Parentsportal.scot – Help and FAQ
The following support videos and FAQs will help you to access and use the parents portal. If you are still experiencing difficulties then please contact your child’s school directly.
What is parentsportal.scot?
parentsportal.scot is a new digital service to help replace the traditional school bag run, by providing direct communication to parents through a growing suite of online services, including information about a child’s education and the ability to complete transactions such as applying for placement requests or paying for school meals.
Further services are being developed and will be added in the future. parentsportal.scot has been built to provide convenience, enabling parents to access information, update details and transact at a time that suits them.
How does it work?
To login to parentsportal.scot you need a myaccount, a service that enables you to access a range of Scottish public services online using one username and password. If you already have a myaccount, you can sign straight into parentsportal.scot.
Once you have signed in to parentsportal.scot, you can then link your child to your account. After your child’s school approves the link, you will then be able to see information about your child and their school online. The school will update the calendar which can be accessed on parentsportal.scot. There will also be additional services you can access, which will grow over time. Eventually, you will be able to complete the annual data check, pay for school meals, pay for school trips, book a parents’ night appointment online by signing in once to parentsportal.scot. At first, the services available will be limited.
What is myaccount?
myaccount is a simple, secure way to access a range of Scottish public services online using just one username and password. Provided by the Improvement Service and funded by the Scottish government, it is completely free and entirely voluntary.
This site was launched in April 2014 and is regularly being updated as and when new service providers (from Scottish public sector organisations) choose to deliver online services. myaccount is designed to work nationwide – giving public sector organisations across Scotland a shared, secure method of verifying who you are online. The myaccount service is provided exclusively to individuals who are at least 12 years of age.
You can search for participating public services in your local area and nationwide accessing the services.
Find out more about myaccount.
What happens if I forget my username?
If you forget your username, click on the sign-in button on the parentsportal.scot homepage and select the option for ‘Forgot Username’ to retrieve your forgotten username.
When you request a username reminder, you will be asked to confirm your e-mail address, postcode, gender and date of birth in order to verify that you are the account holder.
What happens if I forget my password?
If you forget your password, click on the sign-in button on the parentsportal.scot homepage and select the option for “Forgot Password.” When you request to reset your password, you will be asked to confirm your username, e-mail address, postcode and date of birth in order to verify that you are the account holder. A new one time use password will then be sent to you by email.
How it works
When you log in to parentsportal.scot and sign up to use a service, parentsportal.scot receives some data from myaccount and some data from SEEMiS to allow a user to carry out a transaction. Once a transaction has been completed, the data will be sent to SEEMiS and/or a Service Provider; your data is then deleted from parentsportal.scot.
How do I register for parentsportal.scot?
If you already have a myaccount, you can sign in using your existing details. If you do not have a myaccount, go to the parentsportal.scot homepage and click on register. When registering for a myaccount for the first time, please make sure you register using your own details and not using your child’s name.
After you complete the registration process, you’ll be sent a one time use password by email. You can update this to something memorable when you sign in to your account for the first time.
Registering for a myaccount takes around five minutes.
I’ve tried to link my child to myaccount, but I can’t get beyond step 1 – it says the data does not match – what do I do?
To ensure a secure link to a child’s data, the information you have in your myaccount must match the information held in the school system. If the information does not match you will see a screen saying “Unfortunately, the details you provided did not match the data held in our records. Please check again that the details you entered were correct, if they were, please contact your child’s school to make sure the details held in the school system are correct to enable a secure link to be made.”
Examples of why the link failed – your name or address appear differently in the school system; you have entered the incorrect details for your child – did you use a nickname? did you provide the correct address for your child? Did you enter the correct school class for your child?
If you are sure the information you have in your myaccount matches which is held in the school system about you, please contact your child’s school directly.
I didn’t receive the security code – what do I do?
In Step 2, you can choose to receive a security code via text message to your mobile or via e-mail.
If you requested to receive the security code via e-mail, and it hasn’t arrived, please check your junk or spam folder in case it is in there.
If the code hasn’t arrived via e-mail or mobile phone, it could be that the school doesn’t have the up to date e-mail address or mobile phone number for you. It’s the parent’s responsibility to ensure the school has your current contact details. If you have not received the security code, please contact your child’s school and inform them that you did not receive the security code and that you need to double-check that the e-mail address and mobile phone number they hold for you is correct.
How long will it take for the school to approve my request to link my account to my child’s details?
School staff will check the system every working day, however please allow them 5 working days. If you have not heard anything within 5 working days, please contact your child’s school.
What if my request to link to a child has been rejected?
If your request to link your account to your child has been rejected, please contact your child’s school.
How secure is myaccount and parentsportal.scot?
myaccount has been carefully designed to give you highly secure access to public sector services and keep you in control of your personal information.
When you register for a myaccount, the information you provide is cross-checked with information held by National Records of Scotland (NRS) if you are resident in Scotland to ensure nobody else can create a fraudulent account in your name.
The physical and informational security policies, procedures, practices and configuration of the myaccount and parentsportal.scot service all follow current best practice. The system’s security is regularly reviewed and audited.
Will you ever ask for my username or password by e-mail or over the phone?
No. We will never ask for your sign-in details by email or phone. A myaccount is for your personal use and is not transferable.
What must I do to keep my account secure?
When you register for a myaccount, you will agree to keep your account details secure, and will not divulge your sign-in details or security question to any third-parties.
If a person or organisation asks for your username or password by email or over the phone, it may be a ‘phishing’ scam. To keep your account secure, never share your sign-in details with anyone.
What other services will you be adding to parentsportal.scot?
At first, you’ll be able to sign into parentsportal.scot and if you click on “Available services” you can click to go into the online school payment system without signing in again. You’ll also be able to see the school calendar, as well as other useful links.
Over time we will be adding other services, including updating your own details, so the school is made aware of a change of address, email address or phone number. Other future services include school placing requests, parents night bookings, consent slips for school trips etc. We will let you know when these new services are available.
