Bletchingley Village Primary School & Nursery Parent Portal

At our school, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. We are proud of the strong sense of community among our families, and we recognise that parent WhatsApp groups can be a helpful way to share information, organise events, and support one another. Unfortunately, this academic year we are increasingly having concerns raised by parents about how the groups are being used.

Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all parents and carers about the importance of using these groups respectfully and responsibly.

Recently, the school has been made aware of incidents where messages shared in parent WhatsApp groups have caused concern. In particular, there have been cases where:

Information that is not accurate being shared around costs of trips etc, which has caused some parents unnecessary anxiety.
Unverified information has been shared and attributed to the school when it did not originate from us.
Speculation around staffing changes, which cause anxiety for parents.
Discussions about individual children have taken place in a way that could impact their wellbeing and privacy.
Messages have been perceived as threatening or intimidating towards other parents or children

We take these matters very seriously when they are bought to our attention however the groups are not managed by the school therefore it is difficult for the school to take action when parents are unhappy about what is being communicated through them. I understand under previous leadership that some messages may have been passed from the school to parents to share in the Whatsapp groups. However due to increasing problems with these groups, this will no longer happen, our official methods of communication will be through Tapestry , Arbor, the newsletter and parent letters.

Advice for use of WhatsApp

Think before you post: Written messages can easily be misunderstood and may escalate situations unintentionally.
Be respectful: Disagreements should never become personal or hostile. Threatening language is not acceptable.
Protect children’s privacy: Avoid discussing individual children, incidents, or behaviours in group chats.
Check your sources: Please do not attribute information to the school unless it has come directly from official school communication channels.
Raise concerns appropriately: If you have a worry about a child’s safety or something that has happened in school, please contact us directly. This ensures concerns are handled sensitively, accurately, and in line with safeguarding procedures.

We encourage all families to work together to maintain a positive and supportive environment—both online and offline. By modelling respectful communication, we help children learn how to interact safely and kindly with others.

If you have any concerns or need support, please do not hesitate to contact the school directly.

Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping us keep our school community safe.