Social media in the education sector has became popular and proved to be useful and successful. Students’ associations and Universities use social tools wisely to keep the community together, share experiences and achievements and for informational purposes. However, use of social media by primary schools still seems to be, in some cases, frowned upon.

1. stuartjdavidson.com http://stuartjdavidson.com/social-media-in-primary-schools/
Social Media in Primary Schools
Social media in the education sector has became popular and proved to be useful and successful. Students’
associations and Universities use social tools wisely to keep the community together, share experiences and
achievements and for informational purposes. However, use of social media by primary schools still seems to be,
in some cases, frowned upon.
There are a lot of good primary schools with Facebook pages out there, that do a good job and serve its purpose.
On the other hand, a fraction is still resistant and sticks to traditional methods of communication, such as letters,
phone calls and texts.
Nowadays, primary schools widely use interactive whiteboards in their classrooms. Teachers exchange their
lessons plans and ideas all over the internet. Websites provide free worksheets and activities and teachers are
friends with colleagues on Facebook and follow each other on Twitter. If these tools are so helpful and useful, why
are some primary schools so afraid of keeping up with latest, easiest and most cost effective tool of
communication? The most common excuse is e-safety.
The fact is that, on the Internet, everybody can be anybody. But the key lies in responsible use of the Internet and
social media. Wise selection of your audiences, e-safety and responsibility education should be priority. There is
nothing wrong with bringing communities together via social media. How much quicker it is to inform about the
latest and emergency events by simply posting it on the social networking site, which everyone (from children to
adults) use? How nice it is to see a picture of your children, all in smiles, who are enjoying themselves during their
primary school activities.
And what about the children? They love it! Lets face it, if you are 9, you are likely to have your own Facebook
page already. Kids are desperate to be friends with their teachers because it makes them feel special and closer.
Children also like to know what is going on in primary schools. Of course, I would not recommend teachers
becoming friends with pupils on private sites, but as a teacher (and with parental permission) I would love to post
a winning score of my class’s football tournament. If I was a head, whose primary school was just awarded a good
or an outstanding from Ofsted, sure I want the world to know that! I want parents to know that their children are in

2. good hands and I may as well save some trees – instead of printing 500 letters, I can promote this with one
mouse click.
If you or your primary school decides to use social media for educational and communication purposes, then this
list should help:
Inform parents and make sure to tell them that their input and opinion are welcome
Have clear objectives as to why you are turning towards social media
Make sure to have social media policies established in primary schools that involves parents, pupils and
staff
Provide children with lessons on social media policy and state consequences for inappropriate use
Cover your back! Work closely with your SEN coordinator to ensure that there is never a mention or a
picture of a pupil who is in care or whose parents/guardians do not wish to join in
Use social media to the children’s advantage – every now and again post a competition for pupils (maths
investigation or grammar competition for example). They love to compete and some extra homework never
harmed anyone. Social media could also be used to encourage children to recommend books to each
other.
Enjoy a quick way to stop spreading gossip
As a teacher or primary school, if you decide to use social media then prepare yourself, staff, parents and pupils.
This guide will be useful for further reading. I am sure you will start to see the benefits of these platforms in no time
and you may be amazed how much closer it will bring your community together.
[This is a guest post written by someone who wishes to remain anonymous]
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