Customer Story: Bethany School
Simplifying parent commutation and data management
Bethany School has transformed the way they manage communication, consent forms, and data processes by using Access My School Portal. Through its intuitive features, the school has created a single, streamlined platform for parents, staff, and administrators, saving valuable time and reducing frustration. Katja Thornton, the school’s Database Manager, shares how My School Portal has made life easier for both parents and the administration team.
Access My School Portal
Independent school
Challenge
- Scattered Information: Important documents, forms, and updates were spread across different platforms, making it hard for parents to find the information they needed.
- Inefficient Consent Management: Collecting and tracking consent forms for events and activities was time-consuming and confusing for parents and administrators alike.
- Overwhelming Communication: Parents received communications in multiple formats, sometimes for different children, making it difficult to stay organised.
Approach
- Centralised Parent Portal: Bethany School made My School Portal the single go-to hub for all parent communication and key documents.
- Custom Forms: The school utilised custom forms to collect consent efficiently, targeting the right parents and reducing unnecessary back-and-forth.
- Integrated Systems: The portal integrated with other school tools like SOCS and SchoolPost, creating a seamless user experience.
Results
- Time Saved: Administrators can create and manage forms more efficiently, saving hours of manual work each week.
- Better Parent Experience: Parents have a single point of access for all school-related information, tailored to their children’s needs.
- Reduced Frustration: Clear and targeted communication ensures parents only receive relevant information, making their interaction with the school more straightforward.
The real value of Access My School Portal is having so many tasks, communications, and information in just one tool. It makes life easier for administrators, parents, and teachers alike.”
Bethany School, an independent co-educational day and boarding school, prides itself on providing a modern, student-centric education. To support their commitment to smooth communication and efficient processes, they invested in Access My School Portal. Katja Thornton, the Database Manager, explains how this decision has improved the school’s administrative efficiency and enhanced the parent experience.
Challenge
Before My School Portal, Bethany School relied on multiple platforms to manage communications, forms, and data access. Information was scattered across systems, leaving parents confused and increasing the administrative burden on staff. The school needed a single, intuitive platform to consolidate these processes and elevate the parent-school experience.
Solution
Bethany School implemented My School Portal, starting with exam results, and progressively expanded its use to include custom forms, parent communications, and integration with third-party tools like SOCS. The platform has become the school’s centralised hub for delivering critical information to parents and students.
Key benefits
Enhanced parent experience
My School Portal provides parents with all relevant information in one place, from school reports to extracurricular schedules. Parents no longer need to sift through emails or fill in repetitive forms, streamlining their interaction with the school.
"Parents don’t have to fill in information again and again or provide details we already have. From their perspective, that must be really useful. It simplifies things and ensures they only see what’s relevant to them."
Streamlined administrative processes
The platform’s custom forms feature has been a game-changer for Bethany School. Katja frequently uses it to collect consents, manage events, and even organise the school’s Carol service. Targeting forms to specific parent groups eliminates confusion and ensures efficient data collection.
“In one week, I created over 12 forms targeted to different parent groups—something unimaginable without My School Portal.”
Improved staff efficiency
Teachers and administrators benefit from seamless integrations with the school’s MIS and other systems. Staff can quickly access up-to-date lists for trips and events without duplicating data entry, saving valuable time.
"It heads off so much headache and so many questions. If I can say to my colleagues, ‘Direct them to My School Portal; they’ll find it there,’ it saves us all time and ensures everyone has access to exactly what they need."
A single platform for everything everyone needs
Whether it’s trip details, timetable changes, or parent-teacher meetings, the answer is always the same: “It’s on My School Portal.” This consistency reduces queries and ensures everyone has access to accurate, timely information.
“The value lies in having one tool that handles so many tasks efficiently. For administrators, parents, and students, it simplifies life and ensures seamless communication and organisation.”
Future-ready innovation
Bethany School appreciates My School Portal’s commitment to ongoing development, including the upcoming app for families with children in multiple schools. The school also values the platform’s responsiveness to user feedback.
"My School Portal is constantly evolving. For example, they’re developing an app to support families with children at multiple schools using MSP, which will further enhance the user experience. I’m confident in their commitment to innovation and meeting schools’ needs."
Implementation experience
The onboarding process was straightforward, with My School Portal offering comprehensive documentation and responsive support. Over time, the school has continued to expand its use of the platform, unlocking new features and integrations.
Why Bethany School recommends Access My School Portal
Bethany School highly recommends My School Portal due to its ability to centralise tasks and communications. Katja Thornton highlights the platform’s ease of use, time-saving capabilities, and the value it offers for both parents and administrators. The ongoing development of new features and integrations also shows that My School Portal listens to user feedback and adapts to schools’ needs. Katja also notes, "I think it's really good value for money. Actually, compared to some of the other products, vale for money was one of the reasons we chose it."
Conclusion
Access My School Portal has empowered Bethany School to modernise its operations, providing a better experience for parents and reducing administrative workload. With a focus on innovation and integration, the platform continues to meet the evolving needs of the school community.
About Access My School Portal
Access My School Portal is a comprehensive parent portal designed specifically for independent schools. By simplifying communications, managing consent, and integrating with essential school tools, My School Portal helps schools create a more efficient and seamless experience for parents, staff, and students.