Social media for schools and academies: a practical guide

A school account has three audiences: current parents, families deciding where to apply, and people you want to hire. Parents want to see what their children are doing. Prospective families want to see the atmosphere and the teaching. Teachers and support staff want to know what it is like to work there.

Social media should not replace your official parent communication. Use it to celebrate and inform, and keep anything urgent or personal (closures, safeguarding, a pupil's progress) in your usual app, email or letter, with social posts pointing there.

Two to five posts a week works for most schools. Ask each department or year group for one photo a week, check consent centrally, then schedule the week in one sitting.

• Monday: what is happening this week, with dates parents need.
• Tuesday: a lesson or project in action, focused on the work rather than faces.
• Wednesday: meet a member of staff, with their role and what they love about the school.
• Thursday: clubs, sport, music or a trip.
• Friday: celebrations, displays and a short weekly round-up.

UK: the ICO says data protection law is likely to apply when a school takes photos or videos for official use, such as a prospectus or other promotional material. Pupils, or a parent or guardian depending on the pupil's age, must be told how the images will be used. The ICO notes that 12 is typically given as a guideline for when a child can exercise their own rights, considered case by case. The school needs a lawful basis to publish images and should explain which one it relies on. Consent is one possible basis but not always the right one, and whichever basis you use, the ICO recommends letting pupils opt out of their image being used.

US: under FERPA, a student's photograph can be designated as directory information. A school may disclose directory information only if it has given public notice to parents of the types of information it designates, their right to refuse, and how long they have to opt out in writing. Check your district's notice and opt-out list before you post.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and change, so check with your regulator, professional body or a lawyer before you post claims, prices or patient stories.

1. Keep one up-to-date list of pupils who must not appear, and share it with everyone who posts.
2. Check the list before every post, including group shots and the background.
3. Do not put a pupil's full name next to their photo. A first name or no name is safer.
4. Avoid details that show a child's routine or location, such as a named bus stop or a regular club time.
5. Take work, hands and wide shots when consent is unclear.
6. Remove an image quickly when a parent or pupil asks.

Sources: ICO: Taking photos in schools, checked 15 October 2026; 34 CFR 99.3 (FERPA definitions, including directory information), Cornell LII, checked 15 October 2026; 34 CFR 99.37 (FERPA: conditions for disclosing directory information), Cornell LII, checked 15 October 2026

School pages attract questions about individual children, complaints about staff and arguments between parents. Decide your rules before the first difficult comment, publish them in your bio or a pinned post, and apply them the same way every time.

Many schools limit or turn off comments on posts that include pupils, and keep comments open on events and general news. Never discuss a pupil, a behaviour incident or a staff matter in public. Thank the person and ask them to contact the office directly.

• Reply to factual questions (dates, uniform, clubs) in public, briefly.
• Move anything about an individual child to the office, by name and channel.
• Hide or remove abuse and anything that identifies a child, and keep a record of what you removed.
• Do not join arguments in parents' Facebook groups from the school account.

Families choosing a school look at your posts months before they apply. Plan an open day campaign: a save-the-date, a virtual tour, a day-in-the-life series and practical details on transport and wraparound care. Post the event on your Google Business Profile as well.

Independent schools and nurseries that publish fees should give the full price. The CMA's price guidance says the total price should normally include unavoidable or mandatory charges, and that hiding such charges until later is illegal drip pricing.

For recruitment, LinkedIn and Facebook work well. Show the staffroom, training and the people, not just the job advert.

Source: GOV.UK (CMA): Providing clear and accurate information about prices, summary, checked 15 October 2026

Plan by term: the start of term, open days, assessment periods, performances, sports days and the last week. Write the dates down once and build each month's posts around them.

Disclosure: Zolyp, which publishes this guide, makes an AI social media manager. It plans a balanced week across your content pillars, writes the captions and designs the visuals in your brand voice, and schedules them to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads. You can add your own photos to any post, and you start by approving every post. Zolyp does not see your consent records, so whoever approves the week should check every image against the list. Everything in this guide works just as well done by hand.

• Before term: welcome posts, key dates and uniform reminders.
• Every month: one learning series, one staff introduction and one community post.
• Open day season: a four-week campaign with a tour video and practical details.
• End of term: celebrations, thank-yous and holiday dates.