We know schools need to be able to communicate with staff, guardians and students quickly and easily, so there are a number of communication types available through Arbor depending on your needs.
All communication types are available as part of the Comms package, so contact your account manager if you're unsure what package you're on or would like to upgrade. There are also a couple of requirements to be able to use these communication types:
- In-app messages - These are messages that primary guardians can read through the Parent Portal and Arbor App, so you'll need to switch this on for guardians to be able to read them.
- SMS - Just like on a phone contract, SMS or texts cost a certain amount to send. You can purchase bundles of credits - the larger the credit bundle, the cheaper each credit becomes.
Before you start generating communications, we recommend following the steps in this article to make sure the right people are able to send and receive communications: Checking your settings before starting to use communications in Arbor
You can then use our articles on the help centre to help you generate and send out SMS, emails, letters and in-app messages:
What are the differences between SMS, Email, letters and in-app messages?
SMS | Letter | In-app message | ||
Price | Free | Not free - Price dependant on the bundle purchased | Free to generate, printing cost will depend on your settings | Free |
Pre-set editable templates |
Yes |
Yes | No | No |
Notification of replies | No | Yes - via notification | No | Yes - via email or notification |
Send to | Staff, students or guardians | Staff, students or guardians | Staff, students or guardians | Primary guardians only |
Distribute through Arbor | Yes | Yes | No - print and send these | Yes |
View sent/read receipts | Sent | Sent | No | Sent and read |
Send links | Yes | No - only text | No | No - only text |
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