A Notification is used for important, school-wide announcements such as:
- School closures
- Weather warnings
- Exam information
- Major updates
Keeping News and Notifications as separate feeds helps parents clearly distinguish between important, urgent announcements and positive, “nice to know” updates, making communication easier to prioritise and more effective overall.
Notifications are public posts within the app.
This means:
- They are visible to all registered users on the school app
- They are not private messages
- They should not be used for individual or confidential communication
Use Notifications for information that applies to the wider school community.
Creating & Sending a Notification
Follow the steps below to create and publish a Notification in the app.
1. Go to Manage Notifications
- Go to uniqueschoolapp.ie and login
- Under Communications go to Notifications
- From the dropdown, select Manage Notifications
- Click Add to create a new notification
2. Enter Title & Message
- Add a Title (this appears as the headline)
- Enter the Message content
3. Send as Push Notification (Device Alert)
- Tick Send as Push Notification
- Select who should receive the alert, e.g. Parents of 2nd Year
- Only selected users will receive the alert, but the notification will still be visible to all app users.
If you untick this box:
- No one receives a beep
- The notification still appears in the app feed for everyone to see
4. Add to a Category (Optional)
- Click the Category dropdown
- Select the category where the notification should appear
The notifications feed can be split into sub-categories e.g. Closures, Attendance, Parent Teacher Meetings etc. to display only relevant content in each category.
5. Add Images (Optional – Highly Recommended)
Images increase engagement.
To add images:
- Click Choose Files
- Select images from the Cloud Cam and click OK
To upload new images:
- Click Browse Files
- Select from your device
- Click Upload
- Select the newly added images and click OK
6. Add Video (Optional)
If the Video is unavailable, you must complete the Vimeo integration here first.
To add video:
- Click Choose Videos
- Select images from the Library and click OK
To upload new images:
- Click Browse Video
- Select from your device
- Click Upload
- Select the newly added video and click OK
7. Add a PDF (Optional)
Recommended only for:
- Official Department documents
- Exam results
If the PDF was created internally, copy and paste the content into the message instead. This ensures it is mobile responsive and easier for parents to read.
To upload:
- Click Upload PDF
- Select from your device
You can add up to 2 PDFs per notification.
8. Schedule & Archive (Optional)
You can control when the notification appears and when it is removed.
To Schedule:
- Click Schedule Date
- Select a future date and time
To Archive:
- Click Unpublish Date
- Select the date the notification should be removed from the feed
If no Unpublish Date is selected, the notification will automatically expire after 60 days.
9. Redirect To (Optional)
Creates a button link to a specified are in the app for the parents.
- Click the Redirect To dropdown
- Select the relevant section (e.g. Forms)
This improves navigation and user experience.
10. Post to Social Media (Optional)
You can automatically post to:
- Facebook (up to 50 images)
- X (Twitter) (280 character limit)
- School Website
Contact us directly via email if you wish to get your social media/website integrated.
For X (Twitter) use:
- Copy Title
- Copy Message
To quickly populate your posts.
11. Send as SMS (Optional)
Tick SMS to notify non-app users.
They will receive:
- The Title via text
- A link/prompt to download the app
12. Click Send
Click Send to publish the notification to the app & socials if selected.
Feel free to reach out to us directly via email or book a free Zoom training session via the button below