In an increasingly digital world, Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) face a unique set of challenges. From attracting prospective students to engaging with parents and stakeholders, MATs must establish a compelling online presence. One highly effective way to achieve this is through the strategic use of Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In this article, we will explore the vital strategies and techniques that MATs can employ to enhance their online visibility and ensure they reach their target audience effectively.

Improving your MATS Online Presence With Organic SEO

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, organic SEO has emerged as a powerful tool for boosting online presence. Organic SEO focuses on optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) without relying on paid advertisements. This is particularly important for MATs, as it can help them stand out in a competitive educational environment.

1.      The Role of Keywords

Effective keyword research is the foundation of a successful organic SEO strategy. MATs need to identify and target the keywords and phrases that potential students, parents, and stakeholders are likely to use in their online searches. This process not only improves the visibility of your MATs’ website but also ensures that it ranks for the right queries.

2.      Audience Research

This is a challenging task to do when you do not have an audience to ask questions. But if you have even a small loyal audience, you can ask them some key questions, such as:

• What do they like?
• What they do not like?
• What do they want to see more of?

Their answers should help you adapt your school website to those needs and create a better online presence.

3.      Quality Content Optimization

Content is king in the world of organic SEO. MATs should invest in creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content that caters to the needs of their target audience. This could include blog posts, articles, videos, and other educational resources that showcase the institution’s expertise and commitment to quality education.

Find new content that your audience will like and publish in creative ways that help your website be engaging, attractive, as well as current. Your audience research will help you with this task.

4.      Update And Optimize Current Content

If you have had a website for a while and an audience, then you may have older content that may be out of date. Refresh that content and bring it up to date. Remove or edit sales pitches that can turn many of your audience members off.

Other improvements can be to enlarge previously shorter posts to add new and important information. If you have lists on your website, make them longer and more comprehensive.

These changes should engage your audience more and keep them on your website longer.

5.      Do An Onsite SEO Audit

What this audit does is help you clean up your website making it easier for search engines and your audience to read. The audit helps find duplicate pages, improper direct or indirect chains, broken links, URL structure, and much more.

Once these problems are resolved, search engines can read your website and rank it properly. Also, you want to see how fast your web pages load. If they load up in 3 seconds or more, it is time to speed that loading time up.

6.      Technical SEO and On-Page Optimization

Technical SEO involves fine-tuning various elements of your website, such as meta descriptions, alt tags, and header tags, to enhance its visibility in search results. On-page optimization, on the other hand, involves optimizing individual pages for specific keywords, ensuring that search engines can easily index and understand your content.

7.      Link Building Strategies

Link building is another essential component of organic SEO. MATs can enhance their online presence by earning high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, educational organizations, and industry-related platforms. These backlinks signal to search engines that your website is a trusted source of information.

8.      Recreate Your Homepage And Navigational Tools

A user-friendly website is not only vital for retaining visitors but also for SEO. Google and other search engines reward websites with good user experiences. MATs should focus on mobile responsiveness, easy navigation, and quick loading times. A well-organized website with clear calls to action can significantly improve user engagement and satisfaction.

This should be done with your audience in mind. Making the home page more attractive, and easier to read helps deliver a stronger online presence. Plus when you make the navigation simpler to use, your visitors should find it easier to navigate and to explore your website.

When the homepage is unattractive and hard to use, then your audience will not like reading your website. Make these changes to get your audience to like them and you should see an improvement in your online presence.

9.      Investigate Your Competitors’ Websites And Strategies

Getting motivation from what other people are doing is a great way to update and upgrade your website. See what they have done and then try similar approaches to your website.

Plus, you can get motivation from those companies outside of the MATS sector. Every little bit of research can help you improve your MATS website and gain a bigger online presence. Here are some areas to research:

• Search result rankings
• Social media
• Paid ads
• Local directory profiles
• Email marketing campaigns

This investigative work will take some time but can be done quicker when you employ the proper SEO tools.

10.  Use Local Directories To Boost Your Online Presence

Even if your academy is not limited to your local area, these local directories can boost your online presence. Searchers can find information about your academy without going to your website.

Although you want them to come to your website, getting your information in front of people through a variety of methods is the best way to get known and build searches for your website. Plus, the local directory will have a link to your website to make that search easier.

It takes time for any and all SEO strategies to build your online presence. This is not something that will happen in a day or two. You need to trust your strategies for the long haul and give them time to work.

After a while, if they are not working, make your changes.

Some Final Words

If you are not ready to handle a MATS website design for your academy, or it is a bit over your skill set to do, contact our company. We have the experience to build a great-looking website that will be multi-academy trust website compliant along with building your online presence through organic SEO.

The Purpose Of Primary School Website

It is possible that you may think that primary schools do not need a website or even a well-designed one. But the way for any primary school to showcase its unique identity is through a very good school web design.

Such websites are not just about promotion. They present a peek into the educational journey awaiting prospective students, allowing them to get to know the school before they arrive for their first day of learning.

To learn more about this topic just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can present your school’s unique identity to everyone in your area.

Explore Your School’s Unique Identity

Every primary school website is a project that demands time and effort. One of the key steps in the process is to explore your school’s identity. While every school has some similarities between them, there are unique differences that help your educational institution stand out.

You can find these differences by exploring your school’s identity. Once you know these unique differences, you have the information you need to start constructing a great school website that highlights that uniqueness.

Understanding your school’s identity is vital to your school meeting the educational needs of the surrounding community. Knowing what matters to your school the most helps you create, develop, and implement key learning programs that put your students ahead of the curve.

This information also helps you develop a great and unique school website that helps you stand out from all the other schools.

Defining Your School’s Branding And Messaging Through Website

An important reason why there are websites for primary schools to showcase their ethos to the community. What better place to showcase who you are than on a well-developed and creative school website?

Your branding goes beyond logos, school colours, and attractive fonts. It is the total package of who you are, what you do, and where you will take your students.

Your brand and message talk about your history, your vision for your students and the school, and where you want to be in the future. To communicate your unique identity to all your website visitors and parents, you need to understand and develop those key issues.

To define your school’s brand and message here are some questions to answer:

1. What is Our History?
2. What is Our Mission?
3. How Do We Market Our School To Parents?
4. Are We Consistent with Our Message?
5. What Do Students Love About Our School?
6. Are We Engaged and Building Community?
7. What About MY Child?
8. Why Choose Us?
9. What’s our future?

Creating A Compelling School Logo And Visual Identity

The first step in this creation is to understand the power behind visual communication. A bad logo will communicate the lack of creative talent, boredom, and many other negative aspects that are associated with a bad logo or other visual images.

To shape parents’ and other adults’ perceptions and build a positive impression on them, you need to create a unique, interesting, and colourful logo and other images.

These creative images help draw people to your website and create a desire to learn more about your school. Your logo and other images are the most persuasive elements you can use to attract students and gain parental support.

To design your logo and images, you need to know your brand and tell a compelling story all the while keeping it nice and simple. Then do not design for the extremes but for the middle and make sure to know when to step back and when to highlight achievements.

Showcasing Your School’s History And Values

When showcasing your school’s history keep it creative and interesting without going too far. Use your history to help build community as well as school spirit.

You can use your school’s yearbooks or other photo histories to enhance the content of the page. Then when you want to highlight your school’s values, put them in a vision statement.

This outlines the school’s philosophy and aspirations but do not include your values in your mission statement. This needs to be filled with content that reflects your current goals and how you will achieve the objectives laid out in your vision statement.

 

Highlighting The School’s Unique Programs And Extracurriculars

Less is more. You do not want to turn prospective students and parents off from attending your school. Your web pages should be designed to make these aspects of school life exciting, fun, and something a student would want to be a part of.

Use more images and less writing to bring the message you want to send to students home. Provide short testimonials from students containing what they think of this part of their school life.

Let the images reflect the values of the school as well as show that all parts of school life help meet the school’s mission and vision.

Evolving Your Unique Online Identity

Your online identity needs to build trust. This is building trust in the parents and the potential students that what they read is really who your school is. Trust is everything, especially in this digital age.

Evolving your unique online identity means reaching for this vital goal. Without trust from the students and parents, it will be very difficult to meet the community’s educational needs and achieve the objectives outlined in the school’s vision and mission statements.

The purpose of the school website is to create that trust before the student attends their first day.

Ensuring Ofsted Compliance for Your Primary School Website

Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) plays a pivotal role in maintaining and enhancing educational standards in the UK. As primary schools increasingly integrate digital platforms into their operations, ensuring that school websites are Ofsted-compliant is essential.

Some Additional Words

This may all sound difficult and above the heads of many teachers but there is good news. If you feel overwhelmed by developing a school website, then contact our company.

We are School Jotter and we have the experience, knowledge, and products to help you create a top school website which will Ofsted Compliance and will reflect your unique school identity. Contact us today to see what we can do for you.

Traditional communication methods are giving way!!

This seems to be the trend since the digital age has entered society and school life. It seems that more parents are moving away from the traditional forms of communication, handwritten notes from teachers, face-to-face conversations with teachers, and calls from the school to the home.

Many parents of primary school children feel these old-fashioned methods just do not work anymore and prefer a more modern approach viz modern technological communication options.

Instead, they prefer a digital communication system that lets them receive text messages, videos, and other information straight to their mobile devices or computers. These alternative methods is useful for parents and school for communicating unforeseen events like school closure due to weather conditions or providing information about important upcoming seminars or conferences.

The Importance of Parent Engagement

The consensus among education experts is clear: Parental engagement significantly influences a child’s academic and social growth. A few of the universally accepted advantages include:

• Academic Performance- Good parental engagement is seen as a vital reason for students performing better grade-wise. They do their homework, get better grades, and learn better with this support.
• Behavioural Impact- Good parental engagement helps their children to choose healthier activities and behave in a socially healthy manner. Without this support, the behaviour of the students is not exemplary but adds to the stress teachers have to endure.
• Social Skills Development- Finally, parental engagement is important for students as the latter develop better social skills. This can cut down on bullying, and negative interactions with other students and make school life more tolerable for all students.

Also, parental engagement seems to pay off as more students fail to develop a smoking habit and turn to physical education activities. They have a better attitude and perspective on life giving each student a better foundation to succeed in life.

This engagement needs a little help from the primary schools and this help can come in the following ways:

1. Creating a vision for parent engagement
2. Preparing school staff to work with parents
3. Assessing and improving the school’s strategies for involving parents
4. Assessing what parents and families need to be more involved in school health

Designing a Parent-Centric User Experience of the school mobile apps

While children and teens are very good at downloading and using apps, more often than not, their parents are not gifted or agile. It is important to create a parent-centric user app whose design allows the less technological advanced parents to use the app easily and without hassles.

To accomplish this objective, the user-centred design method is the go-to option. This allows designers to create an app for adults to use. Its simplicity enables all adults, including the less technologically advanced ones, to use the school mobile phone apps and communicate with teachers, learn about events, the news, and more.

Often parents miss the information needed because they do not have the technological ability to use the different apps and they are in a job that keeps them from accessing this information and more.

These parent-centric user mobile apps create a better experience for parents as they get to access important information concerning their children without trouble.

Various Communication Tools For Parent-School Interaction

The digital age has brought innovation and new tools for parent/teacher communications. There is a vast array of these tools that have moved parents away from the old-fashioned methods used by their parents and grandparents.

One tool is Jotter 3.0 which provides access to school information if one has a QR code. Only the parents will have this code giving them privacy to see what is going on in their child’s school life.

There are various other tools available, all of which include text messages, videos, and alerts that parents need to know about and see. Parents should be able to interact with their children’s teachers with the help of these tools.

Last but not least, there are a host of social media outlets where parents can connect with teachers through private social media accounts.

The digital age has supplied enough tools that parents do not have to take time off from work to communicate with a teacher.

How To Use The Priamry School Mobile Apps To Share Student Accomplishments

These mobile apps come with built-in features that allow teachers to easily upload and share student accomplishments. The instructions are usually found in the operational information that is a part of each app.

The key would be to access the menu to reach the appropriate function that allows you to send student accomplishments to their parents. All mobile apps should be easy to use but some are not as simple as others.

The complicated operation tends to deter parents from using those apps and learning about their children’s success. Then with the direct communication features, parents can interact with their children’s teachers no matter where they happen to be.

This access is also 24/7 so even if you come home late you can still take the time to access the information and learn about your child’s day without waking them up.

Each app will have its own method of operation which may not be the same as another app. Make sure to read the instructions so you understand what to do.

Some Additional Words

While the journey to maximising parental engagement in primary schools has its challenges, leveraging the right technological tools can significantly bridge the gap. With Ofsted compliance in the UK underscoring the importance of effective communication between schools and parents, such platforms become even more critical.

Our suite of products at School Jotter is designed to make this engagement seamless. Visit our website to explore our offerings, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. Your child’s academic success may be just a click away.

At School Jotter, we are thrilled to mark a significant milestone this month – our 20th anniversary! For the past two decades, we have proudly embarked on a journey of collaboration and growth, working alongside many schools across the country and contributing to their success.

Two Decades of Transforming Education

Our journey has been one of continuous learning, innovation, and partnership. Over the years, we have had the privilege of collaborating with thousands of schools, each with their unique stories and aspirations. As we reflect on the past 20 years, we are humbled by the impact we’ve been able to create in the educational landscape.

Elevating Schools’ Reputations Through Integrated Solutions

Central to our mission has been the development of integrated solutions that empower schools to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Our flagship offerings, the School Jotter Websites and Mobile Apps, have been instrumental in elevating schools’ reputations and transforming their communication strategies.

Seamless Synchronicity for Effective Communication

The beauty of School Jotter’s integrated platforms lies in their seamless synchronicity. The harmony between School Jotter Websites and Mobile Apps creates an ecosystem that enables schools to communicate effectively with their community and parents. Regardless of geographical boundaries or device disparities, these platforms ensure that crucial information, timely updates, and engagement opportunities are accessible to all stakeholders.

Fostering Connection and Involvement

In a world where effective communication is the cornerstone of success, our integrated solutions play a vital role in fostering connection and involvement. By providing a user-friendly interface for schools to share essential updates, accomplishments, and insights, we help build bridges between schools and their communities.

Looking Ahead: A Stronger Future Together

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are filled with gratitude for the incredible journey we’ve had so far. The impact of the School Jotter Websites and Mobile Apps synchronisation cannot be understated – it has revolutionised how schools communicate and engage. Our commitment to supporting schools in their growth journey remains unwavering.

Let’s Connect and Explore Together

We invite you to be a part of our journey as we move forward. If you’re interested in enhancing your school’s communication strategies or exploring how our integrated solutions can benefit your institution, we would be delighted to connect. Reach out to our dedicated team at info@schooljotter.com. With two decades of experience behind us, we are well-equipped to assist you effectively. Let’s schedule a conversation and delve deeper into your unique needs.

As we celebrate 20 years of collaboration and growth, we look forward to continuing our mission of empowering schools and fostering stronger communities. Thank you for being a part of our journey!

School Jotter Podcast – Website Accessibility

School Jotter Podcast – School Podcasting

Schools in the UK have a legal obligation to maintain a certain level of performance and quality of education. One of the ways that this is monitored is through Ofsted inspections. Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) is the non-ministerial government department responsible for inspecting and regulating schools and other education settings in England. The Ofsted inspection process can be a stressful time for schools, and preparation is key. However, with the help of School Jotter, schools can be alerted to upcoming Ofsted inspections by monitoring policy download statistics.

As part of its compliance checks, Ofsted inspectors will typically review a school’s website to ensure that it meets certain requirements. 

5 things that Ofsted looks for on a school website should include:

1. Contact information: Schools are required to provide up-to-date contact information on their website, including the school’s address, telephone number, and email address. This information should be easy to find and clearly displayed.
2. Curriculum information: Ofsted expects schools to provide detailed information about the curriculum they offer, including what is taught in each subject, how progress is assessed, and how students are supported to achieve their full potential. This information should be easily accessible on the school’s website.
3. Safeguarding policies and procedures: Schools must have robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place to ensure that students are safe from harm. Ofsted inspectors will check that these policies are available on the school’s website and that they are up-to-date and reflect best practice.
4. SEN information: Schools must provide information about how they support students with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. This information should be easily accessible on the school’s website and should include details of any specialist resources or services that are available.
5. Pupil premium and sports premium: Schools that receive pupil premium and/or sports premium funding must provide information on how this funding is used to support disadvantaged students and improve outcomes for all students. Ofsted inspectors will check that this information is available on the school’s website and that it is up-to-date.

School Jotter is a platform that provides a range of digital tools to help schools manage their online presence, communicate with parents, and engage with students. One of the features of School Jotter is the ability to monitor policy document downloads. This means that schools can see when lots of policy documents are downloaded and under what time frame. By monitoring these statistics, the platform can flag impending Ofsted inspections, giving leadership and staff prior warning to prepare.

The policy documents that schools need to have in place cover a range of areas, from health and safety to safeguarding. Ofsted inspectors will look for evidence that schools are meeting their legal obligations in these areas, and that policies are up to date and followed. By monitoring policy download statistics, School Jotter can help schools identify when policies are being downloaded more frequently than usual. This could indicate that an inspection is imminent and that staff and leadership need to ensure that all policies are up to date and that everyone is following them.

In addition to monitoring policy downloads, School Jotter also offers a range of tools that can help schools prepare for Ofsted inspections. For example, the platform includes a customisable self-evaluation tool that can help schools identify areas of strength and weakness. This can be a valuable resource for schools when preparing for inspections, as it helps them to identify areas that may need improvement and to develop strategies for improvement.

School Jotter also provides a range of communication tools that can be used to engage with parents and the wider school community. This can be particularly useful when preparing for Ofsted inspections, as it allows schools to demonstrate that they are actively engaging with parents and seeking their input. By using School Jotter’s communication tools, schools can also keep parents informed about the inspection process, which can help to reduce anxiety and build trust.

In conclusion, School Jotter is an invaluable tool for schools preparing for Ofsted inspections. By monitoring policy download statistics and providing a range of digital tools, schools can be better prepared for inspections and ensure that they are meeting their legal obligations. The ability to monitor policy downloads can provide early warning of inspections, allowing schools to ensure that all policies are up to date and followed. Additionally, School Jotter’s self-evaluation tool can help schools identify areas for improvement, and its communication tools can be used to engage with parents and the wider community. With the help of School Jotter, schools can feel more confident and prepared for Ofsted inspections, ensuring that they are providing high-quality education for their students.

If you are interested in learning more about Ofsted Inspection Alerts and having an Ofsted Compliant Website speak to our team.

School Jotter provides high-quality website and app solutions to schools, making communication and administration easier. The company has received positive feedback from its customers who have praised its products and services. In this blog post, we will highlight some of the reviews received by School Jotter from satisfied customers.

Here at School Jotter, we take great pride in providing schools with high-quality websites and apps that make communication and administration easier than ever before. That’s why we’re thrilled to receive such positive feedback from our customers, who have nothing but good things to say about our products and services.

In November 2022, The FrenchAm Schools raved about their experience with School Jotter after a sales demo. “School Jotter was absolutely awesome,” they said. “School Jotter helped me understand the product offered and was able to answer all my questions. Great team. Thank you.”

In September 2022, Hollycroft Primary School (OWLS Academy Trust) was equally impressed after a sales demo. “Great even did the questionnaire for us. Magic!” they exclaimed.

St. John the Evangelist CofE Primary School was also delighted with School Jotter’s customer service and support during their sales demo in September 2022. “Great customer service and support,” they said.

Hertford Vale C.E Primary School had a productive meeting with School Jotter in September 2022, thanking them for “lots of good advice about the website and app” and stating it was “a very productive meeting.”

Saffron Green Primary School, Rubery Nursery School, Little Heath School in Redbridge, St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Newchurch, Silloth Primary School, and Orchard Park Community Primary School were also delighted with their experience with School Jotter, giving positive reviews after their sales demos or meetings.

At Lower Wortley Primary School, School Jotter’s representative, Claire, was particularly noted for his friendly and knowledgeable demeanour. “Claire was friendly and knowledgeable about the products on offer,” they said. “Claire could answer questions well and provided us with examples of different websites available.”

School Jotter has been a trusted provider of high-quality websites and mobile apps for schools for over 20 years. During that time, we have created thousands of custom solutions for schools of all sizes and types, helping them to communicate more effectively with students, parents, and staff, and to streamline their administrative processes.

Our team of expert designers, developers, and support staff are committed to delivering top-notch website and app solutions that meet the unique needs of each school we work with. Whether you need a simple school website to showcase your school’s offerings or a complex app that can handle everything from attendance tracking to homework assignments, we have the expertise and experience to make it happen.

We take great pride in our ability to provide exceptional customer service and support to all of our clients. Our team is always available to answer questions, provide guidance, and address any concerns or issues that may arise. And when you work with School Jotter, you can rest assured that you are getting a high-quality product that is backed by our commitment to excellence and our long-standing reputation in the industry.

So if you’re interested in learning more about what School Jotter can do for your school, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team will be happy to provide you with more information about our services, answer any questions you may have, and help you get started on the path to a more effective and efficient school communication and administration system.

Mobile phones have become an integral part of daily life, and this is especially true for parents in the UK. With an overwhelming majority of UK adults using smartphones, it’s no surprise that mobile devices have become a go-to tool for managing family schedules, keeping in touch with loved ones, and accessing important information about children’s health and well-being. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at 10 statistics about parents and the use of mobile phones in the UK, highlighting the growing importance of digital communication tools in modern family life.

Here are 10 statistics about parents and the use of mobile phones in the UK:

Get a mobile app for your school

1. According to a survey by Common Sense Media, 75% of UK parents say they feel addicted to their mobile phones.
2. A study by Ofcom found that 79% of UK adults use a smartphone, with the majority of users checking their phones within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning.
3. A survey by YouGov found that 47% of UK parents say they use their mobile phone during family meals, with 12% admitting to using their phones “all the time” during meals.
4. According to a survey by Parent Zone, 90% of UK parents say they allow their children to use mobile phones or tablets at home, with the majority of children getting their first device between the ages of 6 and 10.
5. A study by Deloitte found that 76% of UK parents use their mobile phones to help manage their family’s schedule and activities.
6. According to a survey by Netmums, 71% of UK parents say they use their mobile phones to keep in touch with friends and family, with 62% saying they use social media apps to do so.
7. A study by O2 found that 69% of UK parents use their mobile phones to take and share photos and videos of their children.
8. According to a survey by Mumsnet, 63% of UK parents say they use their mobile phones to read news and current events, with 34% saying they check the news multiple times a day.
9. A survey by Barnardo’s found that 70% of UK parents say they use their mobile phones to access information about their children’s health and well-being, such as medical advice and appointment reminders.
10. According to a survey by Statista, the average daily time spent on mobile devices in the UK is 3 hours and 23 minutes, with 68% of that time spent on smartphones.

The statistics show that mobile phones are an integral part of the daily lives of UK parents, with many using their phones to manage their family’s schedule and activities, keep in touch with friends and family, and access information about their children’s health and well-being. Additionally, many parents allow their children to use mobile phones and tablets at home, highlighting the importance of digital communication in modern family life.

Given these trends, it’s clear that schools can benefit from investing in digital communication tools that make it easier for parents to stay informed and engaged with their child’s education. The School Jotter app offers a range of features that make it easier for parents to access school news, photos, and other important information on the go. With galleries, news calendars, and notifications that sync with the school website, parents can stay up to date with school activities and events without having to check multiple sources.

By providing a delightful experience for parental engagement communication, the School Jotter app can help schools strengthen their relationship with parents and improve overall communication and engagement. With more parents relying on mobile devices to stay informed and connected, schools that invest in digital communication tools are more likely to meet the needs and expectations of today’s parents. Overall, the School Jotter app is a smart investment for schools looking to improve parent-school communication and engagement.

School Jotter has just released its latest frontend update for March, bringing a number of exciting new features and improvements to the platform. Here are some of the highlights:

• New frontend release: The updated School Jotter frontend features a cleaner, more modern design that is easier on the eyes and simpler to navigate. The new look is more intuitive and user-friendly, making it easier for students, teachers, and parents to find the information they need.
• Profile page cleaner: The profile page has been streamlined to make it more visually appealing and easier to navigate. Users can now easily view and update their personal information, including their profile picture, contact information, and preferences.
• List pages with handles: The list pages have been improved to display only top-level items with handles, making it easier to browse and find the information you need. You can now see more items on the page and use filters for enhanced usability.
• New content icons: The insert content feature has new icons to make it more user-friendly and intuitive. The icons are designed to help you quickly and easily insert a variety of content types, such as images, videos, and documents.

The School Jotter 3 March release offers a range of new features and improvements that will help make the platform more user-friendly, efficient, and enjoyable to use. Whether you are a student, teacher, or parent, these updates will make it easier for you to find the information you need and stay connected with your school community.

77% of internet users read blogs. Blogs are an efficient way to inform, entertain and engage an audience with ease. Hence, we are going to share with you 5 tips to write an effective academic blog!

Writing and managing a blog may take some effort, but it can prove to be crucial in setting up effective school communication between teachers and parents.

Let us take a look at some tips you can incorporate to write an engaging academic blog to keep parents updated about all the happenings of the academic year.

Adding a blog to your existing website can increase its traffic by a whopping 434%. With educational institutions, however, the goal isn’t simply to draw traffic to their website. It is to keep students and their parents in the loop about the happenings of the school.

Creating an academic blog helps bring transparency to the way a school facilitates the learning of its students. Given below are the five tips you can follow to write a dynamic academic blog to keep students and parents up to date with the academic year:

1. Know your audience base 

Creating authentic content that engages your readers begins by identifying the audience first and foremost. Who will be reading your blog? Who will it be targeted at? Students and their parents. 

The content you create should be meant for them. For example, if you want to create a blog post about the importance of physical activity for students, it should be aimed at encouraging parents to ensure that their children stay active.

2. Ensure it is accessible to the parents

No matter how good your content is, it will only fulfill its purpose when your target audience is able to access it. Ensure that they receive the blog posts with ease. You may send them notifications, messages, or emails with the link to the blog.

You can also share them on social media to extend your reach. Another way to make sure parents see them is to share them in the places which parents frequent, such as community forums and the academic calendar on your website.

3. Provide a navigation path 

To ensure increased and consistent engagement from the parents, educate them on how they can make the most out of blogs. Simple things such as knowing how to search a blog or leave comments can help them authentically engage with you. 

Give clear navigation paths to parents via messages and emails. You may also do this in a face-to-face setting. Encourage them to ask questions in case they get stuck at any step. It helps them become a part of a wider blogging community. 

4. Publish static information on your blog

Add additional pages to your blog that provide stationary information about your blog and school in general. It can act as an anchor for new readers and even older ones in case they wish to look for something particular. 

Create an index of sorts where you explain the goal of the blog and divide content into groups. Add information about how to navigate the blog and how readers can get more involved by way of commenting and sharing. 

5. Offer regular opportunities for involvement 

Offer opportunities for parents to get more involved with your blog. One of the simplest ways to do this is by ending every blog with a question for them to answer in the comments. They may also share their answers on social media.

Another way to do this is by asking for guest posts by parents that may be published, say, once a month. Keen writers may send in their thoughts, making the blog much more engaging for its audience. 

Conclusion 

While many schools host blogs on their websites, they often struggle to maintain them or come up with new content. The target audience for your blog is often the parents of the students.

Focus on creating content that keeps them in the loop about the academic year in an entertaining manner. You can also involve them with the blog more by encouraging them to comment and share the blog posts. 

If you’d like to know more, don’t forget to get in touch! At School Jotter we love chatting about all things education and how to make it fun!