A well-designed school website is essential to any school. A well-designed website drives admissions, boosts parent responsiveness, increases information sharing, and makes many administrative tasks much easier. The only way you can get a decent website is to have a fantastic web designer on the job. One that understands how school websites should function, and what needs to be included on them.

This is a guide to choosing the right school web design company.

Start With Your School’s Objectives

Before you can start reaching out to potential web developers, you should have a solid idea about what you want from your website. It helps your web designer:

• Compliance: many schools consider getting their websites re-designed because they are not compliant with DfE or Ofsted requirements i.e. missing key information, or it is too hidden.
• Admissions growth: a site re-design can help to boost admissions. This can mean including more updated information, or driving people towards admission inquiries a little better.
• Parental communication: making it easier to share important information with parents, or making it easier for parents to reach out.
• MAT consistency: important for schools part of a MAT. All schools in the MAT should have similar branding.
• Accessibility requirements (WCAG 2.1): making it easier for everybody to access a website, including those with disabilities.
• Budget constraints: have an idea of how much you are willing to spend on your website. We know this can be tough, since schools now have very limited budgets.

You don’t need to have a firm grasp of what you want with the website yet, but a solid idea will really help make things easier for you.

Make Sure They Specialise in School Websites

Any web developer you work with should have experience with school websites. This is because this type of website is completely different from any other site.

Education-specific experience means the designer understands what schools require. This includes:

• Knowledge about Ofsted statuatory requirements, ensuring the right information is included on the website.
• Knowledge of the UK education sector. This means sharing information that parents need, legal requirements, and driving admissions to schools.
• Safeguarding awareness: this includes the protection of parent/student data, and able to put together pages that showcase safeguarding policies.
• MAT structures: many schools are now part of a MAT. These websites need to be designed in very specific ways, and an experienced web designer will have knowledge of how to accomplish this.

If you work with a web designer that has zero experience with UK school website design, then chances are you’ll need to pay have the website changed later on down the line.

Check Compliance Expertise

Schools need to mitigate risk wherever possible. Therefore, you are within your rights to check the experience that a web developer has with school compliant laws and regulations. So, feel free to ask your potential web developer about the following:

• What the current Ofsted school website requirements are i.e. which information needs to be included on a website, and where it needs to be included. If you are having websites for a MAT designed, then ask them about their knowledge when it comes to the difference between the overarching MAT website and the individual schools.
• Their knowledge of DfE statutory content i.e. the content that legally needs to be included on your website.
• Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA). While it is not a legal requirement to conform to WCAG 2.1 AA rules, it helps. Your website should be accessible to everybody, and a good web designer will know how to develop for those who have disabilities such as blindness, motor conditions, etc.
• GDPR & data protection: protecting data is a legal requirement. Talk to your web developer about how they will stay GDPR compliant, and help protect the data of everybody on your website.
• Cookie compliance: there are more laws than ever surrounding cookie compliance, particularly in the United Kingdom. Your web developer needs to understand these rules.

It will help if you have a semi-decent understanding of all these requirements beforehand. It makes it easier to discuss how the developer can help.

Review Their CMS (Content Management System)

Your website will likely be built upon a ready-made content management system (CMS), since it is unlikely a school’s budget will be able to stretch to a custom-made CMS. Still, a good web developer will tailor the system to suit your school. It is important that consider a few things when talking to the developer:

• How easy is the website to update for staff? As simple as possible is important. If pages can be updated in a way that is very similar to using a word processor, then that is a double bonus.
• What pages can be included with the CMS? A school, at the minimum should have pages for news, events, policies, calendar, and staff pages.
• Can different roles be assigned to users of the site? This ensures people do not have access to parts of the system they shouldn’t have. This will help to protect data, and mistakes when updating pages.
• Training: this is important. At least a couple of people will need to know how to keep the website up to date. You don’t want to be contacting the web developer every time a page needs to be added or updated. All good developers will offer some training.
• Support: will there be continual support for the site i.e. in terms of software updates, bug fixes, etc. If yes (and there should be) fine out how long this lasts, and whether there are any additional fees.

Evaluate Design Quality & User Experience

A reputable web developer will allow you to see past projects they’ve completed. Do this. Check out the quality of design for their past projects (make sure they are school-specific). Put yourselves in the shoes of parents and staff members, and think about the overall user experience. Is it good? What issues are there? Only by seeing past projects will you start to understand whether a developer is good at their job.

If the developer has testimonials, ask for them.

Ask About Hosting, Security, and Support

Your website needs to be hosted online. Talk to your web developer about whether you’ll need to find a web host, or whether they can help you with that. Some developers will have their own hosting services they can provide you with (for a fee).

Chat to the developer about site security (i.e. what safety measures are in place to protect your school’s platform). You should also ask what happens should you encounter any issues with the platform. This means discovering whether the developer has a support system in place.

Good developers will be 100% transparent about all of this.

Understand Pricing & Contracts

Unfortunately, school budgets are tighter and tighter. This means that you need to be crystal-clear about the financing your web development project. This means:

• Ensure the developer is transparent about their pricing. Make sure there are no hidden fees. What they quote at the start should be what you pay.
• Learn about whether there are any set-up fees, and whether there will be on-going costs for the site e.g. hosting, support, etc.
• Contract length: if the developer will be providing support and updates for your site, learn how long this will go on for.
• If the developer is purchasing a domain name for you, be 100% certain about who owns that domain name. It should be your school.

Ask the Right Questions Before You Decide

A good web developer will not be afraid of any questions you have. Consider what we’ve mentioned on this page already, and make sure that you ask questions before you make a final decision. You need to be certain you’re working with the right web developer, after all.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

Here are a few red flags to keep an eye out for. If the developer has any of these red flags, don’t work with them:

• No education-specific experience: we have covered this before, but a school website is completely different from any other type of website. Certain requirements need to be in place. If a developer has no experience with education, skip them.
• No mention of compliance: Both the DfE and Ofsted have compliance requirements in place. If a developer doesn’t mention they’ll be compliant, they probably won’t.
• No training: a good developer will ensure that you have solid knowledge about how to use your new platform.
• No ongoing support: sites need updating, bugs fixed, etc.
• Long, restrictive contracts

Why Choose School Jotter for Your Schools Website

School Jotter has spent over 20 years building websites for over 3000 schools. Not only is School Jotter a school website design platform but also a CMS  and hosting service designed specifically to meet the needs of schools.

School Jotter includes software modules that help educators with creating school surveys, organising parents’ evenings and improving pupils’ spelling.

We also ensure that schools are fully complaint and information is easily accessible to parents and inspectors.

How To Choose a Long-Term Partner School Website

Invest the time in finding a good developer to work with. If you can find the right school website developer, you’ll be working with them for years to come. Reach out to us here at School Jotter to see how we can help.

Every now and then, school websites need a bit of a freshen up. Sometimes it is to make information a bit more accessible to parents, students, and staff. Other times it is because the school needs to meet various statutory regulations. If your school website hasn’t been updated recently, then it might be time for a sprucing up. That spruce up will help showcase your school in the best possible light, and may even make it easier to keep things updated going forward.

Why Your School Website Matters More Than Ever

Chances are the vast majority of people are discovering your school via your website. Give them the wrong impression? They’ll jump right off it. No admission application. Nothing. You’ve lost a potential student.

Current students? They’ll probably go to your website for useful information. If it isn’t there, they’ll get frustrated. Might even need to contact the school, taking up valuable administrative resources. In fact, in this day and age, it is essential that all important information should be on your website, and it should be easy to find. This is because it will be the first port of call for everybody.

Signs Your School Website is Outdated

If your school website hasn’t been updated in a while, it will often be immediately obvious it needs to be freshened up. In other cases, there will be a few key ‘red flags’ that indicate that it might just be time. Let’s look at them.

It’s Not Mobile-Friendly

Most of your site visitors will be visiting on their mobile device. If the site doesn’t look great on mobile devices, they’ll bounce off. Not to mention the fact that search engines like Google are highly reluctant to rank websites that aren’t mobile friendly anywhere near the top of their searches, meaning you’ll get fewer visitors overall.

The Design Looks Dated

Your website should look sleek and modern. Not like those older school websites that have weird images, colours, and a design that looks like it has been cobbled together on a limited budget.

Navigation is Confusing

People should easily be able to find what they want on a website in no more than a couple of clicks. If navigating around your school website is a hassle, then it needs updating.

It’s Difficult for Staff to Update

Most older school websites don’t get updated simply because it is too hard to do so. Many older websites require some serious technical knowledge to add pages, or even update a page. If it isn’t easy to add new content to your website, it needs updating.

Compliance Warning Signs

Some school websites need updating because they are missing key information that makes them compliant with the law.

Missing Statutory Information

Ofsted, and other government departments, require certain information to be included on a school website. If this information is missing, then the school would be seen as non-compliant and would be marked down on any reports. It could lead to potential sanctions.

Accessibility Issues (WCAG 2.1)

A school website should be accessible to everybody. WCAG 2.1 is a standard put in place (not a legal standard, but should be implemented anyway) that helps to ensure a website is more accessible to those who may suffer from disabilities. This ensures making content is simple to understand, navigate through, and images have alternative text so people can understand what is being displayed. The key is to ensure that your website is as accessible as possible.

Outdated Policies or Documents

School policies should be updated regularly. This especially includes admissions information, privacy policies, etc. If it isn’t, then the website needs to be updated quickly. Any outdated information on a website is putting your school in a bad light.

Performance & Technical Red Flags

It isn’t just the website’s content that could indicate your site needs to be updated. There are a few performance and technical red flags that could indicate things need to be smoothed out a bit.

Slow Loading Speeds

You’ll be surprised at how little people will hang around for a website to load up. If things take more than a couple of seconds, they are hitting the back button in their web browser. Your site needs to load quickly.

Security Concerns

Website not behind a secure server? Unsecured pages where passwords, etc. need to be updated? Getting a lot of spam through submission forms on your website? Security needs to be tightened up. Get your website updated.

Hosting or Downtime Issues

Website going down more often than you want? Throwing up regular hours? It may be time to not only move your website somewhere better, but upgrade it at the same time.

Communication & Engagement Issues

Finally, your site should be a communication point for people. Not just those currently associated with the school, but those considering it. Any warning signs here could indicate problems.

Low Parent Engagement

Parents should want to use your website to seek out information. If they aren’t engaging in the way you want, then you’ve got a problem. You might notice them calling the school more often, or being reluctant to send information through your site.

Poor Admissions Enquiries

Admission enquiries gone down? While this may not always be a problem with your website, there may be issues there. It is worth having an audit carried out on your website to see what could be changed to boost admissions.

Inconsistent MAT Branding

If your school is part of a MAT, then there should be consistent branding across the schools (and little document duplication).

When a Refresh is Enough vs When a Full Redesign is Needed

A refresh will often be enough if your website has just a couple of minor issues that can be quickly ironed out. However, if your website hasn’t been updated in a few years and has more than a few of the major red flags that we mentioned on this page, it is essential that you get your site fully redesigned to help future-proof it.

How Often Should Schools Redesign Their Website

At least once a year, minor changes should be made to the website to ensure it stays compliant. However, if it has been more than 3-5 years since a full site redesign, then it might be time to shake things up a little bit. It may also be worth getting your site updated if you have a looming Ofsted inspection.

Choosing the Right School Website Provider

School website design is a very specialist area of web design, since so many things need to be included. Not only from a legal point of view, but in a way that encourages more admission enquiries, parent support, etc. So, always use a specialist school website provider. School Jotter is one of the leading providers in the United Kingdom.

Don’t Wait for an Ofsted Trigger

Don’t wait for Ofsted to tell you your website needs updating. Get it updated now. A well-designed website will boost school admissions, increase parent confidence in the school, and make running the administrative side of things a whole lot easier. Reach out to School Jotter today to see how they can help re-design your school site today.

For independent schools, gaining new admissions have become increasingly challenging. Much of this is down to an increase in the number of viable options for those that have the funds to send their children to an independent school, as well as a tricky economy which is reducing the number of people that can afford this type of schooling. Thankfully, there are ways independent schools can increase their pupil admissions, even in this challenging market. We’ll look at a few options here.

Why Independent School Admissions are Becoming More Competitive

There are a few reasons why school admissions are becoming more competitive.

In many regions throughout the United Kingdom, there is a shrinking number of school-age children. While there are some parents who will gladly send their child to a quality independent school slightly further afield, the school does need to be very special for that.

There is also a lot of economic uncertainty around right now, and things are unlikely to get easier in the near future. This means that many parents are not willing, or may not have the funds, to send their child to an independent school.

Those who do have the funds will find that they have more options than ever before when it comes to school choices. Competition is great for parents, but never brilliant for the independent school.

Understanding What Today’s Parents are Looking For

In order to boost school admissions, schools should have an idea about what parents are looking for. They should then aim to deliver it.

Academic Outcomes Still Matter – But They’re Not Enough

Parents expect high exam scores. They expect their children to get into fantastic universities. They expect high quality teachers. The problem? Many independent schools can provide this and, unfortunately, exam results are no longer the ‘attraction’ that they once were.

Parents want to see what opportunities the school can offer their children. They want to see how the school will develop their child into a well-rounded human. They need to deliver experiences that can help set the child apart from the pack when it comes to university admissions, and future job prospects. Close links with the community, reputable establishments, etc. help with this.

Pastoral Care, Wellbeing, and Values

Parents want to ensure their child is being educated in a nurturing environment. They want to see school values, and an overall ethos that aligns with what the parent wants for their child.

Good independent schools will be able to demonstrate the various programs they have to boost the development of a child on both an emotional and social level.

Facilities & Enrichment Activities

Parents place a huge focus on facilities in the school. Top sports options? Great drama spaces? Up-to-date classrooms and science labs? Right away, parents will pay attention.

Extracurricular activities that can also benefit the child will be looked at closely. Quality music programs, sports, drama, and a multitude of clubs (e.g. army cadets) can work wonders at attracting new school admissions.

As we said before, parents don’t just want academic results. They want their child to grow as a person and develop a multitude of skills.

Strengthening Your School’s Value Proposition

This is about marketing. You could have the perfect independent school. Everything a parent could possibly dream of for their child, but if you do not convey this in the correct way, admissions will be slim.

Clearly Articulating Your Unique Selling Points

Schools need to establish what their unique selling points (USPs) are, and start to articulate them in the right way. It isn’t enough to just mention the unique parts of the school, but provide evidence of those USPs. This means, for example, sharing testimonials, or maybe results.

Think about what parents want for their children, and ensure that the mention of any USP ties into this. Don’t just say ‘good exam results’, say why the good exam results can benefit students.

Aligning Messaging Across Prospectus, Website, and Open Days

It is important that once you decide on the messaging your school has, everything should be consistent. You should always be reinforcing the same messages throughout any material your school produces, whether it is on your website, prospectus, or talks at open days. You always need to be drilling into parents what your school’s USP is, and tell them why it is beneficial.

How Your School Website Impacts Admissions

For many parents, your school’s website will be the very first impression they get of you. Therefore, it is essential that the website is designed in the right way, by the right people.

First Impressions and Trust Signals

If you’re promoting an independent school where you want parents to spend their hard-earned cash on sending their students, then make sure the design makes you seem credible. This means a professional design.

Think about what needs to be highlighted on the website too. For us, testimonials are a must. You may also wish to share any awards or accreditations your school may have.

We also think it is essential to include details of the leadership and the teachers. Not only will this be another method for demonstrating why your school may be a good fit, but also adds a touch of ‘human’ to the site. Things seem less sterile.

Ensure Key Information is Easy to Find

This means details on your curriculum, tuition fees, extra curricular activities, and any admission criteria. This information should be no more than a click or two away, since that is the information most parents will want.

Mobile Experience and Accessibility

Your site needs to be accessible on mobile devices. There should also be accessibility options to make your website easier to read for parents. This includes the ability to adjust font sizes, contrast options, etc.

Using SEO and Content to Attract the Right Families

While some parents may have first-hand knowledge of your school, many parents may be finding your school through the search engines. Therefore, investment in search engine optimisation (SEO) is key. This helps to get your school found.

Targeting Local and Intent-Driven Search Queries

This means thinking about what parents may be typing into a search engine when searching for schools like yours. Many of these searches may be local searches e.g. “independent schools in (your town name)”, or “independent school near me”. We suggest optimising your site for keywords that suggest a parent is looking to enrol. Work with an SEO expert on keyword optimisation, and it is essential you get this correct.

Content That Answers Parent Questions

This may mean FAQs about school admissions, the curriculum, and key parts of student life. Blog posts on achievements at the school, guides to the admissions process, recent exam scores, and maybe highlights of some of the extra curricular activities at the school.

Open Day and Admissions Page Optimisation

Many parents will be looking for this information, so make it easy to find. Always ensure that future open days are listed in a prominent place (preferably on the front page), and ensure you tell parents what to do to register for open days. Highlight key information about the school’s admission process.

Improving Enquiry Conversion, Not Just Traffic

Traffic is a good thing for a school, but it is not everything. Traffic needs to convert. These tips should help.

Clear Calls to Action for Different Parent Journeys

Calls to Action tell a parent what to do next. Think about the page a parent is on. For example, if the parent is looking at the Open Day page, then a CTA such as “Book Your Place” works. If the parent is looking at the school curriculum, then “Download Prospectus”. If the parent is near the end of the pipeline i.e. considering sending their child to the school, then “Contact Admissions” works.

Reducing Friction in Enquiry Forms

Enquiry forms make it easy for parents to contact you. However, they only work if they are easy. Don’t request too much information on your enquiry form. Minimal information only. You can request more information later on.

Following Up Enquiries Effectively

When you receive an enquiry, follow up on it. How you follow up will be dependent on the enquiry. Receiving basic information such as fees, curriculums, etc. can work via email. More information about admissions works better on the phone.

Making the Most of Open Days and School Visits

Promoting Open Days Digitally

Always promote Open Days. They should be clearly listed on your website. You may also want to promote them via social media and email lists. Make sure you tell parents how to sign up for open days.

Creating a Strong On-Site Experience

Always put your best foot forward with tours and presentations. Ensure your best teachers and students are leading the tours. Provide ample opportunity for the parents to see the best of your school facilities. Make sure you spend a lot of time highlighting your USP.

Measuring What’s Working (and What Isn’t)

Independent schools should always be tracking stats. Keep a log of website traffic. Note how much of this turns into an enquiry. Log which of these enquiries turn into admissions. If you can, you might also want to talk to parents to find out why they have chosen your school.

Over time, you will start to see what works well for your school and what doesn’t. This will allow you to adjust your campaigns.

How Independent Schools Can Increase Pupil Admissions

Yes. Independent schools are finding it harder to attract new admissions, but this can work in your favour. You have a lot of competition, but this also provides you with the motivation you need to really highlight what your school offers over everybody else. Continue to adapt your strategy, and you will increase your school’s admissions.

Get in touch with us to learn about how we can help with marketing and website design.

In school marketing, the most effective websites aren’t built just for prospective parents — they’re built for the families you already have.

If your website reflects what’s really happening in school and the wider community, it becomes a place parents and carers will check on a regular basis.

A great example is Long Toft School in Doncaster. Their news feed goes beyond school updates to include local library events, community support such as food bank information, and regular celebrations of pupil achievement. These in-tune marketing moves help with community belonging.

This approach creates a sense of energy and connection. It gets shared, talked about, and trusted as a great website to visit.

The takeaway is simple:

When your website becomes the heart of your community, engagement follows.

 You’ll be surprised at how few schools invest in bespoke school website design. Many put a template up on their website, fill out some information and call it a day. While we do understand that bespoke school web design costs money, which can be a problem with tightening school budgets, investment in the development of a website can boost the school in a number of ways. This makes it more than worth the cost. Let’s explain.

Tailored to Your School’s Values and Ethos

Bespoke school web design is, from the outset, designed specifically for your school. Everything about that website will be designed to enhance what your school values are, and highlight the ethos of your school. The job of your web designer will be to get to the bottom of what you want to showcase about your school, and that’ll come out in your web design.

With proper bespoke school website design, your school will be showcased in the best possible light. Whoever visits your site will see exactly what your school is all about. To see this in practice, have a look at some generic school websites, and then websites for public schools. You’ll see a vast difference between them.

Improved User Experience for Parents and Carers

When a parent or carer lands on your website, you want them to easily find what they need in no more than a couple of clicks. Important information should always be prominent. The problem? Many generic websites are not designed in this way. In fact, many generic websites fail to include information that may be important to parents or carers.

By opting for bespoke school website design, the user experience can be handcrafted for parents and carers. This means making it easy to access important information, displaying the important information, and even making it simple to communicate with the school (e.g. forms to report absences, sign permission slips, etc.)

Ofsted Compliance Built In

Ofsted requires schools have certain information on their website. Requirements can change often, too. Unfortunately, many schools either don’t include the required information or, when they do, display it in a way that is too difficult to access. This can hamper any Ofsted inspection. If you opt for bespoke web design from a company that is specialised in school website design, then you can be sure that the correct information will be displayed. It will also be displayed in such a way that is easy to access for parents, teachers, and Ofsted.

Bespoke website designers will also ensure that information can be updated easily should any requirements change.

Accessibility and Inclusivity from the Outset

Many generic websites are not designed with accessibility in mind, which can be a problem for schools. With bespoke web design, in addition to making it easier to get around a website (which makes things more accessible), other features can be added.

For example, mobile-friendly design which should make it easier for almost everybody to access a platform. Remember – the vast majority of people nowadays browse sites from their mobile devices.

Colours, images, and text will be perfectly combined to ensure that everything is easy to read for everybody. Many generic sites don’t take into account that poor contrasting of text on a background can hinder reading for many people.

Some designers can even add in multi-lingual support when you are running a school in a far more diverse community.

Stronger School Branding and Identity

A generic website can never properly showcase the brand for the school. With a generic website, you have very little control over the aspects that can be changed. This means that you may not always be showcasing your school in the best possible light.

With proper website design, you can maintain a consistent brand across your website. This means consistent colours, logos, image use, etc.

A bespoke design can also be produced in such a way that enhances what your school’s brand is, far more than you would with any generic template. Many schools that opt for bespoke design aim for a website that looks completely different from other school websites because it suits what they are all about.

A consistent brand identity is key in this day and age, even for schools.

SEO-Friendly Structure & Website Performance

Getting found in search engines is key, even for schools. A good website designer will make things easier on this front. This includes crafting a fast-loading website (which, even outside of SEO is important), ensures that the site structure is easily browsable for search engines, and more.

Combined with other SEO techniques, many schools will find that their websites become far easier to find through the search engines when they opt for bespoke website design. This means more site visitors, and more potential applicants for places at the school.

Scalable and Future-Proof

Good web site design leaves room to grow. With a quality bespoke website design in place, there will be no need to upgrade to a new website every year or so (which you may get with generic templates). Bespoke design will make it easy for schools to update information. In fact, with proper design it will be as simple as tapping new information into the site’s admin control panel. This will ensure that the website is always up to date.

Good web design will also be future-proof. It will work on computers, just as well as it will work on mobile devices. This means everybody can access the platform.

The Benefits of Bespoke School Web Design

As you can see, there are numerous reasons why bespoke web design for schools is worth investing in. It can enhance your school’s brand, ensure you meet Ofsted regulations, and help to future-proof the site. Contact us today to discuss school bespoke website design.

In 2026, a great school website is more important than ever. A great school website should be easy to use, engaging and work on any device. Our bespoke school websites make it simple for parents, students, and staff to find important information while also reflecting the school’s unique character and community.

This article explores the best school websites of 2026, highlighting their key features and best practices that make them stand out.

Upwood Primary

Crossley Street were looking for a high impact non scroll website that would provide an instant overview of school life to potential parents alongside clear and ofsted friendly information. We worked with the school to use their drone footage and added this onto the front of the website. We then used a clear navigation system to signpost to parents how to find information within 2 clicks. The website looks great on both mobile and desktop devices. 

https://www.upa.education/

Alpha Preparatory School

Learning for life trust wanted the gold standard in school web design. The trust requested a website that appealed to both parents and pupils and reflected the nurturing settings of the school. Clear in layout, bright colours and a friendly design this website captures the essence perfectly of the school. With bright colourful headers it makes the website easy to navigate whilst being an enjoyable experience for parents,

https://www.alpha.harrow.sch.uk/

Hamilton Primary School

When looking for a new website St Josephs had a strong vision of what they wanted. A clear, modern, simple website. Our graphic design sat down with the Head to bring their vision to life. We also created a curriculum page for the school allowing parents to learn about the subjects taught in schools. St Josephs also have a social media wall to the left of the site meaning parents can access their social media accounts in 1 click. 

https://www.hamiltonprimary.com/

Bentley Child Care

Dair House Private school approached us to modernise their website to attract more parents to look around the school. After speaking with the school we established what we needed to portray on the website. We focused on a clear layout but with richness of content including key dates for the diary, a video and newsletters. 

https://www.bentleycc.org.uk/

Unity Multi Academy Trust

Rothely C of E school wanted a website to showcase the school in spectacular fashion. We worked with them to create a fun, colourful and vibrant website. With an opening introduction song of ‘The continents’ fading purple writing as well as slideshows in the background of all pages this website lifts spirits and illustrates to parents the lively spirit of the school. 

https://www.unitymat.co.uk/

Mulgrave Primary School

Areté Learning Trust’s website mirrors its core values of excellence, purpose, and aspiration.

Inspired by the Greek concept of ἀρετή, the site is clear, modern-looking and easy to navigate. This ensures that parents, students, and staff can quickly find what they need.

With a strong visual identity and engaging content, it perfectly captures the trust’s commitment to helping every child be the best they can be.

https://www.mulgraveprimary.org.uk/

Thomas Deacon Education Trust

Oakfield Primary Academy’s website was designed to reflect its welcoming and inclusive ethos as it provides a clear and engaging insight into school life.

The colour and design capture the school’s ethos and branding. The website offers easy access to curriculum details, events, and key resources, making it a valuable hub for both current and prospective families.

https://www.tdet.education/

Saint Georges Preparatory School

https://www.saintgeorgesprep.co.uk/

Build Your Schools Perfect Website

A great school website is more than just an online presence, it’s vital for communication and engagement. The best school websites of 2026 are easy to use, mobile-friendly, and have the right information for parents, students, and staff.

Since 2007, School Jotter has helped over 4,000 schools build fast, accessible, and Ofsted-compliant websites.

Get in touch to learn more about our bespoke school website design.

In 2026, having great secondary school website is essential. It should be easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and designed to keep students, parents, and staff connected.

In this article, we’ll highlight five of the best secondary school websites of 2026. We’ll break down what they do well and share ideas you can apply to your own school website.

Cleveden Secondary School

Cleveden Secondary School, based in Glasgow, is a large, inclusive school with strong ties to the local community. Over time, their website had become cluttered and inconsistent, making it harder for families to find key information. This was especially true on mobile devices, which accounted for over 60% of traffic. Staff were also spending too much time uploading and managing documents manually.

To solve this, Cleveden partnered with us to modernise their site. Using a modular page builder and drag-and-drop templates, the new site now matches the school’s branding and is easy for staff to update. A live calendar synced with Outlook 365 keeps parents informed of changes and events, while a built-in policy manager ensures all documents are up-to-date and easy to access.

Since the new website was launched, the site has halved mobile load times, doubled newsletter sign-ups, and significantly reduced support calls to the school office.

https://www.clevedensecondary.com/

Little Heath Special Needs Secondary School

The school’s website reflects this ethos with accessible design and thoughtful content. It highlights initiatives like the School Council, which ensures that all students, including those who are pre-verbal, have a voice in shaping their community.

This focus on empowerment and inclusion makes Little Heath’s site a strong example of how a school website can embody its values and connect meaningfully with families and stakeholders.

The website is also fully responsive, and accessible and our CMS makes it simple for staff to update.

https://www.lheath.net/

West Derby School

West Derby School in Liverpool wanted a clearer way to showcase opportunities. With 1,100 pupils and a busy enrichment programme, key information was getting lost.

Their new School Jotter site added a dedicated Sixth Form microsite, with subject intro videos, a live careers ticker, and a one-click Ofsted archive.

It’s made a real difference as external Sixth Form applications have increased by 18%, and visitors now spend more than twice as long on the site. The school even won “Best Use of Technology” at the 2024 Liverpool Learning Awards.

https://www.westderbyschool.org/

The King’s School

The King’s School in Witney wanted a website that reflected its Christian values and close-knit learning environment. The old site wasn’t capturing what made the school unique, and enquiries had stalled.

Their new website focused on storytelling, with Bible verse rollovers, pupil voice audio clips, and a custom prospectus builder. Parents could also select what mattered to them, like SEND or music to get a tailored PDF.

The new secondary school website has been a massive success. Enquiries rose 55% in the next admissions cycle, and £18k was raised for bursaries in just eight weeks. With staff now able to update pages themselves, IT support requests dropped to near zero.

https://www.tkswitney.org.uk/

Norton College

Norton College needed a website that could reflect its role within the Ryedale Learning Trust while keeping a local and student-focused feel. Branding was inconsistent, and Sixth Form promotion needed a boost.

Their new trust-ready site solved both. It shared content like policies auto-pulls from a central hub, while school colours and crests update automatically.

A student newsroom keeps the site fresh, and live widgets display Sixth Form places and transport updates in real-time. Since launch, Sixth Form open-evening sign-ups beat targets by 24%, mobile bounce rates dropped by over half, and duplicate content uploads across fell by 70%.

https://www.nortoncollege-rlt.co.uk/

Ready To Build The Perfect Secondary School Website

A great secondary school website should do more than just look good. It should be easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly, and people stay connected. The best school websites in 2026 make finding key information simple, whether it’s timetables, policies, or Sixth Form details.

Get in touch with our team today to learn more about our school website design services.

A well-designed website is crucial for schools. It’s the central hub of all information that parents, students, and staff need to access and navigate.

A good school website increases communication and engagement with parents and the wider community. It has the most recent information, news, and tools regarding recent events and developments.

In this article, we will discuss the top 10 features that school websites should have in 2026 to guarantee that your school has an up-to-date, effective, and compelling online presence.

1: Mobile Responsiveness

It is important to have a website that is compatible with all devices including phones and tablets. Since more and more people use mobile internet, schools need websites that are easy to use and look good on small screens.

Mobile responsiveness enhances a user’s experience as it enables them to find their way around the site and locate the information they need regardless of the device they are using. It also improves accessibility to make sure everyone including parents and students who rely on their phones for instant information and updates can be able to use the website easily.

2: User-Friendly Navigation

Intuitive navigations are essential for helping website visitors find the information they need quickly and easily. A well-organised website ensures visitors aren’t frustrated searching for important details.

To achieve this:

1. Organise content logically by grouping related information.
2. Use clear, descriptive labels for menu items, and keep the menu structure simple.
3. Ensure key sections like calendars, news updates, and contact information are easily accessible from the main menu.

This approach improves the user experience and makes it easy for parents, students, and staff to get the information they need.

3: Secure Portals for Students and Staff

Secure login areas are vital to protect private information and to give individuals access to the information in the school. Students and staff need a place to log in and access and control private information safely.

Secure portals may have areas for resources such as homework, grades, and internal communications. This makes it easier for students to assess their performance and get access to their work.

It also helps simplify communication and reduce the administration time needed by employees.

Secure portals are useful in protecting privacy and improving the operations of schools at the same time.

4: Comprehensive CMS

A good CMS is essential for a modern school website. They allow school staff to easily update and manage website content without technical knowledge. Teachers and staff can quickly post news updates and upload resources, keeping the school’s website site current and relevant.

Using a CMS designed specifically for schools has many advantages. These systems often include many useful features tailored to schools, such as integration with current systems, tools for managing class schedules and absence reports.

5: SEO Optimisation

SEO is can increase the number of visitors your school website gets. When your site appears higher in search engine results, it’s easier for people to find important information about your school.

To optimise your school websites content, use relevant keywords that parents and students might search for, such as “school calendar,” “homework help,“ or “school news.“ Write clear and informative meta descriptions for each page to give a snapshot of the content’s topic. It’s also important to regularly update your site with fresh content, like news articles and event updates. This to keeps your website relevant and engaging for both search engines and users.

6: Integrated Calendar System

A dynamic calendar informs your school community about important dates and events. It makes sure that everyone stays up-to-date with school activities, from holidays and teacher training days to sports events and school trips.

Integrating features like reminders and event notifications can make your school’s calendar even better. Parents can receive alerts about upcoming events and students can be reminded of homework deadlines and exam dates. This can improve both organisation and communication within the school community, meaning no one misses out on important information.

7: Social Media Integration

There are loads of benefits to linking your school’s social media accounts to the website. It allows people to stay updated and get real-time updates and is another platform to share news, events, and achievements with the local community. Integrating social media helps parents and students stay connected and engaged with school activities.

Social media integration also keeps content fresh. It’s a way to update your website by automatically displaying recent posts and updates from platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This not only increases community engagement but also showcases the daily life of your school to prospective families.

8: Multimedia Galleries

Photo and video galleries can visually showcase school events, achievements, and activities. They show a glimpse into daily school life, making it more appealing to current and prospective families.

Updating pictures and videos regularly is crucial to keep your school’s website current and engaging. Fresh content captures ongoing activities and can tempt visitors to return frequently to see the latest updates.

9: Multilingual Support

It’s important that non-English speaking parents and community members can view your school’s website so a translation feature is crucial. Having an international website means that everyone can access important information, making the website more inclusive.

This feature significantly improves communication by breaking down language barriers. Multilingual website support demonstrates your school’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity and creates a more welcoming and supportive community for all families.

10: SSL Certificates and Security

The security of your school’s website security is essential. Protecting data like student records, personal details, and internal communications is crucial to maintaining trust and confidentiality (plus it’s a legal requirement).

SSL certificates play a role in this protection. They encrypt data shared between the user’s browser and the website. This means that any information shared remains private and secure. Implementing a SSL certificate helps safeguard against data breaches and cyber threats, ensuring a secure online environment for your school websites users.

10 Must-Have Features for School Websites in 2026

A good school website needs to be mobile responsive, user-friendly, and equipped with secure portals for students and staff.

It should feature a complete CMS designed for schools, be optimised for SEO, and have an integrated calendar system.

Schools should review their current websites and consider incorporating these must-have features. Doing this will ensure their websites remain competitive, effective, and able to meet the needs of their community in 2026 and beyond.

Get in touch to discuss how School Jotter can help you build the perfect website for your school.

In 2026, having a great school website is a non-negotiable. A good website should be simple to use, look great on any device, and help families stay connected with school life.

In this article, we’ll take a look at seven of the best primary school websites of 2026. We’ll highlight what makes them work so well and share a few ideas you can use for your primary school’s website.

Drumlins Integrated Primary School

The Drumlins Integrated Primary School website is clean, bright, and easy to navigate. It uses friendly colours and simple layouts that make it feel welcoming and accessible. Key information is easy to find, and the tone throughout reflects the school’s inclusive values.

The design supports the school’s message of learning together with respect. This makes it a great example of how a school website can reflect its ethos.

Crossley Street

Crossley Street Primary School’s website strikes a great balance between warmth and professionalism. The design is clean and easy to navigate and has clear sections for parents and visitors.

Their website does a great job of showcasing the school’s achievements and community spirit and also highlights its inclusive values. The use of photos and simple language helps bring the school’s ethos to life, making it feel welcoming, ambitious, and full of opportunity.

https://www.crossleystreet.leeds.sch.uk/

St Thomas’ Church of England Primary School 

The St Thomas’ CE Primary School website perfectly captures the school’s caring, community-first ethos. It’s bright, welcoming, and easy to navigate, with clear information for parents and visitors.

Their primary school website highlights what makes the school special, from its family atmosphere and strong Christian values to its brilliant Forest School programme and impressive eco credentials. It’s a lovely site that reflects the school’s warm personality and wide range of opportunities for every child.

https://www.st-thomas.lancs.sch.uk/

Warwick Road Primary School

The Warwick Road Primary School website is clear, welcoming, and easy to use. It reflects the school’s aim to help every child ‘Exceed Expectations’ and highlights their strong links with the local community.

The primary school website is well-organised, making it simple for parents to find key information. It also showcases regular updates, newsletters, and details about school events, giving a real sense of the school’s caring and ambitious ethos.

https://www.warwickroad.kirklees.sch.uk/

St Josephs, Oldham

The Saint Joseph’s RC Primary School website has a warm and welcoming feel, much like the school itself. It reflects the school’s strong faith foundation and sense of community.

The website has a simple navigation menu that allows users to easily access key information such as curriculum details, year group pages, and school news.

https://www.st-josephs.oldham.sch.uk/

Oakfield Primary Academy

The Oakfield Primary Academy website is bright, friendly, and easy to explore. It reflects the school’s focus on growth and inclusion.

The layout is simple and well-organised, which makes it easy to find key information and get a feel for the school’s values and community spirit.

https://www.oakfieldprimaryacademy.co.uk/

Hawksworth Church Of England Primary School

The Hawksworth Church of England Primary School website offers a warm and inviting experience. It features a clean layout and intuitive navigation, making it easy for parents and visitors to find information.

The homepage includes drone footage, providing a panoramic view of the school and its surroundings. This modern touch enhances the site’s appeal and reflects the school’s commitment to embracing innovative methods to engage its community.​

https://www.hawksworthceprimary.org/

Design The Perfect Primary School Website

A good primary school website should do more than just look nice. They should be easy to use and improve communication among parents, teachers and students. The best primary school websites in 2026 work well on phones, are simple to navigate, and make it easy for website visitors to find what they need.

School Jotter has been helping schools build fast, modern, and Ofsted-compliant websites since 2007, and we’ve now worked with over 4,000 across the UK.

Get in touch with our team today to learn more about our school website design services.

A well-designed school website is essential. Not just for communication with parents, and giving that all-important first impression, but because school websites need to be properly compliant with a whole host of laws.

Despite this, many school websites seem a little lacklustre. They’re making costly mistakes, and their websites are in dire need of updating. On this page, we want to share ten mistakes schools make with their websites, and give you a quick rundown of how to fix them.

Outdated Design and Content

Why It’s a Problem:

Outdated content makes a school seem unprofessional, almost as if they don’t care what information they’re serving up to their readers. This can reduce trust from parents, students, and staff. On top of this, outdated content can often mean that the wrong information is shared.

How to Fix It:

The website needs to be redesigned. Just a quick refresh to bring it up to modern standards. Any news, events, and staff pages should be updated regularly. The school should run regular content audits to ensure that any old information is removed or updated.

Poor Mobile Experience

Why It’s a Problem

The vast majority of a school’s visitors will come through mobile devices. If a site doesn’t look good on mobile devices, it is annoying. Not to mention the fact that search engines are reluctant to rank websites that aren’t mobile-friendly.

How to Fix It

Invest in quality responsive web design. This basically means the website will adapt to whatever size screen it is displayed on. Simplify pages so people are not overwhelmed with information, and reduce images and navigation options through the site. Basically, make the whole site easier to browse.

Hard-to-Find Key Information

Why It’s a Problem:

Staff, students, and parents aren’t on your website for fun. They’re looking for information, normally essential information. They need to be able to find it quickly. If they can’t, it might lead to your staff handling more phone calls and emails, which keeps them away from their jobs.

How to Fix It:

Any important information should be front and centre on your home page. This includes term dates, contact details, and any school policies. Any important dates (e.g. inset days) should also be there. Your website should be easy to browse, with clear headings and menus. You should also have a search bar. Get people to regularly check your site to ensure that information can easily be accessed.

Missing Ofsted or Statutory Content

Why It’s a Problem:

Missing legally required information is a big ‘no’. It can lead to fines or other issues with Ofsted. Parents may also struggle to find important information such as Ofsted inspections and school policies, turning them off of the school. This damages the credibility of a site.

How to Fix It:

You should always have a solid understanding of what a school needs to legally display on their site. At the very least, you should always have Ofsted reports, safeguarding policies, and equality statements displayed. Take your site through regular audits to ensure you remain compliant. Remember, requirements change regularly.

Slow Loading Speeds

Why It’s a Problem

Slow page loading just frustrates people. Many will leave before a site loads, and it isn’t a good look for the platform. It will also impact the rankings of a site in Google and other search engines.

How to Fix It:

Ditch anything that isn’t really needed on the site, especially images. Any images that remain should be compressed, the same with other media files. Use a proper platform to cache data and reliably host your site. Always keep the use of plug-ins and scripts on your site to a minimum. Don’t worry if you don’t know what that last part means; a proper site designer will.

Accessibility Laws

Why It’s a Problem:

A school website can exclude users with disabilities, and the lack of certain accessibility requirements may violate various laws. At the very least, it makes a website harder to read.

How to Fix It:

Site design should focus on accessible design. This means keyboard navigation, high contrast options, and alt text for images. The site should be regularly tested with accessibility tools and real users.

Lack of Clear Navigation

Why It’s a Problem:

People struggle to find the information they need, which is annoying. Your school website will seem unprofessional, and you’ll have far fewer people engaging with the site.

How to Fix It:

Plan site navigation well. Everything should be intuitive. Include a site map so people can easily find the information they want without navigating through countless menus.

Weak Photography and Visuals

Why It’s a Problem:

The school looks unprofessional, as if it doesn’t care about the sort of image it puts forward. There won’t be a proper showcase of staff, facilities, and school life. This can make parents of prospective students have no idea what the school is about. Poor quality imagery just makes a website seem lifeless.

How to Fix It:

Get high-quality photographs of students, staff, and any events. Regularly update the site with new images.

No Clear Calls to Action

Why It is a Problem:

Parents/students don’t know what they need to do. They might not know how to enrol, contact, or donate. This can lead to reduced site conversions.

How to Fix It:

Add visible buttons as a call to action. Use actionable language. CTAs should always be on high-traffic pages.

Ignoring SEO and Analytics

Poor SEO

Why it’s a Problem:

The website will not appear in search engines as much. This can lead to a lower number of visitors and, ultimately, school and website growth.

How to Fix It

Invest in SEO. Even adding meta tags, headings, and keywords can help massively. Traffic should be regularly analysed to see where it is coming from. You’ll quickly learn about your most popular pages. Keep producing regular content.

School Website Design Mistakes

A well-designed school website is essential for creating trust, visitor engagement, and meeting legal requirements. Thankfully, a few updates to a site can go a long way towards improving all this. Prioritise site design and your website visitors will thank you for it.

Need a site designed by an experienced company? Contact School Jotter. We specialise in school website development and marketing, ensuring that you never need to worry about the issues we highlighted.