Dragon School, who pioneered Classlist

Top of the Classlist

Independent schools solve data protection problems using a parent communications platform

Posted by Stephanie Broad | April 08, 2016 | Technology

• #classlist
• #parent-communication
• #independent-schools
• #data-protection
• #dragon-school

It’s a perennial problem faced by school head teachers. Parents clamour for contact details of other families at the school – but data protection laws make it complicated and time-consuming for the school to draw up a list.  

The Dragon School in Oxford pioneered a secure, free platform Classlist, which was officially launched last year. It has since spread to nearly 60 other schools in the UK. 

Parents sign up to Classlist and choose how much information they share with other parents. They can also edit or update their information at any time.  

Classlist was created by two busy parents in Oxford to help take some of the hassle out of running childrens’ school lives.

It offers direct contact with parents in their child’s year or class and, unlike other social media sites, Classlist doesn’t share or sell parent data.

It is successfully operating in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Surrey and Norfolk in prep schools and private secondary schools. It is also being adopted in the maintained sector.  

Classlist also offers:

• Event organisation: taking care of RSVPs, tickets and payments 
• Access to a school lift-share service via a unique map to find parents who live nearby or find a buddy to walk/cycle to school with
• Peace of mind: it’s data protection registered and an approved supplier for UK PTA

Matthew Godfrey, deputy head at Caterham School in Surrey, said: "We used to have a paper-based directory of parents' details but that got out of date quickly and there were data protection issues.

“Classlist is a much more sophisticated tool and in our experience has helped parents link up. Our parents use it to ask about lost property, to arrange Parents' Association events and the school lift share function is also beginning to become popular."

Find out more at www.classlist.com