Streamlined administrative processes, efficient communication, and improved engagement with parents.
Many applications do not always make light work...
Prior to adopting the Sentral platform, Oakhill Drive Public School faced a number of difficulties with managing communication and administrative tasks. The school relied on multiple applications to manage attendance, student reports, school interviews, and daily messages, leading to a fragmented and time-consuming system. Additionally, teachers were burdened with administrative duties, such as writing and distributing permission notes, resulting in delays and lost notes.
A comprehensive suite of solutions to tackle administrative tasks.
To address these issues, Oakhill Drive Public School turned to Sentral and its comprehensive suite of solutions, including the Sentral Parent Portal and the Sentral for Parents app. They sought a centralized platform that would streamline communication and empower their administrative team.
“...we decided to go with Sentral and part of that (reason) was the functionality of the parent portal. We now have 100% of our parents on the parent portal using it regularly and this has been a really big shift for us with the parents fully engaged in using the portal, and it's been really well regarded by the community as well...’ (4:14 YouTube), Julie Torney, Principal at Oakhill Drive Public School.
By adopting Sentral's Parent Portal, the school transformed its administrative processes. Teachers were relieved of the burden of handling permission notes as the administrative team took charge of creating and distributing them through the portal. This streamlined workflow eliminated the delays and uncertainties associated with traditional paper-based note systems.
"...incredible impact on our teaching staff because they're not using their time in administrative tasks which is incredibly useful for them because they've got so many other things that they need to be doing." (1:30 YouTube), Julie Torney, Principal at Oakhill Drive Public School.
In addition, the school was able to use Sentral's Attendance module to make changes to how it managed student absences. Parents could now easily notify the school of their child's absence through the parent portal, allowing the administrative team to handle follow-ups. This streamlined approach ensured compliance with the Department of Education's attendance policy, impressing visitors during compliance audits.
“…by using the central Parent Portal, we're complying with the Department of Education's attendance policy in the timeframe that we have to follow up on attendance matters.” (2:13 YouTube), Julie Torney, Principal at Oakhill Drive Public School.
Significant improvement in communication within the school community
The implementation of Sentral yielded remarkable outcomes for Oakhill Drive Public School. By centralizing communication through the parent portal, the school achieved efficient information exchange with parents. Parents embraced the flexibility offered by the app, enabling them to promptly respond to permission notes using their smartphones. This eliminated the need for parents to wait until they were at home or find time to fill out forms manually.
"They're really happy that they've got the flexibility to be able to use their phone to respond to a permission note. They don't need to wait till they get home and get a pen and find time after dinner to fill in a form." (4:39 YouTube), Julie Torney, Principal at Oakhill Drive Public School.
Additionally, Sentral’s Activities feature became an integral part of the school's operations. Teachers leveraged it to automate semester reports and manage permissions for various events and activities. The streamlined process reduced the workload on teachers and ensured consistency and compliance across all activities.
With Sentral's Parent Portal, the school achieved a significant improvement in communication within the school community. Parents appreciated having all relevant information accessible on their phones, including event details, requirements, and timings. Targeted messaging allowed the school to send personalized updates to specific groups or individual parents, ensuring effective communication without overwhelming them.
"We're all helping each other communicate and helping our students participate in activities, which is what it's all about." (10:24 YouTube), Julie Torney, Principal at Oakhill Drive Public School.
Overall, Oakhill Drive Public School's adoption of the Sentral platform resulted in streamlined administrative processes, efficient communication, and improved engagement with parents. By embracing technology, the school empowered its staff, enhanced parental involvement, and created a more collaborative and informed school community.
"We now have 100% of our parents on the parent portal using it regularly and this has been a really big shift for us with the parents fully engaged in using the portal, and it's been really well regarded by the community as well..."
