Case Study

Chocolate's always a winner!

Stella Maris Catholic Primary School in Kent certainly are bursting with enthusiasm in their efforts to get parents and families to download OurSchoolsApp.

Recognising that the App will be most effective, and reap the greatest rewards the more people who have it; they have gone all out to find fun and motivating ways to encourage their schools families to download OurSchoolsApp on to their phones!

When it was first launched, they sent letters home (available as part of Contact Group’s OurSchoolsApp Parent Pack) to encourage downloads.  This saw an initial flurry and good take-up, however to create some good old-fashioned healthy competition and motivation amongst the children, they began a challenge between classes to see who could get the most downloads of the App – with the winners congratulated in the school assembly.  When it was announced that anyone who got their parents to download OurSchoolsApp could get a sweet/chocolate from the office, there was a steady stream of pupils waiting for their prize!  …And the downloads tally increased as a result.

Staff in the school office have displayed posters and notices in reception about how to download the App and the next step is to have a member of staff at the classroom doors helping parents to download the app there and then on their phones!

Melanie Tidd, who works in the school office explains ‘…We all believe OurSchoolsApp is the way forward for reducing administration and doing away with paper letters, reducing the burden on the book bags…  Just last week we were able to inform parents instantly when football had to be cancelled at short notice.  With the Winter months coming up,  a busy events timetable, and potentially weather-related notices needing to be sent out, we want as many parents as possible to be getting those timely, instant push notifications throughout the day to their phones and devices‘.

This really is a perfect example of how a concerted effort to push downloads can pay dividends, and in the process engage pupils and parents alike.

Well done Stella Maris Catholic Primary School!