PostEaseThe short answer
For a school, a nursery or a teacher, social media is how families see what happens inside before they choose you, and how current families stay informed. Post what learning looks like, the people who teach, achievements, and practical news, and treat consent as the first rule: never post a child without written permission from a parent or guardian, under your setting’s policy.
Parents look on Facebook more than anywhere. In Signs.com’s survey of 1,000 US consumers, reported by Net Influencer in December 2025, 61% had found a small business on Facebook in the past six months, rising to 69% among millennials, the generation most likely to be parents of young children. Older students are on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
What to post, by setting
Lead with what a family or student wants to know before signing up:
| Setting | Post first | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| School | A lesson or project in progress, and what students made | Shows the learning, not just the buildings |
| Nursery or childcare | A day’s activities and the space, without identifiable children unless consented | Parents want to see where their child will spend the day |
| Tutor or test prep | One exam tip, and a student’s improvement with permission | Useful, and proves results |
| Driving school | One manoeuvre explained, and pass celebrations with consent | Practical, and celebratory |
| Music teacher | A student’s progress over a term, with consent, or a short lesson | Progress is the proof |
Consent and safety first
Rules every education account should follow:
- Never post a child’s photo, name or work without written consent from a parent or guardian, collected under your policy.
- Respect a no, and keep a list of families who have not consented, checked before every post.
- Avoid anything that shows where a child is at a given time, such as live posts of trips.
- For adult students, ask too, and never post results or grades without permission.
- Follow your school, district or regulator’s rules where they are stricter than these.
Where to post
Facebook for parents and the local community, with events and news. Instagram for the life of the school or studio. YouTube for longer lessons and performances, and short clips for TikTok or Reels if your students are older. In Buffer’s 2026 engagement report, images earned the most on Facebook, so a set of photos from a project or an event is a strong default.
Teach something in every post
Education accounts have an advantage: their expertise is useful to everyone. A reading tip for parents, a maths trick, a driving test tip or a practice routine for an instrument is worth saving and sharing, and it shows prospective families how you teach. Keep each to one idea, in plain words.
Answer families fast
Messages from parents and students are often enrolments or worries. Answer the same day, in general terms in public and in detail in private. When something goes wrong, answer publicly and quickly: in Sprout Social’s Q2 2026 survey of 2,250 social media users, 84% said a response’s speed affected how they viewed a problem.
Show the teachers
Families choose teachers as much as settings. Introduce each teacher, tutor or instructor with their own consent: what they teach, why they teach it, and something human about them. A short video of a teacher explaining one idea shows prospective families what lessons feel like, and current families feel they know the people their children spend the day with.
Plan around the school year
Education follows a calendar: open days, enrolment periods, term starts, exams, performances and holidays. Plan posts a month ahead around them, so the open day is announced weeks before, exam tips arrive before exams, and enrolment reminders go out while families are deciding.
A weekly routine
About an hour a week:
- During the week: take photos of learning, with only consented children in frame.
- Monday: post the week ahead, with dates and events.
- Wednesday: post one teaching tip.
- Friday: post a project, an achievement or a team member.
- Every day: answer messages from families and students.
Questions
Can a school post photos of students?
Only with written consent from a parent or guardian, collected under the school’s policy, and checked against a list of families who have not consented before every post.
Which platform is best for a school or nursery?
Facebook for parents and the local community, with Instagram for school life. In the Signs.com survey, 69% of millennials had found a small business on Facebook in six months.
What should a tutor post on social media?
One useful tip at a time, students’ progress with permission, and how sessions work. Teaching in public shows how you teach.
Should teachers post from personal accounts?
Follow your setting’s policy. Most keep school news on the official account, and ask staff not to post students on personal accounts at all.
How often should a school post?
Three times a week is enough for most, planned around the school calendar.
Sources
- Net Influencer, UGC tops trust rankings as AI posts face consumer skepticism, survey shows, December 2025.
- Buffer, The state of social media engagement in 2026, March 2026.
- Sprout Social, Social media is now the primary channel for brand crisis response, new research finds, June 2026.