Is Professionalism Isolating?

Schools are one of the biggest industries where professionalism not only counts, but is essential. With new guidelines regarding keeping children safe in education having come into practice on 5th September, it is more important than ever that people working in schools remain professional at all times. 

With more “First Time” buyers in independent education than ever recorded, families who are new to the experience are not always used to the professional methods schools use when communicating with them. This can lead to feelings of isolation and the parent/family feeling displaced at the school. 

Keeping the appropriate boundaries with not only parents, but also students, whilst also helping them to feel a valuable part of the school community can be a complicated process. With social media blurring the lines between formality and daily school life, having a strong social media policy that is available to parents, students and staff will help everybody know what is expected when they are online. 

Blurred Lines

A combination of a well planned, easy to navigate website, alongside a strong social media presence is essential, not only for marketing schools, but also for retaining existing families. Schools that lack either one of these aspects risk being seen as not up to date and this can imply that their teaching and practices are not always current or relevant.  

Schools are formal environments, Social media is informal and striking the right balance can be a complicated process. A good place to start is by looking at a school’s offline practices. 

Interaction

It can be appealing to ask staff to attend all school related events that are planned for outside the working hours of the school. On the one hand, this implies dedication and professionalism. On the other hand, it can lead parents and students to think of staff as social acquaintances and add them to social lists, blurring the lines of professionalism. Carefully choosing which events are appropriate for staff to attend and which ones are designed purely for parents and students to socialise, can help keep professional boundaries. 

Language

Overly complicated, professional language can be isolating and is not always appropriate in the online world, neither is using overly familiar language when conversing with parents and students. When writing emails consider – is this something you would be happy for the CEO of a company to receive? If not, leave it out. Better to be considered slightly too formal than overtly friendly. 

Posting on social media can be complicated when trying to achieve the correct tone… if it is too formal, not many people will read or respond to it. The best place to start is by reading through your school website, which should be friendly and welcoming whilst still retaining a level of formality. Using the same tone on social media will help to develop brand consistency and allows the user to know what to expect when interacting with your school.

For more information on effectively communicating in schools, as well as development of communication and social media policies please contact Claire or book a place on our upcoming social media masterclass.