1. Use a Pop-Up on Your Website (For Free)

2. Add a Parent Enquiry Form and Clear Call-to-Action

3. Offer a Digital and Printed Prospectus

4. Showcase What Makes Your School Special

5. Improve Your Google Presence

6. Give Out Party Bags on Open Days

7. Promote Afterschool Clubs and Enrichment

8. Celebrate Good SATs Results Early

9. Use Facebook Effectively

10. Speak to Your Website Provider About a Full Redesign

How to Increase Pupil Numbers in Primary Schools

In 2025, 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 2025. 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 2025 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.

Creating an accessible school website is a commitment to inclusivity and ensuring every visitor has equal access to your school’s information and resources. Whether you’re a content manager or school administrator, understanding the essentials of web accessibility is crucial to meet WCAG compliance and support all users.

In this article, we’ll explore the main areas your school website must address to be truly accessible.

Why Web Accessibility Matters for Schools

Accessibility is a fundamental aspect of digital inclusion. Some people might browse your website using on a keyboard, whilst others people might depend on screen readers that can affect how they perceive content.

Adhering to WCAG standards means that your school website becomes easier to navigate and interact with for everyone.

Mastering Keyboard Navigation for Full Website Access

One of the main pillars of accessible web design is making sure your website can be fully navigated using just a keyboard. This helps people who can’t use a mouse.

Keyboard navigation on your school website means users can:

• Move through interactive elements like buttons, links, and form fields using the Tab and Shift + Tab keys.
• Scroll through pages using arrow keys, Page Up, Page Down, and Home/End keys.
• Activate elements through the Enter or Space keys.
• Navigate menus with arrow keys and close submenus with the Escape key.

Best Practices for Keyboard Accessibility

• All interactive elements should be reachable and operable via keyboard alone.
• Maintain a logical tab order that follows the visual layout of the page.
• Use visible focus indicators (like outlines) so users can see which element is active.
• Test keyboard navigation regularly to catch any traps or inaccessible elements.

Adding Meaningful Alternative Text for Images

Alt text is a needed for a screen reader user as it provides descriptions of images that cannot be seen. Unfortunately, many websites neglect this or use vague descriptions that don’t explain what the picture actually is.

For school websites, alt text should be thoughtfully written to give context and meaning. Instead of a generic phrase like “picture of a school,” effective alt text describes the image in detail, such as “front of the school in summer with students walking in”. This allows screen reader users to understand the image’s content and relevance.

Tips for Writing Effective Alt Text

• Keep descriptions concise but informative.
• Focus on the purpose of the image in context.
• Don’t include phrases like “image of” or “picture of” as screen readers already announce the presence of an image.
• For decorative images that add no informational value, use empty alt attributes (alt=””) to allow screen readers to skip them.

Ensuring Strong Text Contrast for Readability

Text contrast is another common accessibility challenge, especially with modern website themes that use subtle or pastel colour palettes.

Insufficient contrast between text and background colours can make website content difficult to read, especially for users with visual impairments or colour blindness.

Website managers can use tools like the Daycare University contrast checker to verify that text and background combinations meet the minimum contrast ratios specified by WCAG. This will give you the reassurance that all users can comfortably read your content without strain.

Contrast Checking Best Practices

• Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
• Test contrast for all text elements, including links, headings, and buttons.
• Consider the needs of users with different types of colour blindness.
• Implement accessible colour schemes early in the design process to avoid costly retrofits.

Handling Third-Party Integrations with Accessibility in Mind

Many school websites incorporate third-party plugins for social media or other interactive features. While these tools add valuable functionality, they can also introduce accessibility challenges.

For instance, social media plugins from platforms like Facebook often inject code that does not fully comply with accessibility standards. This can negatively affect your website’s overall WCAG compliance score and user experience.

When integrating external content, it’s important to:

• Review the accessibility of the plugin or embed before implementation.
• Use accessible alternatives or provide fallback content where possible.
• Regularly test third-party features with assistive technologies.
• Keep documentation of any accessibility limitations and planned mitigations.

Ongoing Commitment: Testing, Updating, and Improving

Accessibility is not a quick fix but an ongoing process. School websites are regulaly updated with new content. Each change can impact accessibility if not carefully managed.

Website administrators should regularly:

• Testing pages and features with keyboard navigation and screen readers.
• Using automated and manual accessibility testing tools.
• Updating alt text and contrast settings as new content is added.
• Monitoring third-party integrations for compliance.
• Training staff on accessibility best practices.

Tools to Support Your School Website Accessibility Journey

There are now many practical tools can help you maintain and improve accessibility compliance:

• Accessibility Plugins: These add features like high contrast modes and keyboard navigation enhancements to your site.
• Contrast Checkers: Tools such as the Daycare University contrast checker help verify colour contrast ratios.
• Screen Readers: Testing your site with popular screen readers (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) reveals how content is interpreted.
• Keyboard Testing: Regularly navigating your site using only the keyboard highlights any navigation issues.

Using these tools alongside best practices gives you the best chance to keep your schools website compliant

Accessibility Is a Commitment to Inclusivity

Meeting WCAG guidelines makes sure that your school’s digital presence welcoming and usable for everyone. From providing full keyboard navigation to maintaining strong text contrast, every aspect of your website matters.

For more information and resources on school website accessibility, or to design an accessible website for your school visit School Jotter.

When it comes to managing a school’s online presence, simplicity is key. School Jotter gets this right. It’s not just about having a website; it’s about having a platform that is easy to use, flexible, and designed with both schools and parents in mind. There are a few standout features that make School Jotter worth talking about.

User-Friendly Platform

First and foremost, School Jotter is known for being incredibly easy to use. Whether it’s uploading photos, adding text, or updating information, the process is straightforward. The intuitive design ensures that even those who aren’t tech-savvy can navigate the system with ease. For schools, this is a big win. Time is precious, and staff don’t want to be bogged down by complex systems. The feedback I’ve seen points to this simplicity as one of School Jotter’s strongest qualities.

Communication & Support

School Jotter also seems to excel at communication, both in the functionality of the platform and in their customer service. They are responsive to queries and issues, which is crucial when schools rely on these websites to communicate with parents and the wider community. Whether it’s providing ideas, responding to requests, or offering timely support, they’ve built a reputation for being helpful and quick to respond.

Easy Access for Parents

One of the things that stands out about School Jotter is how accessible it is for parents. No login required—parents can access information quickly and easily, which is important for schools looking to engage their communities. This ease of access extends to the navigation of the site itself. Clear webpages, easy-to-find information, and a user-friendly layout mean parents don’t have to struggle to get the details they need.

Customisation and Personalisation

Another plus is the ability to personalise websites. Schools have different needs and branding, and School Jotter allows for a level of customisation that keeps things fresh and relevant. From themes to layout choices, schools can design their site to reflect their unique identity, while still maintaining all the necessary regulatory components. This flexibility also extends to managing bookings for clubs and other school activities, making it a multifunctional tool for schools.

Design and Updates

It’s also worth noting how easy it is to keep the website updated. Jotter 3, their latest update, has brought new features that make it even easier to amend and manage the site. Whether it’s uploading new documents, adding news items, or tweaking a page’s design, it’s a simple, stress-free process. And the design options? Well, they look great. The clean, clear instructions make the platform accessible to all, and the fact that support is always on hand adds a layer of reassurance.

Calendar Feature & Themes

The calendar is another useful feature, allowing schools to keep parents in the loop about important dates and events. Combine that with a variety of themes, and schools can create a visually appealing, functional website without much effort. It’s these small touches that make a big difference in day-to-day operations.

Customer Service

Lastly, the customer service receives high praise. Many users mention how easy it is to communicate with the School Jotter team and how quickly issues are resolved. It’s clear that they prioritise their customers, which is perhaps why so many schools continue to use the platform year after year.

Below is a collection of recent testimonials:

Aisling Swindle, Tattygar PS Lisbellaw

“Navigation of the sites is easy, and there is always someone available to help if I need it. School Jotter makes managing our website simple and stress-free!”

Claire Wills, Mill Ford

“I love the personalisation options School Jotter offers. It’s great to have a platform that allows us to reflect our school’s unique identity while still being easy to manage.”

Liz Bonnelykke, Stanton CP School

“School Jotter is excellent at communicating with users and offering updates. The system is easy to use, and the customer service is always responsive and helpful.”

Sarah Seddon, The Coppice School

“School Jotter responds in a timely way to queries and issues. They work flexibly with clients to ensure our needs are met, which makes a huge difference in managing our school’s online presence.”

Carla Weaving, Immaculate Conception Catholic Primary

“Jotter 3’s new features have made it much easier to make amendments to the website. It’s intuitive, and updates are a breeze to implement!”

Paul Sanchez, St Thomas’ CE Primary School

“School Jotter is incredibly easy to use. Managing our website has never been simpler, and we appreciate the straightforward, no-fuss approach.”

Kirsty Foster, Bolsover Church of England Junior School

“The website is easy to manage and accessible. School Jotter’s customer service was fantastic when we had an issue – they resolved it quickly and efficiently.”

Gemma Devlin, Duke Street Nursery School

“School Jotter is brilliant to communicate with. They take on your questions and requests, working hard to make them a reality. They’re always quick to respond and find solutions.”

Adele Key, Woodlea Primary

“School Jotter is clear and easy to use. It’s been a great solution for managing our school website, making it simple to keep everything up to date.”

Relph Higson, Holmeswood Methodist School

“Our website looks great and is so easy to update. School Jotter really does make managing a school website effortless!”

From personalisation to ease of use, School Jotter does a lot of things well. It’s a platform that understands the needs of schools and their communities, offering simple, effective tools for communication and management. Whether it’s the ease of updating information, the accessible design, or the responsive customer service, School Jotter continues to meet the needs of schools.

Crossley Street Primary School Website Launch Overview

Crossley Street Primary School, located in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, has recently refreshed its online presence with a comprehensive, user-friendly website. This new digital platform aims to provide detailed insights into the educational and extracurricular opportunities offered by the school, catering to students from Nursery through Year 6.

The website stands out for its clean design and easy navigation, which improves access to key sections like admissions, curriculum details, and news updates. It effectively communicates the school’s mantra of “Inspiring Today to Achieve Tomorrow,” highlighting its commitment to fostering an environment where students can thrive academically and personally.

Educational and Community Engagement Highlights

Crossley Street Primary School’s website features a robust “Curriculum” section that outlines the subjects taught, including Phonics, Maths, Science, and Art, ensuring parents and students are well-informed about educational offerings. Additionally, it emphasises the school’s efforts in promoting “British Values” and “Cultural Capital,” which are integral to their educational ethos.

The “Newsroom” section is regularly updated with newsletters and announcements, making it a vital resource for current and prospective families to stay connected with the school’s activities and achievements. This section also details the various awards given to students, celebrating their academic and extracurricular achievements.

Community and Parental Involvement

The website fosters community interaction through its comprehensive coverage of school events and the active involvement of the “Friends of School” group. It also offers a detailed look into the “Before and After School Club,” providing essential information to parents about after-school care options, which is invaluable for working parents.

Access and Communication

Ease of access is a significant advantage of the new website. Prospective and current parents can find detailed information about school policies, term dates, and the admissions process streamlined for better understanding. The inclusion of a contact section with the school’s address, phone number, and email ensures that parents and guardians can easily reach out for more information or assistance.

Crossley Street Primary School’s new website is a testament to its commitment to transparency and communication with its community. By providing a thorough digital resource for everything from the school’s curriculum to community involvement opportunities, it plays a crucial role in supporting the school’s mission to inspire and achieve excellence in education.

For a more detailed exploration, please visit their website directly at Crossley Street Primary School.

West Acton Primary School Website Launch Overview

West Acton Primary School in London has unveiled its updated website, designed to provide comprehensive information about the school’s activities, curriculum, and community engagement. The website serves as an essential tool for parents, students, and staff, offering a detailed overview of the educational and extracurricular opportunities available.

Educational Excellence and Curriculum

The school prides itself on a rich curriculum that emphasises inclusivity and diversity. Key stages are clearly delineated, providing parents and students with easy access to relevant educational content and resources. The curriculum extends beyond traditional academics, incorporating elements such as a strong focus on environmental awareness and physical education​.

Community and Parental Involvement

West Acton Primary School’s website highlights its dedication to fostering a strong community connection. It features a dedicated section for parents, offering resources like after-school care, uniform guidelines, and details on the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). This section is instrumental in facilitating effective communication between the school and families​.

Support for Diverse Needs

The school is committed to supporting all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The website provides comprehensive information about the school’s SEND policies and the Woodlands ARP (Additionally Resourced Provision), which caters to students with specific needs, ensuring they receive the appropriate support to succeed academically and socially​​.

Safeguarding and Wellbeing

Safeguarding is a priority at West Acton Primary School. The website outlines various policies and initiatives aimed at ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its students. This includes anti-bullying measures, online safety, and a healthy eating program, all of which contribute to a safe and nurturing environment for students to learn and grow​.

The newly launched website of West Acton Primary School is a testament to its commitment to educational excellence and community engagement. It serves as a window into the school’s ethos of respect, tolerance, and high academic standards, designed to prepare students for a successful future.

For a more detailed exploration, you can visit their website directly at West Acton Primary School.

Durrington Junior School Website Launch Overview

Durrington Junior School has launched an informative and accessible website that reflects its commitment to a broad and balanced curriculum rooted in the school’s Church of England ethos. The site is a comprehensive resource for parents, students, and the school community, offering detailed insights into the school’s activities, academic programs, and community involvement.

Curriculum and Academic Focus

The school offers a dynamic curriculum designed to cater to the educational needs of children aged 7 to 11. It emphasises core academic subjects such as Maths and English, and integrates these with a diverse range of subjects including History, Geography, Science, and Computing. The curriculum is regularly reviewed and adapted to meet the needs of its students, ensuring relevance and engagement. Special emphasis is placed on the White Rose Maths scheme to structure the Maths curriculum, reflecting a commitment to high academic standards​​.

Community Engagement and Support

The website highlights various aspects of parent and community engagement, with detailed sections on parent support, learning resources, and school policies. It offers a dedicated area for parental information, including guides on uniforms, school meals, and a calendar of academic events, ensuring parents are well-informed and involved in the school community​ (Durrington Junior School)​.

Inclusion and Safeguarding

Inclusivity and safeguarding are prominently featured, with specific policies and resources dedicated to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all students. This includes extensive support for students with additional needs and a robust safeguarding policy that is integral to the school’s operations​​.

Ethos and Values

Grounded in its Christian values, the school promotes a respectful and caring community where students are taught to be kind, truthful, and environmentally conscious. The school’s ethos is woven into all aspects of school life, aiming to develop well-rounded individuals who respect themselves and others​ (Durrington Junior School)​.

Durrington Junior School’s new website serves as a reflection of its ethos of “Love your neighbour as yourself,” and provides parents, students, and staff with easy access to important information about school life and the curriculum. It acts as a crucial tool in supporting the school’s mission to provide a nurturing and effective learning environment.

Explore more about Durrington Junior School by visiting their website here.

Bidbury Junior School Website Launch Overview

Bidbury Junior School in Havant, Hampshire, has updated its website, offering an extensive platform that provides detailed insights into the school’s operations, values, and community engagement. This new website aims to serve as a comprehensive resource for parents, students, and the broader community.

Educational and Community Engagement Highlights

Bidbury Junior School’s website is structured to showcase its commitment to fostering an environment where children are encouraged to develop respect, independence, focus, resilience, boundaries, and self-regulation. The website clearly outlines the school’s core values and how these are integrated into daily school life, promoting a culture where students are prepared to meet their potentials both academically and personally.

Curriculum and Extracurricular Activities

The website details a robust curriculum supported by various extracurricular activities that enhance the learning experience. It includes information on the school’s adherence to the National Curriculum with specific focus areas in subjects like Maths, Reading, and Science, ensuring comprehensive educational coverage. The school also emphasises physical education and sports, showing its dedication to student health and teamwork skills.

Parental Involvement and Resources

Bidbury Junior School actively encourages parental involvement, providing various resources on the website to help parents stay informed and engaged in their children’s education. This includes access to school policies, admission procedures, uniform guidelines, and an academic calendar. The site also features sections on school development plans and GDPR compliance, ensuring transparency and security of information.

Inclusion and Support

The website includes dedicated sections for Pupil Premium and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), highlighting the school’s approach to inclusivity and tailored support for all students. This demonstrates the school’s commitment to providing an equitable learning environment.

Performance and Progress

The school’s recent performance metrics indicate a solid foundation in teaching, with most students meeting the expected standards in key subjects like Maths and Reading. However, the progress scores suggest there are areas needing improvement, particularly in ensuring all students make expected gains across key stages.

The newly revamped website of Bidbury Junior School acts as a gateway for the community to explore and understand the school’s educational offerings, policies, and community initiatives. It reflects the school’s mission to nurture young minds in a supportive and inclusive environment.

For further details, explore the school’s website directly here.

Parkside Primary School Website Launch Overview

Parkside Primary School has unveiled its new website, serving as a comprehensive portal for the school community. The website is designed to reflect the school’s commitment to providing a supportive and enriching educational environment that aligns with its motto, “Dream, believe, achieve.”

Educational Excellence and Community Involvement

The website offers a thorough overview of the school’s curriculum, highlighting a diverse range of subjects including Maths, English, Science, Computing, and the Humanities. Special attention is given to incorporating metacognition techniques and modern foreign languages, preparing students for a globalised world. The school also emphasises co-curricular activities that support the holistic development of its students​​.

Inclusivity and Support

Parkside Primary School is committed to inclusivity, with detailed information available on its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision. The website explains the support mechanisms in place for students with SEND, ensuring they are fully integrated into all aspects of school life and have access to the necessary resources and support​​.

Parental Engagement and Resources

The website is a resource for current and prospective parents, offering downloadable forms, school policies, and a calendar of events. It provides detailed sections on how parents can support their children’s learning at home, reflecting the school’s commitment to a collaborative educational approach​.

Safety and Wellbeing

Safeguarding is a priority, with the website outlining the school’s comprehensive policies and contact information for safeguarding leads. This section ensures parents and guardians are aware of the measures in place to maintain a safe and secure environment for all students​​.

Digital Accessibility and Community Outreach

The digital platform includes features such as a photo gallery showcasing recent events and activities, enhancing community engagement. The school also ensures the website is accessible to all users, with clear navigation and tools to adjust the user interface as needed​​.

Parkside Primary School’s website is an extension of its commitment to high educational standards, inclusivity, and community engagement. It serves as a crucial tool for communication and is an exemplary resource for anyone interested in the school’s educational offerings and community activities.

To explore more about Parkside Primary School, visit their website here.

Showing School Spirit

It is not always the easiest to let your website visitors see your school spirit. However, with the right design and images, it is possible for you to showcase the school spirit and get people enthused and inspired.

It just takes a little experience and knowledge to create a great school website design that emphasizes how much spirit your school has. There are a lot of top ideas that will accomplish this goal for you.

One positive result is that the more you highlight your school spirit, the more potential students will join in and continue the traditions of the school.

Why Is It Important To Showcase Your School’s Spirit And Identity On Your Website?

Showcasing your school spirit is not just to gain a higher enrollment. Although that purpose helps, it does not sustain growth or keep students engaged with the school for a long period of time.

One of the main reasons you need to showcase your school spirit and identity is that it reinforces your school’s values. It also reinforces your school mission which is term development that should inspire your students to greater educational heights and achievements.

Then by highlighting your school’s identity, you are helping to instill dignity in your students. Plus, it helps to enhance collaboration, and cooperation, as well as giving a greater student connection to your school.

One of the aspects of school spirit is that it is a unifying force that brings all your students and teachers together. Also, showcasing both school spirit and identity is a way of separating your school from all the rest.

With this advancement, the ability of the students to uphold the school’s values is vastly improved. Not only that, but you should see a rise in educational success among the students.

They are going to work and study harder so they do not let the school down or tarnish its reputation. With the result of a connected community, a better learning environment is formed increasing the students’ chance for success.

Highlight Your School’s Unique Culture And Traditions Through The Website

There are a variety of ways to achieve this objective. While some schools may see more printed content as the key way to highlight their school’s culture, it is not the only way to accomplish this goal.

To start, you can place videos of cheerleaders leading the annual pep rally for athletic success. Or videos and images focused on students cheering on their favourite classmate as he or she races to victory.

Other options would be to place the school logo or coat of arms in high-profile places. Having it on a school shirt is ideal when you are trying to convey the school’s culture and traditions.

Or you can use images and print content to present the school awards ceremonies, special celebrations, and other events. Letting the community know you honour your students’ achievements is a good way to send the appropriate cultural message as well as communicate certain school traditions.

Then you can also have special web pages where your top administrative staff provide words of encouragement and advice to the students. The options are unlimited when you want to showcase what your school is all about.

The key will be to place them in a top school website template and design to get the maximum benefit from those images, videos, and printed content. Using a person with experience in these matters will enhance your efforts and make it a lot easier to complete.

How To Use Your Website To Connect With Alumni And Parents

If you do not have experience in creating these website options, then this can be a tougher-than-normal task. Here are a few suggestions to help get you started on the right path.

1. Build An Alumni Space On Your Website

One of the best ways to get alumni engaged and stay connected to your school is to make sure they are included in your school’s website and activities. Letting them participate through suggestions, ideas, or offers of help is a good way to ensure they remain connected to the school.

2. Build A Parent Space On The School’s Website

Having the parents know that they can easily get information on their child’s progress or communicate with the teacher through their own space is ideal. Keeping the communication channels open and easy to use ensures better parental involvement and helps them connect with the school better.

3. Start Engagement Before Graduation

This is more for students and alumni than it is for parents but it is an effective way to keep the graduating students involved in school affairs and activities. It also helps them remain connected or provides an avenue for them to reconnect later on. Teaching them how to stay engaged is very useful as well.

4. Support Parental And Alumni Businesses

Connection is a two-way street and providing support for these local businesses generates a lot of interest in the school as well as a desire to stay connected with it.

Supporting their small businesses is a way to support the school as the good feeling is returned by parents and alumni.

5. Hold Non-Money Drives

Everyone gets asked for money more times than you may think. One way to get parents and alumni to remain connected to the school is to hold drives for items students need.

The ideas for these types of drives can come from the parents and alumni themselves.

Some Additional Words

When you want to incorporate all of these ideas into your school’s website design contact our company. Not only are we experts with years of experience in web design for schools but we also are experienced in mobile-friendly school website design.

We can help you keep your parents and alumni connected to your school. Contact us today to see our products and hear our ideas to achieve this objective. We work hard for your success.

One Of The Best Tools To Use

In this digital world, your school’s website is going to be one of the best tools you have to help students learn and teachers teach. A good website goes beyond the basics to capture all the opportunities students need to learn and teachers need to teach.

Designing your school’s website to enhance both learning and teaching takes time and talent. To enrich your students’ education you need to know what you are doing and how your website can facilitate that education process.

The Basics Of A School Website

The very basics any school website should have would be a solid and informative About Us page. This allows prospective students and their parents to know and understand the school, its culture, as well as its goals, and more.

Besides including the curriculum, your website should also include a staff and teacher web page for the same purpose. Getting to know the staff is essential to facilitate learning.

On top of that part of the basic school website information will be the upcoming events and special occasions. This information lets parents and students be aware of what is happening throughout the school year.

A web page for photos and videos will also help the students get to know the school and what they can expect when they enrol. Also, you should have a contact page or contact information that is easily accessible for parents to contact the school to ask questions about their children’s progress or to talk to their teachers.

These are just some of the basics you will need for your UK school’s website.

Features Of An Effective School Website

Having the basics is a good start. It is a simple way to initiate interaction between the school and the parents and or students. But the website needs more to make students, etc., want to come to the website and take advantage of all that is on it.

One of the ways to do this is to develop a system that is compatible with PCs, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Having a responsive website makes the school’s website more attractive and user-friendly.

Then you can add features like maps so parents can find the school easily. Along with adding a map to your school’s website, you can place all the necessary forms on it in a downloadable format so filling the forms out will be easier and faster.

Along with those features, making it accessible from anywhere at any time allows for parents to know when there will be school closings, special events, and field trips, as well as being able to make appointments.

Other features should include a school calendar, multi-platform as well as easy-to-use navigational tools. The most important feature will be website speed. The school’s website should load up very quickly so parents do not have to spend a lot of time waiting for the page they need.

Ways To Engage Students Through The Website

There are many options you can implement when you want to engage your students through your website. One that works for both students and parents would be to include some surveys to gauge how your students think about the school and what goes on.

These surveys can help the administrative staff tweak programs, eliminate the less popular ones, or learn how to make them better, and so on. Getting feedback from the students is a great way to improve learning through the school’s website.

Another option would be to place questions online through different software programs or apps. Then let the students answer the questions independently before joining together in a joint online session through your website.

A third option would be to create a social engagement area on your website and let teachers interact with the students. This digital social engagement space is a great tool to help students trust teachers, staff, and each other.

This can be done through asking different questions, an activity designed to get people talking to each other, and a myriad of other possibilities. With the right professional help, you can add more ways to help engage students on your school’s website.

How School Websites Can Benefit Teachers

School websites are a boon to teachers as they can use them in their own time when they are free. This is probably the biggest asset a school website offers teachers.

The teacher is not tied to just school hours to communicate with their students nor do they have to sacrifice quality family time to do the same thing. The school’s website allows a teacher to schedule the time for interaction that fits their personal needs.

Also, the teacher can place mandatory work assignments on the website making it easier for students to know what they need to do, or if they have been absent, they will know what work they need to do to catch up with the rest of the class.

Also, when time is limited for both teachers and parents, the school website allows for easier communication when it is most convenient for both parties

The Role Of The School Website In Keeping Parents Informed And Engaged

This is an essential feature of the school. Parents want to know how their child or children are progressing and the school website makes that communication smoother as well as more convenient.

Parents can log in and navigate to the web pages that concern them and their students and see what I going on. Or they can have virtual meetings with teachers to understand what is happening in the classroom.

The school’s website also keeps parents up-to-date on school events, and other activities so the parent is aware of those events as well as any cost their child needs to pay to participate.

Some Final Words

If you need help in constructing your website to enhance teaching and learning, then contact our company. We have the tools, skills, and know-how to create a website that will promote both teaching and learning through your school’s website. Contact us today to solve this issue faster.

Bullying has always been a problem. This is a fact that has to be acknowledged and understood. There will always be those kids who like to bully weaker, smaller children but understanding the problem is only the first step in helping children being bullied.

This is not a problem that will go away any time soon. Learning how to handle bullying and teaching those tips to your students is essential in reducing the number of bullying incidents.

Recognize The Signs Of Bullying In Primary School

Unfortunately, there are too many signs that indicate a student is being bullied at school. Here are just a few of those signs to get you on the right path to recognizing when bullying is taking place:

1. The child refuses or does not want to go to school
2. The child’s eating habits change
3. The child is not sleeping very well
4. The child’s belongings are damaged, lost or the child has visible injuries
5. The child avoids taking the school bus to school.
6. Their emotions change and he or she can become more withdrawn
7. The child gets sick more often and too frequently for real illnesses to be the source
8. The child experiences a loss of friends and they are always on their own

Encourage School Children To Tell You If They’re Being Bullied

It can be difficult to get a child to tell their parents or teachers that they are being bullied. The reason for that reluctance is that telling on the bullies only makes the situation worse and the bullies angrier.

To get the child to speak up, they need to feel safe and be in a safe environment that enhances their confidence in their parents or teachers. Some of the things that do not encourage the student to tell what is going on in their lives is to not make it a group activity.

The student should not have to talk about it in front of the class, nor should then be forced to be in the same room as the bully. Avoiding the don’ts of this problem is one good way to encourage the student to open up and let teachers or parents know what is being done to them.

Also, do not force the child to tell. Give them the opportunity and let them decide if they will talk or not.

Teach Your Child How To Cope With Bullying In School

There are different methods you can use to teach your child how to cope with bullying. One good method is to get them involved in after-school activities that do not involve their schoolmates.

This provides the bullied child a chance to make new friends. They will not be isolated anymore. Or teach your child to spend more time in groups. This will cause the bully to hesitate somewhat as they prefer two on one, etc., contact and not when the odds are against them.

Then, teach your child that bullying is not their fault. They did not do anything wrong, usually, that incited the bully to attack them. Give them a reason why the bully is targeting them and one good reason is that the bully is jealous of them.

One important lesson that helps a child cope with bullying is to believe them. Don’t pass it off or give a superficial response. Take the child seriously and then help them deal with the problem.

Be Aware Of Any Signs That The Bullying Is Continuing Or Getting Worse

Getting to know the signs of bullying is very important and those signs are listed above. But knowing those signs is not enough as in many cases they do not indicate that the bullying activity is getting worse.

One sign of excessive bullying would be how the child acts. He or she can fall into depression when the bullying only intensifies. Declining grades will be another sign that bullying is getting worse.

A loss of interest in hobbies, sports, or other favourite activities will be another indication that the bullying has not stopped but has increased.

Create A Safe And Supportive Home Environment In Every School

The steps to achieving this objective are many. One good option to use is to reward those students who practice the proper inclusive character that all students need to feel.

Another is to teach teachers how to spot bullying and bullies and give them the tools to stop it before it gets worse. One of those tools can be an anonymous reporting process. This can be done by phone or through the school’s website.

A fourth option would be to monitor any possible bullying hotspots that are located around the school. These are areas where teachers and staff do not have a clear field of vision or cannot see at all.

These hidden areas are a bully’s prime spaces to act out on smaller, weaker children.

Get Involved In The School Community

One of the best ways to learn about and witness bullying is to get involved with the school and other parents. This involvement provides you with more opportunities to see what is going on directly and who is initiating the bullying.

This involvement also provides the opportunity for teachers and parents to enforce the school’s rules. Bullying can be reduced if bullies are punished properly and they see there are consequences for their actions.

When You Need Help

Bullying is a tough problem to solve as more and more cultures interact with each other at school. To get some more guidance on bullying and how to deal with it, or create safe anonymous communication on your website, contact us.

Our company has experience in helping schools create safe website spaces to help children who are a victim of bullies. Our contact information is located here and on several web pages for your convenience.

Together we can help reduce the number of bullying incidents and victims.

Multi-Academy Trusts need a good school website design. This goes without saying as a poorly designed website can and will turn many prospective audience members from reading your website or being interested in your academy.

With our 20 years in this industry and designing dozens of MATs websites, our company offers your academy a wealth of talent, experience, and know-how so you get the website design that fits your school.

Tap into our expertise to see how we can make your website even better.

Bespoke Design For Website For Schools

The term ‘bespoke’ means to speak for. That is what your website is doing for your academy. It is speaking for you online to many people who happen to land on your website home page.

This means that what is on your website, either good or bad, will tell your website visitors a lot about you and your academy. This is an area that School Jotter can improve to make your school look better.

We take out the bad and replace it with top-grade information, images, and other interesting website content to attract and keep your target audience engaged.

Your website is often the first impression for your academy, so let us help you make a great first impression and build your online presence with our talent and innovative spirit.

Broaden Your Presence With Shared Vacancies

One of the ways our company helps boost your online presence is through a shared vacancy method. This is where we optimize and maximize your presence through high-profile websites like social media outlets.

We also take steps to prevent cloned policy documents. This problem is where your web pages are cloned and used on another website. This problem can steal some audience from your website by having the cloned pages rank better than your web pages.

Streamlining Your School Website Design

This is one of the most important challenges that most MAT websites face. At one time there were multiple schools using multiple platforms to host their websites as well as helping their website design.

This created an overloaded work schedule for many people as they had to continually go through their websites to make sure the websites were MAT compliant.

Also, it took a lot of time and effort to ensure the content was consistent and published regularly. The solution School Jotter came up with was simple and easy to implement.

Our company designed one platform to make sure all schools in their group had consistent designs, branding, and content. This enabled standardization for all schools and made the websites easier to navigate.

With this one platform design came a user-friendly interface that enabled administrators to manage their website content better while remaining in compliance with governance regulations and requirements.

Then the seamless integration with the central MAT website made it possible for consistent and accurate information across all schools’ websites. Our platform takes the hard work out of maintaining your multi-academy trust website and makes it easier to read and navigate to all web pages.

Building A Website For Schools

This can be a difficult task for even the best of web designers. Remaining original, creative, and innovative while creating an engaging site is tough work. Web design is not for everyone, which is why our company has compiled a team of experts to work with you to create something special for your school.

Our team has extensive experience in the SEO world and educational technology. They can guide you to the best design that will engage your target audience and be informative at the same time.

With the experience gained over the past 20 years, we can guide you every step of the way from building an original website to updating an older one. Not only do we understand all the challenges for both web design options, but we also have the solutions that will help build an attractive website and give it a boost online.

On top of all this, our professionalism as well as our attention to detail enables your school to get one of the finest website designs that will impress your target audience.

When our work is done, communication between you, parents, staff, and others should be greatly improved.

Boost Your Online Presence

There are some creative and innovative methods that we can implement to help your school’s website get a boost in the search engine rankings. Our products are designed to make your school accessible as well as work in the 21st century.

We offer a 30-day free trial so you can see how your website will look and perform. This gives you a chance to work out any bugs that interfere with your online look.

Also, we can provide drone footage to give your target audience a unique perspective of your school. Videos are key to enhancing your online presence and this is a creative way to reach that objective.

Finally, we offer a mobile app for you to reach more parents. More and more people are escaping their laptops and PCs and using their mobile phones to get the information they want.

Implementing this mobile app helps you to communicate better with parents. They do not have to interrupt their day to catch up on the news or other important information about their children’s schools.

It is all there on their mobile phone. After your 30-day trial, your fees to continue are reasonable and affordable.

How School Jotter Works With Your MAT

It is a simple question to answer. We provide you with an easy-to-use platform that makes it easier to remain compliant with MAT requirements as well as build you a better way to communicate to your audience.

To see more of what we can do for your school, call or contact us today. Our team is ready to guide you through the process to make sure your school stands out from the crowd while boosting your online presence.

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.