Sending an email to your child’s school

Work out who to email

Think carefully about who your email should be sent to. If the matter relates to your child’s day-to-day learning in the classroom or their friendships, then their teacher is likely to be the best person to write to. If you are writing about an administrative matter such as timetabling or the school rules, then consider emailing the school administration. If you are unsure, just give the school a call and ask them to recommend the best person to handle your query.

Find the email address you need

There are a number of ways you can find out the email address of the person you would like to contact. One way is to visit the school’s website. Go to the ‘Contact us’ page where many schools have a general administration email along with an email to use when contacting the principal.  Some schools also list the emails of heads of departments and teachers. If you cannot find the email you need on the school’s website, give the school office a call and they will help you.

Include a subject header

In the subject header, make sure you include your child’s name and the main reason you are writing. For example, you could write: “Elizabeth Smith: help with reading” or “Jason Andrews: medical concerns”.

Try to start with something positive

Try to set a positive tone for your interaction with the school. This will help generate goodwill. If your child is enjoying a particular subject, you could mention that. If your child has made some nice friends, you could talk about that. If you child’s teacher has been particularly supportive, take a moment to acknowledge their efforts.

Outline the issue

Clearly outline the issue. Think about the ‘what’, ‘how’, ‘why’ and ‘when’ and make sure you’ve included all relevant information. Use a bullet point list if there are a number of points you want to mention. Avoid becoming emotional and keep your tone respectful.

Explain what action you’d like to take

Explain what action you’d like to take. For example, let them know if you would like to make an appointment to meet or to speak on the phone. Suggest some days and times you are available and invite the school to nominate a day and time suitable to them.

Signing off

Sign-off by thanking the school for considering your email and provide your full name and phone number so the school can get in touch should they want to talk to you about the content of your email.

Use this Downloadable Word document email template for contacting school to assist you.

When to talk to your local regional office

If you’ve worked closely with your child’s school and things still aren’t working out, please contact your local Department of Education regional office to seek help.