Once you have got all your ambassadors and class reps on board and started rolling Classlist out, the next step is to get parents to start using the platform. Naturally some parents will be early adopters but others may take longer to get started as they don't realise what Classlist can do.
Aside from all the useful tools such as Announcements, Events and the Parent Map; Classlist also offers a unique platform for parents to engage with one another in a protected environment.
Our Quick start picture guide can be sent out to help parents get an overview of all the different features.
Tip: The more content admins & reps add to the site the better the parent engagement gets.
The aim is to create a community where it feels safe to discuss relevant topics; from the mundane to the exciting, growing your community in the process. And remember, the most important thing is to make sure everyone has an enjoyable time!
Below are a number of topics that we have found to be successful in engaging the school community.
'Done for you' snippets on features that are useful to parents.
Topics that affect the school
Topics that affect the school are always a popular, be they current events going on within the school (such as school fairs or a sports team doing well), to those that fall outside the school's remit (such as the restructuring of the curriculum).
It's always a great idea to start a discussion about events after they happen. You can start by thanking everyone for taking part (volunteers and those who donated/purchased), ensuring people feel their efforts were appreciated, so they will do it again next time!
Current goings on
Classlist is a great platform to share opinion on the current goings-on in the world, especially those that affect your school and your children. Share your thoughts on the newest 'Teen Craze' or discuss why you think the most recent BAFTA runner up should have come first. It's a big world and there's so much to discuss!
Mums (and Dads) nights out
Being a parent can be tough, at least you can relax at the pub with a few friends after a hard day (as long as you have a sitter!). Classlist provides an easy way to contact a group of parents about meeting up, you can then use the events page to finalise a date. You can even create a coffee morning for the morning after, you might need the boost.
Remember, once you've finalised a few details, you can make an event. This way everyone knows when and where they are going!
Fundraising
If you have any ongoing fundraising events, be they for the school or another good cause, make sure to share them to Classlist! Be sure to include any links to appropriate fundraising pages so that people can donate!
Reminders
Though these don't act as discussion-starters per-se, posting reminders to parents on Classlist can prove to be incredibly useful. Parents check Classlist regularly (especially just before and just after School), so reminding them that today is a Mufti-day, or the final day to bring in a school-trip form, can really be a lifesaver!
Remember, each of your schools might operate in slightly different ways! Often it is best to go with what feels most natural, but don't be afraid to be the trendsetter that sets alight the discussion!
Calendar Entries
You can also add dates to the calendar for parents to see. Things like dress up days, parents evenings and first/last day of term are useful additions. Use community events to set them up, add the relevant group but don't send any invites out. Then no-one will be notified about the 'event' but it will show in the list of calendar dates.
'Written for you' Questions, Answers & Top Tips to send to parents
Here are a few questions, answers and top tips for using Classlist that relate to the parts of the platform that specifically benefit parents. These tips are intended to speed up the learning curve for parents of the many different features we offer.
We suggest that you send these 'written for you' tips out as short posts - with maybe one or two at a time - as and when it is appropriate for your school. They can be sent in any order you like to help ‘sell the benefits’ of Classlist and encourage parents to engage with the platform. You can pick and choose the ideas that are the most relevant and you can edit them or add your own ideas too (please let us know so we can share them with other schools).
Find out who else is in your class
Check for members of your class or year from the group thread on the home page or in the parent finder. Use the A-Z sort to list by child or parent, first or last names.
Match parents to children
Unlike other social media, parents need to use their real names and you can see which child relates to which parents. This means you can easily find the right person to contact about that playdate!
Forgotten a name?
Is the name of your child's new friend's mum on the tip of your tongue? Quickly look up the child and check the parent's name in Classlist.
Class/Year/School Group chat
Most people will see threads for their class, year and whole school when they first login, class reps will also see an automatically populated ambassadors and reps thread set up. Any extra groups you join will have separate threads on the home page.
Who can see my contact details?
The minimum information you need to share in order to have an account is your name, your child’s name and their class/year group. You will also need to enter an email address which can be seen by Admin users to help verify you but won’t be seen by other parents.
You can add your phone number and home address during sign up if you want to, and add/edit/remove them in your profile after you have signed up. If you do add these details they will be shared with your year group by default (not the whole school) and you can change this to share with just your class or no-one.
If you have entered an address you can also choose to opt into the school map. The map gives an approximate location to help enable parents to find out who lives close by, e.g. to arrange lift shares.
Who can I contact and who can contact me?
Collaborate across the whole school! Find and direct message any parent via the chat feature. There is no need to give out your contact details and if there’s someone you would rather not hear from you can block them without them knowing.
Help your child write Christmas cards
Use the parent finder to double check the names and spellings of the children in your child’s class/year to help them write Christmas cards.
How do I turn on/off notification settings?
Tap the notifications bell and select the gear icon to see settings (or head over to your profile and select ‘notifications’). Then choose which types of notification you want or don’t want and whether they should arrive via email, push notifications, both or neither.
These can be changed at any time and will apply to all future posts/announcements/events.
If a post or announcement has already been published click on the 3 dots menu at the top right (mobile) or blue bell (desktop) to turn on/off notifications.
Organise your child’s birthday party
Set up a private event such as a birthday party and invite school friends. Click the pink pencil at the bottom of the app and select private event to get started.
See what’s on and get event or raffle tickets
Book and pay for tickets from your account without needing to fill in your details again. Go to the calendar at the top of the app to find out what’s coming up next.
Volunteer for events
If you are looking at an event and it has a SignUp list you can volunteer to help and see who else is volunteering at the same time.
Use listings to buy/sell/pass on 2nd hand items
Has your child grown out of their bike, given up guitar lessons and lost interest in ballet? Pass the items on via listings. Or support your child's next hobby with second hand kit from another parent.
Use listings to let people know about lost/found property
Has your child lost something (again), if you’ve already got your child to retrace their steps and checked the lost property pile and it still hasn’t turned up, let others know to look out for it with a lost property listing. Or maybe you found something but can’t see a name label, post it in listings to help reunite it with its owner. (For items with name labels head to the parent finder or chat icon, search the child's name and direct message the parent to let them know where it is).
Set up or join community interest groups
Whether you are interested in starting a book club, finding a running group or swapping Christmas crafting ideas, setting up or joining a group is a good way to meet and chat to others with similar interests. Groups can be school related such as school disco organisers, or based on parent interests. They can be open (where anyone can join) or closed (where approval is needed from the group owner). Look out for groups that have been set up already or start your own at the bottom of the home page.
Can I advertise my business on Classlist?
There is an option to take out paid ads on Classlist at one or more schools - get in touch with advertise@classlist.com for more details.
Please don't write unsolicited posts advertising your business on Classlist. This is against the T&Cs and such posts will be removed.
Check who’s on the PTA
Go to the parent finder 'who's who' and view the class reps and PTA committee for your school. Contact anyone from their profile.
Moving House or Changing Email/Phone Number
Anytime any of your information changes you can update it in your profile. Simply click on your profile photo, make the changes and be sure to click 'save'.
Add a New Child
If you have another child such as a younger sibling who joins the school at a later date, you can add them to your profile and select their class without needing to be approved to the school again. This makes it quick and easy to join siblings. The rest of the class will also be informed that your new child has joined.
Help Articles - Guidelines and Getting Started for Parents
There are lots of articles in our help centre and a few of the ones that might be relevant to parents when they get started are listed here.
https://help.classlist.com/hc/en-us/articles/211584605-Community-Guidelines-rules-for-users
https://help.classlist.com/hc/en-us/articles/213259029-Marketplace-Listings-Rules-and-Guidelines
https://help.classlist.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018070697-Flyer-for-Class-Reps
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