Schoolcomms SchoolGateway

[Seb1780]

We've just implemented Schoolcomms and have sent out a generic e-mail announcing this to the parental population and encouraging them to get signed up for SchoolGateway and the Schoolcomms app. We've now received several responses from parents saying that when they have signed up for the SchoolGateway they can see their neighbour's kids

 

I know we have numerous examples throughout the school where neighbours and friends are set up as contacts in SIMS, and we are pulling in contacts all the way down to priority 5, but we are keen to have a system where both parents (when appropriate) are kept informed of their child's schooling. We thought we had this covered by ticking the "contacts with parental responsibility" option. However, after a couple of (terse) conversations with the Schoolcomms support, it turns out that "contacts with parental responsibility" doesn't means ""contacts with parental responsibility for that child" but actually means "contacts with parental responsibility for ANY child at your school".

 

Is it only me that thinks this interpretation of "contacts with parental responsibility" is somewhat mis-leading and dangerous?

 

Also, does anyone have any hints or tips on how we can set up our SIMS import to maximise parental coverage and ensure only parents are contactable?

 

Thanks

[Schoolcomms]

Hi @Seb1780 - thanks for choosing Schoolcomms.

 

If you’ve imported all SIMS contacts (with contact priority 1 to 5), then when a contact logs into School Gateway, they’ll see a list of the students they’ve been linked to in SIMS. If the contact doesn’t have parental responsibility for a student, they’ll only see minimal information (including name, year, reg group). If the contact has parental responsibility, they’ll have access to more details (depending on what the school has chosen to make available).

 

It might be appropriate to choose the import option Priority 1 contacts and contacts with parental responsibility (up to P5). There's quite a bit of flexibility and different options. Probably best to DM me with some contact details so we can contact you and ensure we properly understand what you want to achieve and advise accordingly.

[SouthCoastSaint]

We have been using Schoolcomms for years now, and to an extent changed the way we record our contacts when we changed over - parents/carers with PR are always 1 & 2. (An absent parent with no email address will be No 3, but that's because we choose not to send paper copies to absent parents when we email). We tick to import 1&2 with PR. It seems to work well for us, I have never been told anyone can see someone else's children (we have Gateway now too with over 1000 signups).

[David_Grashoff]

We've now received several responses from parents saying that when they have signed up for the SchoolGateway they can see their neighbour's kids

What might be very helpful is if Seb1780 could better define the comment on "seeing the neighbours kids". How much of the childs record can they see ?

[Seb1780]

Hi @Seb1780 - thanks for choosing Schoolcomms.

 

If you’ve imported all SIMS contacts (with contact priority 1 to 5), then when a contact logs into School Gateway, they’ll see a list of the students they’ve been linked to in SIMS. If the contact doesn’t have parental responsibility for a student, they’ll only see minimal information (including name, year, reg group). If the contact has parental responsibility, they’ll have access to more details (depending on what the school has chosen to make available).

 

It might be appropriate to choose the import option Priority 1 contacts and contacts with parental responsibility (up to P5). There's quite a bit of flexibility and different options. Probably best to DM me with some contact details so we can contact you and ensure we properly understand what you want to achieve and advise accordingly.

 

Thank you for your response.

 

I tried the "Priority 1 contacts and contacts with parental responsibility" option as you suggest but that has made no difference, non-parents can still see their contacts in School Gateway. I'll DM you further details.

 

We have been using Schoolcomms for years now, and to an extent changed the way we record our contacts when we changed over - parents/carers with PR are always 1 & 2. (An absent parent with no email address will be No 3, but that's because we choose not to send paper copies to absent parents when we email). We tick to import 1&2 with PR. It seems to work well for us, I have never been told anyone can see someone else's children (we have Gateway now too with over 1000 signups).

 

Yes, I'm aware that wholesale changes to the way we record contact details in SIMS could help in this matter but A) with over 1700 pupils we don't want to have to do that because B) we use priority to determine the priority (who'd have thought!?) as there's no point in having a parent as priority 2 if they're hundreds of miles away. There's also C) we were told the Parental Responsibility flag was our saviour!

 

One of the cases at our school that I know about is a Priority 2 contact who is next-door-neighbour and has her own children at our school. She can see her friend's children and I'd not be certain in your case that there are not contacts who can see other peoples' children.

 

What might be very helpful is if Seb1780 could better define the comment on "seeing the neighbours kids". How much of the childs record can they see ?

 

At the moment I'm not sure of the extent of what they can see because I have halted any further use of Schoolcomms until I am happy. We have bought the messaging and payment options and I do know that a non-parent can see the name, year group, registration group and payment basket for the child. I'm concerned about the messaging too, because I can't yet work out who the message is going to (it just says "Parents of").

[SouthCoastSaint]

I'd be really surprised if this was happening to our parents - we have 1750 students too and over 1200 using the Gateway, I am sure we would have know by now.

 

I do think there is a design fault though in that I have spoken to an absent parent asking me to change his address as on the app under 'My Details' it shows his own phone number and email but the child's address. I have spoken to SC and this is apparently how it is supposed to be (personally I think there should be a tab for My Details, and one for My Child's details) but it does explain the number of update details I have received that are already correct when I look in Sims.