Best School Websites of 2020

Published: May 26, 2020

School websites have become a vital communication tool during the covid-19 pandemic. Despite the inevitable disruption, the team here at School Jotter is available for new sales queries and to offer advice and support to our current schools. Contact us using all the usual channels – details here.

Many schools have been using this time to update their websites. For some, it’s been a simple case of ensuring information is up to date, while other schools have chosen to give their website a complete overhaul or even rebuilt from scratch to provide a brand new portal providing information and resources to parents, children and other visitors. 

Summer is often the time when schools open their doors to potential new students and their families, but opportunities to visit in person are going to be limited this year. A good website can showcase your school and provide insight into its culture and ethos, making it easier for parents and children to make the best choice possible. 

We’ve put together a list of some of our favourite School Jotter websites from 2020. Have a look at the sites below – perhaps they will give you some inspiration for your own website!

Some of the best primary school websites in the UK include: Lindley Junior School, All Saints Church of England Primary School, West Acton Primary School, Woodlea Primary School and many more.

Lindley Junior School – 

www.lindleyjun.org.uk/
It’s easy to see why this school’s website made the list! The animated logo is welcoming, and the amazing drone footage immediately draws you in and gives you a unique perspective of the school grounds and facilities. Seeing the children so engaged in play gives you a really good feel for the school without the need for a physical visit. The school’s identity is strongly represented through the use of colours and images, the site is easy to navigate, and the homepage has all the important information you need, including contact details and latest news updates. 

All Saints Church of England Primary School – 

https://www.all-saints.oxon.sch.uk/
This website also makes good use of colour – there are splashes of green all over the site, giving it a clear and cohesive look. Finding your way around the site is straightforward – the navigation bar is constantly visible at the top of every page, and the calendar at the bottom of the homepage is an easy way for parents to find out what’s going on at a moment’s notice. The large images on the homepage serve two purposes – they are a fun way to showcase the school, and they guide visitors to important pages.

West Acton Primary School – 

https://www.westactonprimaryschool.org/
West Acton make great use of quick links on their no-scroll homepage, showcasing easy navigation as well as great pictures of the school right on the homepage. It doesn’t stop there either – with the rest of the site jam-packed with information around the school. With videos added to many of the inner pages, West Acton Primary’s website gives a truly virtual experience to prospective parents and makes information available easily to current parents. 

Woodlea Primary School – 

https://www.woodlea.durham.sch.uk
Woodlea Primary School’s website takes quite a different approach to the first two websites on our list. Rather than scrolling down the homepage to find what you need, all the information is accessible from a single screen, with pop-ups along the bottom of the page taking you to key areas. It’s a simple yet sleek look using Lion, one of our deluxe themes – you can see this and more deluxe templates at themes.schooljotter2.com .

Bushy Hill Junior School – 

https://www.bushy-hill.surrey.sch.uk
This website uses another of our deluxe School Jotter templates yet has a completely different look and feel to all the other sites on the list. The aerial photo that greets you provides a wonderful overview of the school’s facilities, and the homepage includes a calendar, latest news, and photo links to the areas parents are most likely to visit on a regular basis. 

Rufford Park Primary School – 

https://www.ruffordparkprimary.org.uk
The final website on our list is different in that it’s bespoke – that is, rather than using an existing template, the theme was specially designed for the school. There’s no scrolling on the homepage; instead, it showcases a single large photograph, along with pop-outs for latest news and events, which is a great way to highlight a specific aspect of your school.  There’s a wealth of information tucked away under the navigation menu, yet the site looks clean and uncluttered.
We hope our list has given you some inspiration about how you can update your school website to showcase it to both current and potential families. Whether you choose a template or a custom theme, there’s a design in School Jotter to suit every school’s needs.