Customer Story: Bethany School

Key outcomes at a glance

• Significantly improved parent engagement and communication
• Easy-to-use interface – even without instruction
• Central hub for key school functions including calendar, emails, payments, forms, and clubs
• Potential savings by consolidating systems
• Streamlined onboarding and parent experience from day one
• Continued secure access to sensitive school data, with future potential for enhanced security features like two-factor authentication

Brentwood School is a leading independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3–18. Known for its academic excellence and forward-thinking approach, the school continually explores ways to enhance the experience it offers students and families alike.

As Head of ITSS, Sarbjeet Singh plays a key role in driving digital innovation at the school. Brentwood was one of the first schools to take part in the My School Portal Early Adopter Programme, giving Sarb and his team the opportunity to trial and shape the development of the new mobile app ahead of its wider release. In this case study, he shares Brentwood’s experience and why he believes the app is an essential tool for any school looking to strengthen parental engagement.

Access My School Portal is a digital engagement platform for independent schools, designed to bring together communication, payments, calendars, and academic information in one centralised, secure location. With the launch of the new mobile app in July 2025, parents and guardians can now enjoy a seamless, on-the-go experience that keeps them connected to school life, anytime, anywhere.

A more connected school community

At the heart of Brentwood’s success with the app is its impact on home–school communication. Parents previously had to log in to a web-based system each time they wanted to check updates, often creating friction and reducing engagement. The new app solved this problem instantly.

“The frustration for parents has always been having to log in every time. The app just works – quick access to everything they need.”

Whether it’s checking emails, calendar events, or topping up payments, the app puts the school experience at parents’ fingertips. Even a parent who downloaded the app before it was launched began using it successfully without instruction – a powerful testament to its intuitive design.

Why parents love it

Feedback from the initial test group of parents was overwhelmingly positive. They found the app simple to navigate, visually clear, and loved receiving push notifications about unread messages.

Parents are using the app regularly for:

• Viewing events calendars
• Reading school communications
• Topping up tuck shop accounts
• Booking wrap-around care
• Signing up for clubs and activities
• Completing and submitting forms
• Updating medical details and contact information

“Once they’ve logged in once, it just works. That’s the advantage – it’s convenient, and parents actually use it.”

Forward-thinking and future-ready

Brentwood School is always looking to push the boundaries when it comes to digital innovation. With plans to embed a bespoke AI chat assistant into the app and a welcome pack page for Year 7 parents, the app will serve as an even more valuable resource over time.

“We’re building a chat buddy for our parents that we’re going to embed into My School Portal… it allows us to look at what questions parents are asking and improve communication based on that insight.”

A seamless start for new families

Brentwood School has also leveraged the My School Portal app to streamline its onboarding process for new parents, ensuring that families feel supported and connected from the very beginning.

Once a pupil accepts a place, their details are added to the school’s MIS and a My School Portal account is automatically created for their family. From there, parents are guided through a fully digital onboarding journey—including completing forms, updating contact details, and providing medical information. Previously, this could only be done reliably on a desktop, but now parents can complete the process quickly and securely on their mobile device.

“It massively speeds up onboarding and makes it a much nicer experience. It says: welcome to Brentwood – we make things easy for you.”

This focus on a polished parent experience continues with a new dedicated welcome pack page in the app for Year 7 families. The page includes helpful information, tips, and insights about life at Brentwood, all accessible at the touch of a button—anytime, anywhere.

“We’re building a welcome pack page within My School Portal for Year 7 parents… having that on their phone at all times is a big advantage.”

Together, these features help ensure that families begin their Brentwood journey feeling informed, confident, and engaged—long before the first day of school.

Simplifying systems and cutting costs

With the MSP app now live, Brentwood is reviewing other systems it can retire. By moving all communications into the app, the school is considering a potential annual saving of £7,000 – a significant benefit.

“We’ve got a one-stop shop now. The app lets us push everything to parents in one place.”

Secure and consistent access

While the app inherits the strong data security of the original web-based portal, its mobile format ensures sensitive information is accessible only via secure login. The school is also exploring options like two-factor authentication for added protection.

This means families can now receive secure reports, invoices and forms directly through the app, rather than by email – a safer and more reliable method.

Tips for schools looking to launch

Brentwood’s advice to other schools is simple: don’t overcomplicate it. Start with what’s most important to parents and build from there.

“It’s how you use it that matters. Start small, mirror your web version, and keep it consistent.”

Discover the My School Portal App

Access My School Portal is a digital engagement solution designed specifically for independent schools. It centralises messaging, scheduling, payments, and academic information in one place – now available via a fully integrated mobile app.

With real-time updates, biometric login, push notifications, and a customisable interface, it offers:

• Parents: instant visibility and control over school life
• Staff: reduced admin workload and faster communication
• Leaders: improved engagement and digital presence

Whether it’s managing daily tasks or delivering a great onboarding experience, the app empowers schools to strengthen relationships with families – anytime, anywhere.