school’s management information system from home. The management information system holds information on all students. The information held includes contact and medical details, attendance data, copies of school reports, examination results and pastoral information. I hope that you will find the facility to look at the range of information held about your son or daughter a useful addition to the ways in which we already communicate and share information.

I am sure that the ability to review the information held on students by the school from home will be of interest to parents. We will be writing to you shortly with log-on details, passwords and guidance on how to use the system.

The advantage of having remote access to the data is that parents can check attendance data and reports and ensure that we have the correct contact details and medical information, and inform us if there are changes to information held. It will also allow parents to monitor the achievements of students, review copies of the school reports and monitor exclusion and detentions.

I hope that you will find having access to this information from home to be useful. This will not replace opportunities to speak to, or contact, members of staff when necessary but will offer a valuable additional service, allowing you to look at information about your son or daughter at any time.
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mystery
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Re: A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningl

Post by mystery »

Interesting. I'm not sure it will give you anything you don't already have (apart from perhaps "pastoral" info and all exam results) but it's nice to have it all somewhere without having to dig out your paper copies, and perhaps the school will try and save some money by not sending out paper copies of reports (well I say save, but not spend even more as presumably the system costs them something). The bit I would like to see that is not mentioned is child's predicted grades and the basis of these.
push-pull-mum
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Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:52 pm

Re: A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningl

Post by push-pull-mum »

I'd definitely appreciate something like that. DD's school reports are repeatedly sent to an address in Belfast her father lived at for 18 months nearly 3 years ago. We were also listed as being on free school meals long after this was no longer the case (presumably the school was getting paid twice?) and, according to the school paperwork, my marital status is as variable as the weather. Would like to be able to check up on this data for myself.
marigold
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Location: essex

Re: A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningl

Post by marigold »

My son's school has a junior version of this.

We get all his grades and reports on line but the best bit is that I can monitor can his attendance at each lesson during the day. Not so important for a 12 year old but more so for a 16 year old who may be prone to bunking off.

For the first few days I watched him move from RE to Physics and then on to Geography, it must have been a very quiet week.

All communication from the school comes via email, no paper at all and after the weekly battle with a bookbag full of scraps of important information that is part of Junior school life, I am hugely in favour of it all.

I can also see how many pieces of cake he buys each week on the parentpay side of things, possibly even more important.
T12ACY
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Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Kent

Re: A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningl

Post by T12ACY »

DS's school has a quite thorough version of this. It includes what homework has been set..... :wink:

Depending on what kind of parent you are while determine how useful it is. Personally I love it. I get to see all of DS's test results and we discuss what went wrong if he has a blip. On the other hand it's great to praise him for exceptional results. It constantly tracks his 'effort' and keeps him on his toes for sure!

Also nice to know he has arrived for morning registration given he has to travel by train every day. If only DS1's school had this for his 6th form I would have known before last week that his attendance was only around 40% :twisted: Oh how I look forward to A level results day, not!
Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
phaedra
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Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:18 pm

Re: A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningl

Post by phaedra »

This kind of thing is in operation at both schools attended by my children. It is environmentally friendly because of using less paper. Letters can no longer get lost on the way home from school or forgotten about (or hidden), or lost by me! Photos of school events are posted frequently by school which is lovely. Term dates, school events are listed and other parents' contact details are all available. I no longer have paper flying around or stuck over my fridge. Well less...I have to print some because it is really hard to remember to check instructions/diary dates which are out of sight, out of mind on the computer and I have occasionally forgotten to send money or items in as requested. School says everyone does though and that is the disadvantage. I think you will like it most of the time.
doodles
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Re: A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningl

Post by doodles »

I can forget things even when paper comes home from school :lol: :lol:

I really like school websites and would welcome more information coming via them. It makes it so much easier to check things and odd hours of the day and night rather than trying to rifle through the piles of paper that are stuffed between the fruit bowl and the microwave.
T12ACY
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Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Kent

Re: A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningl

Post by T12ACY »

doodles wrote:I can forget things even when paper comes home from school :lol: :lol:

I really like school websites and would welcome more information coming via them. It makes it so much easier to check things and odd hours of the day and night rather than trying to rifle through the piles of paper that are stuffed between the fruit bowl and the microwave.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: How comforting that I am not alone with my paper piles!
Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
scary mum
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Re: A Great Way to Communicate - or Unnecessary and Meaningl

Post by scary mum »

We have this and I think it's useful - can check on grades and attendance at any time. I have also been able to put the school right when they have had DCs down as unauthorised absence when in fact the have been sent home by the school or I have written. It also has the timetable which is useful when they can't remember which week it is.
scary mum
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