As schools continue to adopt technology at an accelerated pace – from interactive technology in the classroom to smartphone apps for study materials – digital tools are being released for school leaders and managers. These tools are created to help schools operate more effectively and help school leaders manage and access their information. A school check in system is an especially relevant piece of technology. This system helps schools manage their visitors, staff and contractors more effectively. However, school budgets are falling. BESA reports a 4% decline year-on-year. As a result, schools must tighten their purse strings more than ever, whilst implementing technology to improve learning and operations.
While there are countless pieces of technology which schools could choose to invest in, we’d like to pen down the reasons why a school check in system is a sound investment for UK schools:
Enhanced safeguarding
Probably most notably, school check in systems are designed to ensure better security of the staff, students and visitors. The digital sign-in system can be used to see precisely the movement of people within the school, and who is expected to arrive. Data on exact entrance and exit times is captured and store securely in the cloud. These logs can be accessed at any time from desktop or mobile devices. School leaders and managers primarily profit from the unparalleled level of insight this provides.
ROI on technology
The thousands invested in technology for schools often sees little return or tangible results, as reported by the Guardian. The lack of training for school leaders is often the crux of the issue. A school check in system provides tangible results for schools in the hours of admin work and data entry eliminated, and in terms of paper-saving. On average, VisiPoint users see ROI within 12 months. On site training is included with installation, and help desk/telephone support is provided so you can be sure your school is using the tool effectively from the get go.
Easy data access
There may be times when you need to access and check records, perhaps in the event of an incident or for an audit. A electronic sign in system for schools, gives you access to the data easily whenever you need it. Access the logs from your desktop or mobile device, and have all the information at your fingertips anytime, anywhere. With these systems, is little chance of human error causing inaccurate records. The risk of data loss or breach is also reduced with all records stored digitally, in the cloud.
Improved productivity
A check in system for your school frees up your reception staff to perform more valuable tasks. With the MIS integration, manual data entry is not required and reporting is so easy. Schools using VisiPoint remark how many hours this saves in work each week. The pre-registration feature makes reception’s job even easier as email notifications are sent to a visitor’s host on arrival so they can be welcomed quickly and efficiently. Request a demo of VisiPoint at your school here.
Better level of service for all stakeholders
Finally, the enhanced service you can offer to the visitors, staff and the students is an important benefit of having an electronic sign in system at your school. Users can sign themselves in effortlessly from the easy-to-use interface, reducing any wait time at reception. With the RFID integration which VisiPoint offers, staff can use their existing access cards to sign in just by holding their card up to the touch screen.
Whilst in the past digital sign in systems may have been regarded as a luxury, for schools and educational institutions today they are indisputably the most reliable way to manage visitors and staff. When schools invest in the right system, you actually lower the overall cost of visitor management, increase staff productivity, and strengthen your relationship with all stakeholders.
If you’d like to find out more VisiPoint’s school check in system, request an info pack below to get all you need to know delivered straight to your inbox.