Every UK school system explained for parents
What each school system is for, what it sends you, where to add a second email, what it charges, and the one thing about each that catches parents out. Written for the parent, not the school.
By The AskBobbie team · 29 September 20264 min read
The average state school in England runs three or four of these. Each was bought by a different part of the school to solve one problem, and none of them talks to the others. This is what each one is, what it sends you, where the second-email box is, and the thing about each that catches parents out.
ParentPay
What it is. The most widely used school payment system in the UK, run by ParentPay Group (which also owns SIMS, the register software many schools use). Over 3,000 schools and roughly a million parents.
What it sends. Payment requests ("New item: Year 3 trip, £12.50, due 14 October"), receipts, dinner money balance warnings, and often the letter for a trip attached to the payment item.
Second email. Yes. Sign in on the website, your name at the top right, Profile settings, Email addresses, add another. Both addresses get everything.
What catches people out. The consent form and the payment are separate boxes. Paying does not give consent; consent does not pay. Check both.
Cost to you. Free. Schools pay.
Arbor
What it is. A school management system (the register, the timetable, the records) with a parent app on top. Very common in academies.
What it sends. Absence and lateness, club sign-ups, consent requests, parents' evening bookings, letters, and, in some schools, payments through Arbor Pay.
Second email. The school holds guardian contacts, and parents cannot add one themselves. Ask the office to add a second email to your record; most will.
What catches people out. Parents' evening booking opens at a set time and the slots go in minutes. The email arrives before the app notification. Watch the email.
Cost to you. Free.
ClassDojo
What it is. A classroom app. Teachers post stories, photos and messages; children collect points.
What it sends. Class stories, messages from the teacher, and notices ("PE is on Tuesday now"). The dates are in the caption of a photo, not in a calendar.
Second email. Each parent has their own account. Ask the teacher for a second invite code, and use the second address for it. Or change the email on your account under Account settings.
What catches people out. Important notices look exactly like the fun ones. A change of PE day arrives between a photo of a papier-mâché volcano and a certificate.
Cost to you. Free for the basics; a paid "Plus" tier for extras you do not need.
Tapestry
What it is. An online learning journal for nurseries and Reception: observations of your child, with photos, against the early years curriculum.
What it sends. Observations, memos from the setting, and event notices.
Second email. The setting adds relatives. Ask them to add a second one; parents cannot do it themselves.
What catches people out. Notices about the nursery's own dates (closures, photos, sports morning) arrive as memos that look like observations. Read the memos.
Cost to you. Free.
MCAS (MyChildAtSchool)
What it is. The parent app for schools running Bromcom, another school management system. Common in secondaries.
What it sends. Announcements, attendance, timetable, homework, behaviour, and payments in some schools.
Second email. The school holds it. Ask the office.
What catches people out. The app requires a school ID and a code the office issues. If you cannot log in, it is nearly always the wrong school ID, not your password.
Cost to you. Free.
School Gateway
What it is. A parent messaging and payments app from Schoolcomms, widely used by primaries.
What it sends. Messages from the office, payment requests, consent forms, club bookings.
Second email. Your login must match what the school holds. Ask the office to add a second email and phone number.
What catches people out. It runs on the mobile number and email the school holds, so a changed number silently stops everything. Tell the office when you change your number.
Cost to you. Free.
Weduc
What it is. A school communication app that brings news, messages, forms and payments into one feed, run by Community Brands.
What it sends. Newsletters, messages, forms, calendar events, and payments.
Second email. The school controls contacts; ask the office.
What catches people out. It has its own calendar, which is good, but the events are only in Weduc. Nothing exports.
Cost to you. Free.
Seesaw
What it is. A digital portfolio and messaging app, mostly primaries. Children post work; teachers post announcements.
What it sends. Journal posts and announcements.
Second email. Invite a second family member from the child's profile.
What catches people out. Announcements and journal posts share a feed; the "wear something yellow on Friday" is under a video of a bean growing.
Cost to you. Free.
The one thing that works for all of them
Every one of these can email you, and most let you add a second address. Point them all at the same place and the stack becomes one stream. If the place is an address that reads the letters for you, the dates and money come out the other side without you opening any app. That is what a Bobbie address is for, and this page has the exact clicks for each system.
Further reading
Sources: IRIS ParentMail and ParentPay Group; ESRE Media, "Parent communication apps for schools UK (2026)"; MySchoolUpdate, "Best school communication apps for UK schools". Features as published by each supplier in September 2026; corrections to [email protected].
Questions people ask
- Why does my school use four different systems?
- Because each was bought to solve one problem by one part of the school: payments by the office, communication by the head, class updates by the teachers, early years by the nursery. None of the suppliers builds the others' parts, so the school ends up with a stack, and so do you.
- Can I make them all send to one place?
- Yes, by email. Every one of them can email you; most let you add a second address. Point them all at the same inbox, or at an address that reads them for you, and you have one stream instead of four apps.
- Do I have to install every app?
- No. Each system's emails carry the same information as its app, sometimes more. The apps are useful for paying and booking; for knowing what is going on, the emails are enough.