TextMine ® School SMS

• Text parents and staff from a PC.
• You can send singly or to groups.
• It is quicker, cheaper, and more accurate than a phone call.

Introduction

Over 70% of people in Western Europe use a mobile phone and the majority of those are comfortable using SMS (Short Message Service). Messages sent by SMS have long outnumbered e-mails. UK text messaging figures are in excess of 2.1 billion per month.

Schools typically use notice boards, letters, telephone, and face-to-face meetings for communication. E-mail and fax are used to a much lesser extent. TextMine® adds text messaging to that list, enabling staff and parents to be reached over a familiar and ubiquitous medium.

Text messaging is a logical solution for parents and staff, for example, where a large group need to be contacted at once, or at short notice. TextMine®'s system is invaluable for sporadic or regular messages regarding homework, parents' evenings, and sports events.

It comes into its own when issuing notices regarding uniforms, detention, and punctuality.

In addition, it can be used for secondary reminders regarding term dates, bank holidays, flu jabs, and results. An extra module allows incoming messages.

Benefits

Cost Efficiency

• It is quicker, cheaper, and more accurate than a phone call.
  
  
• Cost per message is 6.8p
  
  
• No investment in hardware is required, since nearly all parents and staff possess a mobile phone. There is no costly maintenance and software configuration of hand-held computers.
  
  
• No expensive new IT infrastructure is required, since hardly any integration into existing systems is required.
  
  

Reliability

• A real-time log is provided of the number of messages sent, when they were sent, their status, and when they were received. This acts as an archive of sent messages for auditing purposes.
  
  
• There is less scope for error than with a voice message or e-mail.
  
  
• SMS often works when reception is too poor for voice.
  
  

Mobility/Accessibility

• TextMine® keeps mobile staff in the loop.

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What it can do

• The TextMine system can be used to communicate with parents, teachers and students.
  
  
• You can let groups of parents know about school functions and notices; or tell a particular parent that their child's teacher would like to arrange a meeting.
  
  
• The system can be used to broadcast notices to the teaching staff and to inform a parent that his or her child's coursework is due.

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Examples of use

The following examples illustrate how the system might be used:

• Your slot for Parents Eve on 12 Jun is 5:55pm with Tim Jones 01234782211.
  
  
• All parents please give permission for Tuesday's trip by this weekend.
  
  
• Your child is not in uniform today.
  
  
• Just to remind you that Monday is a bank holiday.