How schools can manage multilingual communications

Why this matters for UK schools

School communication succeeds when every message has a clear purpose, reaches the right families through a channel they actually use, and makes the required action obvious. Below is our step-by-step implementation guide for school leaders and office teams.

Practical steps

1. 1Record each guardian's preferred communication language during onboarding.
2. 2Write source messages in plain English with clear dates, amounts and bullet points that translate cleanly.
3. 3Use browser-friendly HTML rather than text locked inside flattened PDF images.
4. 4Ensure critical safeguarding or legal consent wording undergoes human review before publication.
5. 5Pair digital notices with in-person or telephone support from school family liaison staff where needed.

Sources and further reading

• DfE — Data protection in schools
• DfE — Digital and technology standards