Use this when…
Use this guide when you need to send, review, or manage conversations in TuitionFlow. Messages are designed for operational communication connected to tuition relationships, not for replacing every email or safeguarding workflow.
Before you start…
Confirm who should be able to message whom. Messaging visibility can depend on role, family links, tutor assignments, and organisation settings. Sensitive welfare or safeguarding concerns should be handled in the appropriate safeguarding area, even if a message prompted the concern.
Choose the right conversation
Open Messages and select the relevant thread. Use the context shown alongside the conversation to confirm you are speaking about the right family, student, tutor, or session. This matters when parents have multiple children or tutors work with many learners.
Write clear operational messages
Keep messages concise and specific. Include dates, times, student names where helpful, and the action needed. For example, “Please confirm whether Ella can attend Maths on Thursday at 17:00” is easier to act on than “Can you confirm Thursday?”
Use context instead of memory
Messages often sit next to schedule or activity context. Use that context to check recent sessions, upcoming lessons, or relevant records before replying. This reduces mistakes and keeps replies aligned with the current state of the app.
Know when to use announcements
Use Messages for individual or small-group conversations. Use News & updates when you need to broadcast information to many people, such as term reminders, policy updates, or general service announcements.
Keep internal process separate
If your team needs to discuss what to do internally, do that in the appropriate internal workflow or admin process. Do not send uncertain or draft decisions to parents or students before they are agreed.
Common mistakes
Messaging the wrong parent because duplicate family records exist.
Putting sensitive safeguarding content into ordinary message replies.
Using a broadcast announcement when a direct message would be clearer.
Relying on memory instead of checking the session or family context shown in the app.
Troubleshooting
If a recipient is missing, check their portal access, role, linked family, linked student, or tutor assignment. If a thread appears in the wrong context, check whether records were merged or duplicated. If a message count looks stale, refresh and confirm whether unread state differs by user.
Expected outcome
Admins should be able to use messages for clear, contextual communication while keeping sensitive decisions and broad announcements in the right workflows.