Going green is a popular topic in schools, which often raise awareness of global environmental issues with pupils through lessons and themed assemblies. In one school I know, located in the Middle East, the journey to becoming more eco-friendly has had its challenges, but the rewards have sometimes been quite unexpected.
Could your child’s school benefit from introducing electronic communication and exploring some other ideas for doing things in a more eco-friendly way? Here are just a few.

1. More frequent updates on progress 

Many parents will be familiar with waiting for a paper pupil report to land on the doormat or digging around in their child’s bag to find it. These reports often require staff to spend hours of time putting them together and can generate a heavy price tag in terms of paper, printing and postage costs.

Using tools such as an online parent portal, SMS text messaging and email offers efficient and cost-effective ways to keep parents up to date – from their child’s latest test scores to important school announcements.

2. More engaged pupils

Rather than teachers handing out paper sheets to pupils that can get crumpled up or lost, many schools have opted for an online homework diary that both pupils and parents can log into.

Schools that have introduced a digital option for homework often report that the children are more engaged in the task they have been asked to complete, which has a positive impact on the quality of work they produce.

3. Encouraging the positive

Imagine how wonderful it would be to get a positive message from school via text message or email when your child came top in a maths test, earned a house point for their violin playing or helped another child who had fallen down in the playground.

This can be a very powerful way to motivate children to focus on improving their conduct in and around the classroom.

You can read Julie’s full article published in the Huffington Post 

Julie Booth is head of SIMS Independent    

www.capita-independent.co.uk