How a PTFA Volunteer Project Reimagined Parent Communication and Engagement
In the education technology world, it’s easy to assume that most innovation comes from large vendors, product roadmaps and well-funded development teams.
Yet many of the tools now embedded in schools’ daily operations originally started life in a very different way, as practical solutions to everyday problems identified by teachers, parents or school leaders themselves.
While almost all modern MIS platforms now include a form of parental engagement and communication, it’s still worth revisiting how these ideas often emerge.
Not because they are technically groundbreaking, but because they reflect a recurring pattern in EdTech: some of the most widely used products begin as small, informal projects designed simply to make school life work a little better for one community.
Examples of popular MIS platforms with long standing Parental Engagement Tools
- Arbor – Parental App
- Bromcom – MY Child at School (MCAS)
- Compass – Parent Portal – School Manager for Parents)
- IRIS – ParentMail
- SIMs (ParentPay) – SchoolComms
- VenturEd – Groucall Messenger – Parents to Teachers
At the bottom of this article we list a number of lists to key documents on Parental Engagement
The story of MySchoolUpdate is one such example.
In the busy ecosystem of a modern UK primary school, communication is the lifeline connecting teachers, parents, and administrators. But in today’s educational landscape, that lifeline is under strain. Schools are caught between tightening budgets, administrative overload, and the constant struggle to keep parents engaged.
For one school, these pressures were laid bare during a Parent-Teacher Association (PTFA) meeting. The mandate was clear: cut costs and fix what felt like fragmented communication channels.
This is the story behind MySchoolUpdate.co.uk (MSU)—a platform born not out of a desire for profit, but from a genuine need to solve a community problem.
The Spark
Sitting in the back of that meeting was Denis Kondopoulos, a parent with a background in technology. Seeing the school’s struggle firsthand, he volunteered to help.
The initial plan was modest: scour the market for an existing solution that could streamline operations without breaking the bank. Failing that, he’d try to patch together a basic, free web application that was simply “fit for purpose.”
The Market Hurdle
As Denis liaised with the school’s administration and various suppliers, the results were discouraging. The EdTech market was saturated with “high-friction” options. Existing platforms often came with rigid lock-in contracts, expensive SMS credits, and pricing models that felt out of touch with school budgets. “The tools available were either too costly or simply didn’t fit,” Denis recalls.
Built by the School, for the School
Encouraged by the school’s IT Manager and Bursar, Denis took a different approach. If the market couldn’t provide the right tool, they would build it together. This decision marked a shift from a search for software to the creation of a partnership. The school effectively became the “system designer.”
“I sat with the staff to understand their pain points,” says Denis. “The Bursar didn’t want ‘SMS credits’; he wanted a low, predictable fee. The IT Manager didn’t want to store sensitive student data on another third-party server; he wanted a system that ‘fetched’ info from the MIS in real-time and let it go. Teachers and parents just wanted substance over fluff.”
The most critical breakthrough was solving the “Parent Problem.” They chose a “web-first” philosophy, making a mobile app optional rather than mandatory. “No app stores, no forgotten passwords, no ‘storage full’ excuses,” Denis explains. “If a parent has a smartphone, they are already on the system.”
Evolution Over Features
The system grew organically. Because it wasn’t built to chase venture capital, it was built to chase value.
“The aim was to make a system that works the way its users want it to work—not the other way around,” Denis says. “Whatever generated value, we included: calendar sharing, auto-translation, and shared groups. We even added a staff sign-in/out system simply because the school needed it and didn’t want to buy extra/expensive hardware. The system evolved, and continues to evolve, because the users are the ones in the driver’s seat.”
Why It Matters
What started as a volunteer project has grown into something much larger, but the DNA remains unchanged.
“I didn’t set out to be an ‘EdTech Founder,'” Denis reflects. “I set out to stop a school from wasting money on text messages so they could spend it on our children. When I look at the platform today, I don’t see a sales pitch. I see a tool designed by a community, for the community.”
While initially built for a single school, the utility of MSU soon became apparent to others facing identical challenges. Today, MySchoolUpdate has evolved into a standalone platform that proves one thing: sometimes the best innovation doesn’t come from a boardroom, but from a parent who simply decided to help.
VenturEd produced an excellent white paper
https://venturedsolutions.co.uk/resources/parental-engagement-ebook/
Government & Evidence-Based Reports (Free PDFs)
Review of Best Practice in Parental Engagement — Department for Education (DfE)
Full report PDF (223 pages)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/219616/DFE-RR156.pdf
Practitioner Summary PDF (short version)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/219617/DFE-RR156-A.pdf
This evidence review describes effective engagement interventions and their impact on children’s learning.
How to Involve Hard-to-Reach Parents — National College for Teaching and Leadership
Full report PDF (31 pages)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/219649/how-to-involve-hard-to-reach-parents.pdf
Toolkit & Practitioner Guides (Free PDFs)
Parental Engagement Toolkit — University of Bath
https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/parental-engagement-toolkit/attachment/parental-engagement-toolkit.pdf
A practical toolkit for schools to plan and implement parental engagement activities.
Engaging Parents and Families – A Toolkit for Practitioners — Education Scotland
Education Scotland’s “Engaging Parents and Families: A Toolkit for Practitioners” is a comprehensive, practical resource designed to help staff across all educational settings (early learning, primary, secondary and community) foster stronger partnerships with families. Updated in 2024, it provides actionable strategies, self-evaluation tools, and research to improve parental involvement and engagement, ultimately supporting child development and closing the attainment gap.