With inflation and the cost of living increasing we look at how Classlist communities have been used to cut costs at schools, improve parent association events and allow parents to connect and save money.
A stuffed letter at the bottom of a school bag is becoming a more distant memory. Electronic newsletters and communications can be sent through Classlist. These can be sent to specific class years, groups or the whole class. Even better, these trusted and consistent bits of key information can be scheduled and timely delivered.
The announcements tool helps schools retain control of the information and parents can find it easily without calling the office. Thanks to the message boards, there's no need to pass on party invitations or lost property messages for parents.
Classlist is specifically designed for school community use and will often help reduce the reliance of other platforms such as social media, forums and other messaging tools. And even in the event of emergencies too - Classlist has replaced SMS emergency messaging tools to further reduce IT costs.
A big part of the Classlist app is the event manager that allows organisers to create fundraising events. Gone are the days of selling tickets outside school gates. Now sell through the app, track RSVPs and even automate reminders. Add a raffle to your event too, which can be fully managed on the platform.
Things just don’t happen without a band of keen helpers! And this is where Classlist can help. Volunteer sign-up lists can be easily created with time slots to encourage take up. Need someone to serve drinks at the school disco? No problem, ask when tickets are purchased.
Giving the parent association group the tools to be more efficient and manage more successful events will help raise more money, boost parental engagement and make things more fun!
"I wanted to tell you about the amazing success we had last week with our Fireworks Event thanks to Classlist Events. I have run five fireworks events and each year we consistently raise about £1500 in donations and ticket sales, no matter how we approach ticketing and sales. We always lose money on the event.
"This year we used Classlist events to publicise and manage the event, and integrated payments using our Stripe account. We raised £2400 in sales from the same parent base."
Steve Simpson, Chair of the Friends of Lockers Park
Stuck for someone to look after the children for a moment or would you like to go out for the evening? Playdates and private events can be created to help keep childcare costs down.
Each Classlist community has a marketplace where items like uniforms, musical instruments or bikes can be sold, or donated. Need a spare school sweater? Reach out with a wanted item listing and you never know who is just about to pass something on.