A PARENT’S GUIDE TO COMMUNICATIONS 2025
Main methods of communication
Software, programmes and portal platforms
Secure Parent Area of the School website
INTRODUCTION
Overview
Our Parent’s Guide to Communications introduces parents to the platforms that maintain strong communication links for them with the School, teachers and tutors.
It goes without saying that a day in the life of a Clifton High School pupil, whether they are in The Hive Pre-School or the Sixth Form is multi-faceted. As no one platform can communicate all aspects of School life to parents, we have carefully selected those that are able to provide the most relevant and timely information on a child’s academic progress, learning journey, sporting and co-curricular activities both efficiently and effectively
Each platform reads information from SIMS (Schools Information Management System) which securely stores, compiles and integrates the details provided by parents during their child’s registration in a database. Whilst parents do not require login access to SIMS, the data provided is essential and includes:
Personal Details
Contact Information
Aims
Family/Home Details
Medical/Dietary Information
We aim to impart and exchange information that is:
concise timely accurate
Primary methods
Our primary methods of communication to parents are open and direct, so they feel their children are well cared for with any concerns or queries addressed efficiently
Telephone - Should there be an urgent, personal or ‘better-to-discuss’ conversation to be had, parents will be contacted via telephone
Email - Information letters
Text Message - an SMS alert will only ever be sent to parent’s registered mobile number in an emergency scenario.
PARENT PORTAL PLATFORMS
Creating and Activating Accounts
Creating accounts is quick and easy. Once a place at the School has been accepted, no matter what time of year, sign-up details for all our Parent Portal Platforms will be sent via email. However, there may be a delay if this is during the holidays.
To activate accounts, parents should use the email address they provided to the School at the time of registration and set a personal password (these login details will remain the same for the duration of time that a child is at Clifton High School). Please note that parents require only one login for more than one child.
Insight
Timetables Reports
Insight is an online pupil and parent portal that allows both parties to view academic/curriculum based information on:
Parents’ Evening Modules
Behavioural Charts
Personal Data
Examination Entries, Timetables & Results
Attendance Records Assessment Results
Pupils and parents login to Insight here using their personal email address and password created when setting up their account. The site is also accessible via the quick link on the Parent Area of the website.
SOCS Sport & Co-Curricular
SOCS is used by our Sports, Co-Curricular and Music departments as a sign-up, diary management and attendance platform.
The benefit of SOCS is that information is live and up-to-date with location details available and results updated immediately after matches and tournaments. Instrumental music lessons are also timetabled, allowing pupils and parents to see the timings of weekly lessons.
Parents login to SOCS here using their personal email address and password created when setting up their account. The site is also accessible via the quick link on the Parent Area of the website to view:
Sports Teams
Sports Fixtures
Music Lessons
Co-Curricular Club Bookings
Co-Curricular Calendar
Talaxy
Registration Seating Plans
Talaxy is a one-stop online pupil data management system that is being introduced at Clifton High School in 2025. Currently, teachers use the platform for:
Recording Merits/Misconducts
Detentions
Grading - entering report data/comments
Obtaining pupil and student information
Generating reports on SIMS including contact and medical information
At the moment, parents login into Talaxy via Insight and at this stage, only receive email notifications from cliftonhigh@talaxy.app with updates on their child’s merit and misconduct marks
*Full implementation of Talaxy, planned for September 2025, will replace Insight and Schoolcomms with features that will access:
Personal details & data
School communications
Pupil Timetables, Reports, Behaviour
Tapestry - Infant and Junior School
Parents’ Evening Modules Event Ticketing Noticeboard
Tapestry is an educational platform used by our Infant and Junior School teaching staff members to share photographs and videos of children’s work and activities during their School day It also allows parents to engage and respond with updates on learning at home All data uploaded to Tapestry is stored securely on their servers.
Parents login to Tapestry here using their personal email address and an activation email will be received to create a secure login password and 4-digit PIN. This can then be used to access Tapestry via a web-browser or mobile phone app.
PARENT INFORMATION SOURCES
Schoolcomms
Schoolcomms is the parental platform used by Clifton High School to send whole School or grouped formal and informative communications to parents. The system designates ‘Priority 1’ and ‘Priority 2’ contacts for each parent based on the SIMS database.
Emails will be received into the inbox of the email address provided during formal registration at the School. Should an email address change at any stage during a child’s time at the School, we kindly ask parents to update information via email schooloffice@cliftonhigh.co.uk.
There are limitations in terms of personalisation on Schoolcomms so for parents with more than one child, we help establish which child the communication relates to in the line addressing the salutation line:
Dear Parent/ Clifton High Parent = all parents
Dear Infant/Junior/Senior School Parent = specific area of the School
Dear Year X/ Class X Parent = specific year group or class
To ensure that emails from the School are not marked as junk, we recommend parents confirm @schoolcomms.com as a trusted sender with their email provider. Parents should not reply directly to messages received from @schoolcomms.com but should instead email schooloffice@cliftonhigh co uk
In September 2025, Schoolcomms will be replaced by Talaxy*.
Operoo
Operoo is a platform that Clifton High School uses to provide groups of parents with information, permission and response forms to include:
Internal/External Trips and Visits
Internal/External Events
Parents’ Evening Sign-Up
Invitations to performances, celebrations & church services
Pupil medical, personal & important information updates
School supply orders (i.e. scientific calculators, textbooks etc.
Parents login to Operoo here using the individual username they are given when registering their child at Clifton High School and choose a secure personal password The site is also accessible via the quick link on the Parent Area of the website and a mobile phone app.
Direct Emails
For communications of a more personal, confidential or sensitive nature, direct emails will be sent to parents from an individual member of staff using the email address provided during formal registration at the School and held on the SIMS database. They will be sent from an @cliftonhigh.co.uk email address.
Termly fees will be invoiced to parents via a direct email from the Finance Team (finance@cliftonhigh.co.uk), usually one week after the end of the School term.
Royal Mail Post
It is unusual for Clifton High School to send formal written correspondence by Royal Mail post. However, in the rare circumstances that this may occur, the School will use the home address of the ‘Priority 1’ parent held on the SIMS database.
WEBSITE - PARENT AREA
The Parent Area of the website, linked here, serves as a bridge between home and School It does not require a password and can easily be found by:
either clicking the icon in the bottom left or right-hand corner of the School’s website
or the quick link “PARENTS” on the bottom left-hand corner of the navigation page
Upon arrival at the Parent Area of the website, you will discover information that is relevant and useful to both current and prospective parents to include:
Calendar Term Dates Policies
Uniform Contact Us
Current parents also have access to the following links, all of which are password protected:
WEBSITE - SECURE PARENT AREA
The Secure Parent Area of the website, linked here, is password protected, maintaining a connection with current parents to provide confidential and relevant information that is not specific to an individual child.
The sixth tab of the accordion in the Secure Parent Area is locked and will require current parents to login with the username: parents@cliftonhigh.co.uk. A generic password is changed annually and will be confirmed with parents via @schoolcomms.com. We politely request that these login details remain confidential to our parent community.
For any issues logging into the Secure Parent Area, please email schooloffice@cliftonhigh co uk
Upon arrival at the Secure Parent Area of the website, you will discover information that is relevant and useful to current parents only including: Parent Bulletin Communications VAT FAQs Useful Information Terms and Conditions
Parent Bulletin
The Parent Bulletin is emailed through a link via Schoolcomms to all parents on a Friday afternoon at 5.00pm, unless in circumstances when the week ends on another day (i.e. half term or end of term holidays)
Current and archived additions are stored in the Secure Parent Area of the website for reference purposes.
Communications
The communications section of the website is host to whole School or grouped formal and informative communications. They are sent to parents via Schoolcomms and stored as a point of reference in the following specific areas of the School:
Whole School
The Hive and Infant School
Junior School
Senior School
Sixth Form
VAT FAQs
In this section, parents will find answers to the common questions surrounding the introduction of VAT on independent School fees from 1st January 2025. It is updated regularly in line with advancing information from the Government.
Useful Information
This section is host to a range of useful documentation, links, term cards, trip schedules and timetables that current parents can access and use as reference throughout the academic term. It is updated regularly to reflect the relevant School term.
Terms and Conditions
Parents can access the School’s Terms and Conditions in this section. Due to the change of tax regime, these were updated on 1st January 2025.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & SOURCES
Parents can read all about ‘what is happening’ at Clifton High School in the Clifton High News section of the website as well as catch up on the latest edition of our pupil newspaper, The Rambling Rose. What’s Happening?
Microsoft Teams
Parents may hear the term ‘Microsoft Teams’ being talked about by their children. This is a realtime communication platform for teachers, tutors and staff members to interact directly with pupils and students where homework is assigned, messages sent and queries responded to Access is provided through a dedicated School email address (@cliftonhigh.co.uk) and a secure, personalised password.
Wrap Around Care Booklet
Parents of children in The Hive and Infant School are able to access information on our before and after School provision in the Wrap Around Care Booklet, linked here.
Co-Curricular Clubs
Senior School parents can learn more about our Co-Curricular Programme by clicking the link here Children sign up through the sports platform, SOCS
School Blazer
Clifton High School uses the school uniform and sportswear provider, Schoolblazer. Parents login using their own personal email and password.