5 Steps to Brilliant School Emergency Closure Communications
When schools are forced to close due to bad weather, burst pipes or even burglary good communication with parents, staff and service providers is essential.
All too often, a lack of a fast, effective system results in communication breaking down when it is needed the most. The result, frustrated parents who don’t know whether or not school is open. Staff have to spend ages on the phone to ring round or apologise to parents who turned up, unaware that the school was closed. Poor communications lead to frustration and irritation for all concerned.
However, by following a simple guide it is really easy to keep everybody happy, up to date with the latest information, and in the right place at the right time. Follow the simple steps below and you will be absolutely fine:
1. Don’t just rely on the radio. Many parents won’t be listening to local radio and often don’t even know how to find it. Typical BBC local radio audiences are aged 50 and up. If you are closing for snow for example, a parent might think to put the radio on, but they certainly wouldn’t if it’s down to a burst pipe.
2. Don’t rely upon the internet. There are parents right across the country who today do not have access to the internet from their home. Whilst many do, you risk alienating some parents who don’t have the equipment, or perhaps the skills to access your website.
3. Email is good but unpredictable. Email is great if you want to send a newsletter out. However, delivery times vary greatly between internet service providers and so if your message is urgent, there is no guarantee it will be delivered in a timely fashion. Your message also could end up in the junk folder. Again, some parents may not have the knowledge or equipment to access their email at the right time for your message to be useful. Email is though great for your service providers such as bus companies as they will know to check.
4. Phone trees may fail. A phone tree is where one parent phones another, who in turn phones another and so on. In very small groups these can be effective albeit slow at getting a message across. As the size of the group grows though they become increasingly unreliable and impractical. Beyond a group size of around 30 you need to assume that some of your audience won’t get your message.
5. Text messaging is most effective. This isn’t just a matter of opinion, it’s a matter of fact. With over 98% mobile phone ownership in the under 40 age group, and the ability to deliver messages to landlines, there is no method more likely to reach parents and staff than a text message. What’s more, text messages are delivered quickly and fully traceable so you know if anybody hasn’t received your message.
6. (bonus tip) Other technologies are coming. Communication technology changes all the time and with new social tools such as Twitter and Facebook, the methods by which you communicate most effectively will change.
The advice for now – use all methods that are practical. Increasing the number of ways in which you communicate your message will mean that more of your audience receive it. In order to avoid a communication process that takes you forever to action and costs a fortune, look for automated ways to distribute your message. For example, look for a system that sends group text message and email. This alone will save you an age on the phone. Such systems will vary in cost, so look for a proven provider that can deliver for you for a fraction of what it would cost you in phone calls.
Remember, great communication is not forgotten and really appreciated. Get this right using simple automated processes and you will be amazed at just how much positive goodwill you can build.
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