Parent Consent forms - Best practice?

[maxrebo]

I`m trying to cut the amount of printing and also find a better way of how consent forms are handled.

Currently any consent forms are either acknowledged in Parent Pay or are printed off and sent home with pupils for parents to sign and return, which often don`t make it home.

 

Does anyone have feedback on hosting the forms online and asking parents to print off and sign?, I imagine asking\getting parents to print off forms would be difficult.

 

It would be interesting to see how other schools do it.

 

Thanks

[elsiegee40]

Asking people to print is a non-starter.

 

In many households the only devices are phones (and possibly tablets). People just don’t own printers these days.

[maxrebo]

Asking people to print is a non-starter.

In many households the only devices are phones (and possibly tablets). People just don’t own printers these days.

I agree.

[jmak]

Are you having problem with using ParentPay for consent?

[maxrebo]

Are you having problem with using ParentPay for consent?

 

No PP is fine but you cant attach documents in PP, a third party needs consent from parents for them to take photos and it requires a separate form.

Just wondering if anyone has any clever ways of getting parental consent other than printing a form out and sending home with student

[jmak]

We used Google forms for stuff like that - much higher success rate than paper forms, but you need agreement from management that a tick on a Google form is a suitable substitute for a signature.

 

Other option would be to create a free school trip in ParentPay, but require permission. We always sent out a link to the Google form via our parent email communication platform (we used SchoolComms, but I'd assume ParentPay can do the same).

 

If you use Google forms, I suggest always using separate fields for first name and surname as we always found that teachers like lists by first name and office prefer lists by surname. Also have a field for form/tutor group, but use a drop down box as parents are more likely to get it right if you do that!

 

Edit: Assuming you use ParentPay to send emails, you could host a copy of the forms online and have a link to them from the letter. I'd still suggest using the built in consent part of ParentPay and include a statement along the lines of "by ticking this box, you agree that you give consent for $third_party to take photographs". You also need a procedure for them to notify you if they don't consent and a way to ensure that option is acted on.

 

Even if ParentPay doesn't have the facility to add links properly, most email clients work out that plain text email addresses should be links and create the hyperlink.

Edited December 12, 2019 by jmak