6th March 2026
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Following our earlier letter dated 28th January, we are pleased to confirm that our school has now successfully gone live with the Arbor Management Information System.
From Monday 9th, you will receive your Welcome to Arbor email. This message will contain instructions on how to set up your Arbor account and access the Arbor Parent Portal. The email will be sent to the email address we currently have on record for you, so please ensure you check your inbox and your spam/junk folder, as some providers may filter the message the first time you receive it.
If you have not received your Welcome to Arbor email by Friday 13th March and would like to access the Arbor Parent Portal, please contact us at schooladmin@cathays.cardiff.sch.uk so we can check and update your contact details if needed.
Please be assured that this email is genuine and forms part of our planned move from SIMS to Arbor. We recognise that unexpected emails asking you to create an account can raise concerns, so we wanted to provide this update before the invitations are sent.
Why this change is happening
As previously shared, Cardiff Council is moving all schools away from SIMS to Arbor. This new system provides a more modern and efficient way for you to access key information about your child and to receive communications from the school.
Important information about messages from the school
As part of this transition:
- The Arbor Parent App and Parent Portal will now be used for school communications.
- Our SMS messages will now be sent through Arbor, which means the number you receive texts from will look different to what you are used to.
- Emails regarding Arbor account activation will come directly from Arbor Education.
These changes are expected and are part of the normal setup process.
What you need to do
When your Welcome to Arbor email arrives:
- Please follow the instructions to create your Arbor account.
- Check your spam/junk folder if the email does not appear in your main inbox.
No action is required until this invitation email arrives.
Access to information
Once your account is set up, you will be able to access key information such as attendance, timetables, and school communications.
As previously noted, achievement and behaviour information will become available from 1st September 2026.
Thank you once again for your support and patience as we complete this council‑led transition. We are confident that Arbor will improve communication between home and school and make it easier for you to access information relating to your child.
Yours faithfully,
Stuart Davies
Headteacher
