Bulk SMS for schools
Bulk SMS for schools
Reach every parent on the phone they already have. Send fee reminders, closures, sports updates and absence alerts from your computer or phone, with no app for parents to install.
- Every parent, any phone
- Groups per grade and team
- From 22c an SMS
Hillview Primary: Due to the water outage, school closes at 11:00 today. Please collect your child from the main gate.
Hillview Primary: Saturday's netball match against Parkside moves to 09:00. Players meet at the school at 08:15.
Hillview Primary: A reminder that November school fees are due this Friday. Thank you to everyone who has paid.
Bulk SMS for schools
What schools send by SMS
Six messages schools send every term. Each starts with the school's name, because bulk SMS usually arrives from a number.
Hillview Primary: A reminder that November school fees are due this Friday. Thank you to everyone who has paid.
Hillview Primary: Due to the water outage, school closes at 11:00 today. Please collect your child from the main gate.
Hillview Primary: Saturday's netball match against Parkside moves to 09:00. Players meet at the school at 08:15.
Hillview Primary: Lerato was marked absent today. Please call the office on 011 123 4567 if you didn't expect this.
Hillview Primary: Parents' evening is on Wednesday at 18:00 in the hall. Report cards will be handed out.
Hillview Laerskool: Onthou die sportdag is môre. Kinders moet 07:30 by die skool wees. Dankie!
The Afrikaans message uses 2 SMS because the ô in môre switches it to Unicode. Check your own messages with the SMS character counter before you send.
Why SMS
Why SMS works for schools
Every parent, any phone
SMS reaches smartphones and basic phones alike, with no data or app needed.
Groups that match your school
Send to one grade, one class, a sports team or a bus route, or to everyone.
Fast when it matters
Closure and emergency notices go out to every parent as soon as you press send.
Personal messages
Add each learner's name from your spreadsheet, so parents know the message is about their child.
Proof of delivery
Delivery reports show which parents received the notice, and which numbers need updating.
Scheduled reminders
Set fee reminders and event notices to go out on the right morning.
Getting started
Start sending to parents in four steps
Gather parent numbers
Use the numbers on your admission forms, and ask parents to confirm them at the start of each year.
Make your groups
Upload a spreadsheet and split it into groups, like Grade 1, the U13 rugby team or the Bus 2 route.
Send your first notice
Start each message with the school's name, then send now or schedule it.
Keep it current
Update your list each term, and remove numbers that fail in your delivery reports.
What bulk SMS costs a school
Here's a typical month for a school with 600 families.
| Message | How many | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fee reminder to every family | 1 × 600 | 600 |
| Weekly newsletter alert | 4 × 600 | 2,400 |
| Sports and event updates to 150 parents | 8 × 150 | 1,200 |
| Total a month | 4,200 |
The Growth pack (5,000 SMS for R1,350) covers a month like this, which works out at about R1.90 per family. Prices are final, with no VAT added.
SMS packsPer SMS · Pack
- 1,000 SMSR0.30R300
- 5,000 SMSR0.27R1,350
- 10,000 SMSR0.25R2,500
- 20,000 SMSR0.23R4,600
- 50,000 SMSR0.22R11,000
Final prices · No VAT added · No monthly fees
SMS rules for schools
Notices about school business, like fees, closures, events and absences, aren't direct marketing. You can send them to the parents and guardians on your records without asking for marketing consent.
Some messages do count as marketing. POPIA treats any request for a donation as direct marketing, and the same goes for promoting a sponsor's products. Send those only to parents who agreed, with a way to opt out.
- Only send details about a learner, like an absence, to the parent or guardian on record.
- Add a line to your admission forms saying the school uses SMS for notices.
- Treat donation requests and sponsor offers as marketing: consent first, and end with Reply STOP to opt out.
Afrikaans letters like ê and ô switch an SMS to Unicode, where one SMS holds 70 characters. isiZulu and isiXhosa use standard letters, so they fit the normal 160.
An SMS can be read by anyone holding the phone. Use a learner's first name at most, and never send marks, medical notes or disciplinary details by SMS.
Questions
Questions schools ask
Do parents need a smartphone or data?
No. SMS arrives on any cellphone, including basic phones, and doesn't use data or need an app.
Can we send messages in Afrikaans or isiZulu?
Yes. isiZulu and isiXhosa use standard letters, so they fit the normal 160 characters. Afrikaans letters like ê and ô switch the SMS to Unicode, where one SMS holds 70 characters, so keep those messages short or check them in our SMS character counter.
Can parents reply to the school?
Yes. Replies come back to your portal, so parents can confirm attendance or answer a question by SMS.
How do we get permission from parents?
For school notices, the numbers parents give you on admission forms are enough. Add a line saying the school uses SMS for notices. For donation requests, ask for consent and include an opt-out.
Will the school's name show as the sender?
Messages usually arrive from a number rather than a name, so start every message with the school's name. Ask us about a custom sender name before you buy.
What does it cost a school?
A school with 600 families sending a fee reminder, weekly updates and sports news uses about 4,200 SMS a month. The Growth pack of 5,000 SMS costs R1,350, with no VAT added.
More industries
Bulk SMS for other industries
SMS reminders for medical practices
Smile Dental: Your check-up is tomorrow at 10:00. Reply YES to confirm or call us to move it.
Appointment reminders that patients confirm by reply.
See how it worksBulk SMS for churches and NGOs
Grace Community Church: This Sunday's service starts at 09:30. Bring a friend!
Service times, events and urgent notices for members.
See how it worksBulk SMS for shops and salons
Lounge Hair Studio: See you tomorrow at 14:00 for your cut and colour. Reply C to cancel.
Specials, order-ready alerts and booking reminders.
See how it worksReady to SMS your parents?
WhatsApp us your school's name and roughly how many families you have. We'll set up your account and groups.