| |
School Communicator |
Website |
Email |
Newsletter |
SMS |
| Message reaches parents |
Yes - instantly |
Have to visit the website |
Often lost in spam filters and inboxes |
Has to make it home in the schoolbag |
Instant, but limited message length |
| Easy to manage |
Yes - simple, web based control panel. Multiple contributors |
No - requires webmaster to update content |
Difficult to customise |
No - long lead times & centralised control |
Complicated to manage distribution lists |
| Technical skills required |
No - anyone can manage the School Communicator |
Yes - requires programming skills |
Yes - especially if changes required |
No |
Can be confusing & difficult to customise |
| Easy to use |
Yes - parents receive customised information |
Yes, but parents must first visit the website |
Clogged inboxes, no tailor-made info |
Lots of information that isn't relevant |
Yes, but only suitable for urgent messages |
| Cost effective |
Yes - low fixed monthly costs |
Can be expensive |
Expensive, especially if charged per email |
Printing costs can mount up |
Expensive - not viable for regular communication |
