Andrew Frost reveals five reasons why it's vital schools have an effective telephone system.
In today’s demanding learning environments, effective communication between staff, pupils and parents is critical. The smooth running of a school is therefore dependent on a smart telephone system that fosters efficient communication.
However, funding cuts within the education sector have meant that managing school budgets and resources has become an incredibly tough balancing act. While technology has been embraced within the classroom, some staff and administrators are still finding the thought of adapting to new telephone systems daunting.
An effective system is vital to making valuable savings, improving productivity, protecting a school’s reputation and enhancing collaboration. Here are five reasons why every school should have one:
1. Improved call handling
For schools, it is vital that callers get through to the right contact at the first time of asking. An effective Mitel telephone system can help route incoming calls and improve response times, freeing up valuable time for reception staff. Parents also have the option of leaving a voicemail message to report an absence, which will be delivered directly to the respective teacher. This absence reporting feature is particularly useful during periods of adverse weather when schools can expect a high volume of calls.
2. Flexible communication features
Staff and teachers within large campuses are no longer confined to their classroom, instead, they are often reassigned to different areas. A Mitel telephone system enables staff to become more mobile and move around the grounds while having access to the same classroom applications, including transfer, conference, auto-attendant and access to voicemail. This enables teachers to become more responsive and to reply to enquiries in a timely manner. Twinning a desk phone to a mobile will also ensure no-one misses a call as they ring simultaneously through a single contact number.
3. Safeguarding
As inbound telephone threats continue to rise, it is vitally important that schools are prepared to deal with them. Institutions can safeguard staff, teachers and parents through call tracking and recording features that improve security and ensure faster dispute resolutions. Schools can record and archive threatening, menacing or suspicious calls, which can then be supplied to the respective authorities if required. The features act as a safety net and ensure that teachers are protected from potentially volatile situations.
4. Improved parent-teacher relationships
Research suggests that pupils whose parents play an active role in their learning achieve greater success than those who don’t. In order to foster supportive parent-teacher communication, Mitel telephone systems facilitate teachers reaching out to parents via web conferencing, which can be used as reminders about school trips or homework. The enhanced organisation offered by the systems also means that schools can identify missed calls from parents easily and respond appropriately.
5. Simplified administration
The final benefit of a Mitel telephone system compared to a traditional alternative is that they are simple and offer a user-friendly portal that removes the chance of error. A single administrator can manage, maintain and update their solution through an embedded system, which reduces admin time and ensures schools can concentrate on more important issues.
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