A guide to providing university information to parents and guardians

As our working weeks get busier, you might be wondering how you can share university information in a way that prevents parents and guardians from having to make a mad midweek rush from work to your school or college hall. Yes, parents’ evenings are great for providing advice and guidance about the UCAS process, but they don’t need to do all the heavy lifting.

Here are some tips to follow when you are creating resources for parents and guardians for your school or college.

Our new on-demand world has given us the luxury of accessing information when we’re good and ready, and this works well for busy parents and guardians. Like their Gen Z children, digesting information when they need it and when they have time is a big bonus.

Creating an exclusive parent zone or hub within your school or college website is an effective way to share information. There, you can store guides, pre-recorded videos and downloadable resources related to higher education guidance.

You could even ask a few universities to collaborate with you on the project and be the voice for some of your content too. Consider a short video about writing personal statements or a walkthrough of the UCAS process. Once you have built a knowledge bank, all that is left to do is share how parents and guardians can access your online hub and remember to update information if anything changes (student finance, we’re looking at you).

Alternatively, many universities have virtual parent hubs that you can link to if you do not want to create your own.

Open days are one of the best places for parents and guardians to receive university information. Some universities will have information stands or talks specifically for parents where they can ask staff and current students about topics that might concern them, i.e., student finance, accommodation, wellbeing, academic support and campus safety.

Similarly, higher education fairs such as those provided by UCAS and UK University Search provide an opportunity for parents and guardians to speak to several university representatives at one event, and there is usually some handy literature to take away too.

As teachers and advisers, you have your ear to the ground when it comes to university and higher education events, but some parents and guardians might not know where to find that information.

However you share your school or college news – whether that is through a newsletter, email or your website, create a space for sharing any upcoming open days, webinars or other exclusive parent events that you’ve heard about. Look out for universities that offer travel bursaries to get to their open days too, they can make all the difference to some families.

Finally, don’t hesitate to ask the audience. A quick survey asking your parents and guardians what information they need and how they would like to receive it could give your faithful higher education evening a specific focus or guide you in a new direction altogether!

Check out Episode 9 of The Uni Guide Podcast - a parents special!