Customer Story: West Buckland School

West Buckland is a thriving HMC boarding and day school for 700 boys and girls, with a passion for innovation and a commitment to enhancing parent-school dynamics. They recognised the need for a unified platform to streamline operations and elevate parental engagement, which is why they invested in My School Portal nearly 10 years ago and haven’t looked back since.

A big advocate of the platform, they wholeheartedly recommend My School Portal to other schools as it serves as a single unified platform, a one-stop-shop, providing all necessary information in one place, enhancing parental engagement and satisfaction.

We interviewed James to discover the key areas in which their school has experienced the most significant benefits since implementing My School Portal. Here’s what he said.

Unified Parent Portal

My School Portal became West Buckland's central hub for all parent-school interactions. Gone were the days of scattered platforms and disjointed communications. With everything consolidated into one intuitive dashboard, including documents, communications, bookings, payments and parents’ evenings, the school community is seamlessly connected, fostering a culture of collaboration and transparency. James shared:

We wanted a consolidated platform where our parents have one place to go...everything goes through My School Portal. We actually now choose our suppliers based on whether they integrate with the platform or offer single-sign-on via the platform.

Streamlined Communications

Gone are the days of drowning in a sea of emails. With My School Portal, West Buckland School ushered in a new era of efficiency, sending out consolidated weekly communications, slashing workload, and saving precious time for both staff and parents. James remarked:

We used to send 5 to 15 emails a week. We now send out a consolidated weekly comms email on a Friday. We can see who has read it and in fact, this approach has improved open rates. Plus, everything included in the weekly parent updates is digital and hosted on My School Portal. If we need to make a change, we can do it without having to resend everything.

Empowering Parental Involvement

My School Portal didn't just connect parents with the school; it made managing the admin associated with each child's educational journey much easier. From digitising forms to enhancing visibility into student performance, activities, attainment, calendar, extra-curricular clubs, trips, boarding, and everything else involved in school life. James noted:

The feedback has been really positive. From simplifying information access to enhancing transparency, parents embraced the platform wholeheartedly, affirming its positive impact on their school experience.

Tailored for Success

What sets My School Portal apart is its unwavering commitment to customisation and evolution. The platform didn't just meet West Buckland School's needs; it exceeded them by actively soliciting feedback and adapting to the school's requirements. James emphasised:

I like that you listen to opinions... taking parental feedback and our input… you’re moulding the product into what our parents want as well as what we want.

Generating Additional Revenue

Beyond enhancing communication, My School Portal became an engine for growth and revenue generation at West Buckland School. From facilitating flexible boarding bookings to simplifying payment processes, the platform seamlessly integrated with the school's operations, unlocking new avenues for financial prosperity. James tells us:

Parents love the simplicity...they can book boarding for their child anytime up to 4pm on the day of stay. The system has our full availability, and the parent pays on confirmation of the booking rather than having to wait until the next school fees invoice. It’s simple and convenient for parents and generates additional income for us throughout the school year.

Revolutionised Parents Evening

My School Portal provides unparalleled convenience and efficiency when it comes to parent’s evenings at West Buckland. By utilising the platform's intuitive scheduling system, parents can easily book their desired time slots, eliminating the hassle of traditional paper-based methods. This streamlined approach empowers parents to select suitable meeting times with teachers, fostering a sense of ownership. Moreover, teachers benefit from real-time access to their schedules, ensuring seamless coordination and eliminating scheduling conflicts. James added:

It is so much easier for both teachers and parents! The result is a notably smoother, more productive parent-teacher evening experience for all involved.

Comprehensive Suite of Features

My School Portal serves as a versatile solution, empowering schools to streamline communications, enhance teaching and learning experiences, facilitate student recognition, manage payments, organise clubs, trips, activities, and so much more, all within a single, integrated platform. James emphasised:

My School Portal offers a comprehensive suite of features, which is undeniably its most compelling selling point.

James's top tip for fellow independent schools was clear: embrace integration and efficiency. By aligning processes with My School Portal's capabilities, schools could save time, enhance communication, and elevate the overall experience for parents, students, and staff.

The Verdict

When asked if he would recommend My School Portal to other schools, James didn't hesitate. He exclaimed:

Absolutely! It's a single unified platform...It's one place for everything, for parents, staff and students to go and it does everything that we need it to do, with the flexibility to grow as our school does.

Looking ahead, the school is poised to embark on an exciting journey with the upcoming launch of the Teams functionality for all homework. James expressed enthusiasm about this initiative, stating, "We've been working closely with the My School Portal team to refine and implement the Teams interface, which will revolutionise how homework is assigned and managed." This new feature promises to further enhance the school's teaching and learning framework.

With unwavering confidence and passion, West Buckland School stands as a testament to the transformative impact of My School Portal, inspiring schools worldwide to embark on their own journey towards excellence.

Related resources

If you resonated with any of the topics covered in West Bucklands success story, you can book a demo of My School Portal or download a brochure.

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