How The Coppice Primary and Nursery School gets 90% of parents reading every message 

700 pupils, one place for everything

For most schools, a parent app is a communications tool. At The Coppice Primary School and Nursery, it's become part of how they attract new families.

But it wasn't always that way. When the school first started looking for a communications solution, the problem was simpler: nearly 700 pupils, a close-knit community, and important updates disappearing into busy email inboxes.

From messages and reminders to parents, event updates, newsletters and more — the school had a lot to say and no central place to say it.

They found a central platform in ReachMoreParents. What they didn't expect was just how much further it would take them.

100 per cent of parents engaged

All communications now go through ReachMoreParents — events, newsletters, reminders, even accident and head bump notifications when a parent hasn't been reachable by phone. And with a 90 per cent read rate on messages sent and an 84 per cent engagement score from the spring term survey, it's clearly landing.

"WhatsApp groups are great for parents and carers socially and keeping in touch, but you're not always going to get the most accurate information about your child’s school."

Staff have taken to it just as enthusiastically: 97 per cent of teachers, SLT and office staff are actively using the platform. Rather than managing communications themselves, busy teachers can ask the office to send a message to their year group that afternoon and know it will be done.

The Newsfeed is a particular highlight, with classroom updates and photos being posted throughout the day. With ongoing concerns about AI manipulation of children's photos on social media, a private parent-only feed offers something Facebook and Instagram can't — the familiarity of a social feed, without the exposure.

The success of the platform has led to The Coppice adding an integrated ReachMoreParents website. Integrated with the school’s platform, the website streamlines content and updates: one platform, published everywhere.

Defying the trend of declining pupil numbers

Declining pupil numbers are a challenge facing schools across the country — but The Coppice hasn't felt it in the same way. Oversubscribed, with more families wanting places than the school can offer, the picture for The Coppice looks very different.

The school's reputation in the local community is strong, and enrolment reflects that. Parents notice how well the school communicates, and they say so.

“I've got other school leaders coming to me saying ‘your platform looks great, we'd like to have a look at that’ — that says everything.” 

The Coppice even introduces prospective families to the ReachMoreParents platform during tours and open days, as one of the school’s selling points. And other schools are beginning to notice — a deputy headteacher from a neighbouring school, attending an induction event as a prospective parent, was so impressed by the communications offer that she asked to learn more.

Parent advocacy and word of mouth is hard to manufacture. But it starts with giving parents something worth talking about.