The start of a new school year brings a familiar whirlwind of activities and challenges, but your school staff know that a well-organised approach is key to smoothing out this back-to-school chaos.
At ParentPay we’re proud to be part of the solution to creating a smoother start to the academic year. However, even the most robust school payment system can present challenges if users are not fully utilising the tools available to them. Schools may encounter barriers such as unfamiliarity with specific features of ParentPay or a lack of parent uptake, which can hinder the effectiveness of the system. It’s crucial for schools to understand the breadth of ParentPay’s functionalities to leverage them fully.
To combat these challenges, we have developed a wealth of resources designed to educate, assist and ensure that every feature is understood and utilised to its fullest potential.
Essential Tasks for a Seamless Return
As schools navigate the start of the year, there are several tasks that should be on their checklist. These include:
- Check Manager Accounts.
- Check Meal Prices.
- Check FSM Allowances.
- Upload new pupils and archive old ones.
- Archive old payment items.
- Send activation codes.
- Refund leavers.
We’ve summarised these tasks, including step-by-step instructions on how to complete each task, in our helpful ‘New Academic Year Checklist’, helping you to ensure your school is properly prepared for the new academic year.
And don’t forget to take advantage of our free e-Learning platform, , which includes a ‘Back to School’ course designed to help new and returning staff get up to speed quickly.
Boosting Parent Activation
Despite all your hard work setting up your school payment system, and preparing for the new academic year, if your parents aren’t logging into ParentPay, you may still be encountering some issues. Whatever the reason for low parent activation, it’s important to try to improve your activation rate in order to get the best out of your ParentPay system.
Activation letters are instrumental in ensuring parent uptake, and by using our additional assets to promote ParentPay to your parents alongside these, schools can significantly increase engagement and ensure that parents are connected and informed.
Ensuring that all student accounts are active and that parents are aware of the functionality available to them is paramount. From the Secondary Payer option, which allows another individual to contribute to payment, to customisable alerts that keep everyone informed, the system’s features are tailored to meet the diverse needs of schools and families.
For more ideas on how to drive parent uptake, check out our ‘ ’—packed with actionable insights to help your school get the most from ParentPay.
Unlocking the Potential of ParentPay
To maximise the benefits of your school payment system, and ensure a smooth back-to-school transition, you should also consider the following:
- Regular Training: Conduct ongoing training sessions for staff members to ensure everyone is comfortable with the system. Make use of our free e-learning platform for a variety of helpful courses. This will also help staff provide effective support to parents if needed.
- Clear Communication: Develop clear and concise communication materials to educate parents about ParentPay’s functionalities and benefits. This can include user guides, tutorials, and FAQs.
- Proactive Support: Offer proactive support to parents by addressing potential issues before they arise. This can involve reaching out to parents with reminders or troubleshooting assistance.
- Utilise Knowledge Base: Our school support and parent support Knowledge Bases provide you with a wealth of information and helpful articles to answer many common queries.
By implementing these strategies, schools can optimise ParentPay for maximum efficiency and create a positive experience for both staff and parents, transforming the start-of-year chaos and ensuring a much smoother, more efficient start to the academic year.
If you’d like some extra advice on how to simplify your school operations, improve your cashless journey, or anything else, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of friendly specialists.
