Why SEND school communication is different
Mainstream school communication is largely broadcast: one message to all parents simultaneously. SEND school communication is predominantly relational — individual families, complex needs, frequent updates on specific pupils' progress, welfare, and provision changes.
The families of pupils with special educational needs also face greater barriers to conventional communication. Some have literacy challenges, some have limited English, some have their own disabilities or mental health needs that make phone calls difficult. Communication systems must be accessible, clear, and multilingual.
EHCP and Annual Review communication
Every pupil with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) must have their plan reviewed at least annually. This involves:
- Notification to parents of the Annual Review date and format
- Pre-review invitation to submit written contributions
- Post-review notification of outcomes and next steps
- EHCP amendment notifications where the plan is being updated
- Transfer review notifications at key transition points
Each of these can be sent as targeted messages to the specific parent group via MySchoolUpdate — using the pupil group segmentation within the platform. EHCP families are a named group; messages reach them directly and delivery is confirmed.
Multi-channel for accessibility
SEND families are more likely than the general school population to have communication barriers. MySchoolUpdate's multi-channel approach — push notification, email, and SMS — means that if a parent does not receive the push notification, the same message is also delivered to their phone via SMS. Multilingual support (100+ languages) ensures EAL families in the SEND context receive communications in their own language.
Communication for SEND provisions within mainstream schools
Mainstream schools with a SEND department or resource base can use MySchoolUpdate's group messaging to communicate specifically with families of pupils receiving SEND support — without needing a separate communication system for the SEND cohort.
The SENCO can send targeted communications to:
- All families of pupils with EHCPs
- All families of pupils on the SEN Support register
- Families of pupils in a specific intervention group
- Families of pupils receiving Speech and Language therapy timetabled on a specific day
These groups are defined within the platform without any SEN data leaving the MIS — the grouping is done by the school administrator, not automatically by the integration.
SEND school pricing
SEND schools (maintained special schools, independent special schools recognised by local authorities, pupil referral units, and hospital schools) qualify for specialist pricing:
- Annual subscription: £99/year (vs £385 for mainstream schools)
- One-time setup fee: £299
- Free trial available before purchase
- All features included — no feature restrictions at the SEND price tier
Frequently asked questions
Does MySchoolUpdate work with the MIS systems used by special schools?
Yes. Special schools use a range of MIS systems including SIMS, Arbor, ScholarPack, and specialist SEND systems. Where a direct Wonde connection is available, MySchoolUpdate syncs via Wonde. Where a school's MIS is not in the Wonde connector library, parent contacts can be imported via CSV — the communication platform works regardless of MIS.
Can we use MySchoolUpdate for home-school liaison workers to contact families?
Yes. Multiple staff roles can be configured in MySchoolUpdate, including SENCO, home-school liaison, class teachers, and therapists. Each role can be granted permission to message their own pupil groups only — so the home-school liaison messages their caseload families, and class teachers message their class parents. Permission levels are set by the school administrator.
MySchoolUpdate for SEND schools — £99/year
Book a demo specifically for SEND schools and we will show you how the platform handles EHCP group messaging, multilingual communication, and multi-channel delivery for complex family circumstances.
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