SMS templates for schools and higher education

The days of sending children home with a letter in their bag for parents are long gone. Instead, many schools opt for electronic communications direct to parents to ensure messages aren’t lost along the way. 

This can include everything from school trip payment reminders to more urgent matters, like school closures due to floods, for example. With near-universal mobile ownership and open rates of up to 98%, SMS is one of the most effective ways to do this.

It’s not just schools that use SMS either. Colleges and universities can use it to send out exam results or payment reminders for tuition fees. Compared to letters and phone calls, text messages are sent instantly and can be automated to save your admin team valuable time. 

Here’s a collection of ready-to-use SMS templates for schools and education providers to help to get you started:

Appointment reminders 

Teachers and lecturers have busy schedules, so it’s important that meetings, parents’ evening appointments or events aren’t missed.

SMS reminders help to reduce no-shows and ensure that parents stay up to date with their child’s academic process, wellbeing or any behaviour issues. 

A quick alert: 

Hi [NAME], a quick reminder that parents’ evening is on [DATE] at [TIME]. 

Managing appointments: 

Hi [NAME], your meeting is on [DATE] at [TIME]. Make changes to your meeting here: [LINK] 

Opt-in confirmation  

A simple thanks: 

Thanks for signing up to receive updates from us! Text HELP if you have any questions and STOP to opt out.

Opt-out confirmation  

Personalised goodbye: 

Hi [NAME], just confirming that you’ve successfully unsubscribed from receiving text messages from us. We’re sorry to see you go! 

Internal communications 

A nice gesture: 

Happy [HOLIDAY]! We hope you have a wonderful break.

A well-deserved thanks: 

Happy [HOLIDAY!] Thank you for all your hard work this [YEAR/QUARTER]. From [SCHOOL].

Closure alerts  

Teacher strikes: 

Please be aware that [SCHOOL] will be closed from [DATE] to [DATE] due tor teacher strikes. Check the student intranet and our website for more info. 

Snow day school closed:

Please be aware that [SCHOOL] will be closed from [DATE] to [DATE] due to the snow. If you are travelling, consider alternative routes and allow extra time.

Exam results  

Waiting for exam and essay results can be daunting. Notify students as soon as they are available and the actions they need to take. 

The wait is over:

Hello [NAME], your exam results have been released. Visit your student portal to access them. 

The extra mile:

Hello [NAME], your dissertation results are ready. Please book a meeting with your supervisor to discuss them.

Surveys 

Get honest and prompt feedback to drive improvements and ensure satisfaction. The insights could be extremely valuable before any OFSTED or external reviews. 

Recommendations:

On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend [UNIVERSITY NAME] as a workplace? (1 = not at all, 10 = extremely likely)

The student experience:

Hi [NAME]! On a scale of 0 to 10, how satisfied are you with your experience at [UNIVERSITY NAME]? (0 = not at all, 10 = extremely)

Honest feedback:

Hi [NAME], we’d love to know why you chose to attend [COLLEGE NAME]. Complete this 2 min survey: [LINK]

School Holidays   

School’s out:

A reminder that [COLLEGE] will be closed from [DATE]. We’ll be back on [DATE]. Check out our website if you have any queries: [LINK]

Out of office:

Hi there! Thanks for your message, the [SCHOOL] team has headed home for the holidays. We will be back on [DAY] at [TIME]. Please check our website for FAQs, support docs and more 📖

Seasons greetings   

Holiday wishes:

Happy [HOLIDAY], [NAME]! From all of us here at [SCHOOL].

Recruitment  

The rush to fill vacancies before September can be stressful. Not only do schools have to recruit reliable teachers, you are often on the lookout for assistants, domestic staff and lunch ladies or men. Your communications need to provide a good impression of the school to fill vacancies. 

Two-way conversation through SMS Chat can improve communication, and WhatsApp or RCS can drive engagement with the attachment of pictures, audio, documents and rich cards like buttons. 

Headhunting:

We have a [JOB TITLE] role that matches your requirements. If you’d like more details, please reply to this message with MORE DETAILS.

Interview confirmation:

Hi [NAME], we are pleased to confirm your interview on [DATE] at [SCHOOL NAME]. So that we can organise a suitable time, please reply to this message with your preferred time. Here are the times available: [TIME] and [TIME].

Opening communication:

[Hi [NAME]. Your [INTERVIEW] on [DATE] at [TIME] has been confirmed. Manage the details of your booking via the button below and reply to this message if you have any questions.

Payment reminders   

With some universities facing financial difficulties, a polite reminder message can help to reduce the risk of lost revenue. The following SMS reminder payment text message templates allow you to proactively  stay on top of payments.

Payment reminders can also help parents budget better and ensure their child doesn’t miss out on school trips or events.  

Formal reminder text:

Hey [NAME]! A reminder that [AMOUNT] will be due in [DAYS] for [STUDENT NAME] tuition. For more information, visit our website: [LINK]

School lunches:

Low balance alert: Your current balance is [NUMBER] on your account.

Building trust with good communication

From parents’ evening reminders to school closure alerts, educators can open a direct line of communication with students and parents using SMS to keep them informed of important information like disruptions and opening hours.

SMS automations give your admin team time to focus on tasks such as supporting students and academic teams, while quick-fire surveys provide valuable feedback so you can make improvements. 

Ready to start sending? See our SMS solutions for schools and education here.