For many people, your school’s website will be the first time they ever properly ‘interact’ with you. You always need to give the best first impression. Despite this, many schools do not have a decent website. It may be difficult to update, have poor support from the website designer, be too costly to run, or it may look outdated. If your website falls into any one of those categories, then it may be worth considering switching website provider.

The problem is that while you may be wanting to switch website provider, you might have a few concerns. For example, you may be worried about losing content, downtime for your website, and ultimately disruption to your parents. Therefore, you want that switch to a better provider to go smoothly.

This is a guide that runs you through everything you really need to know about planning, transferring, and ultimately launching your new website.

Step 1 — Review Your Current Website Contract

We’ll assume that you already have a website provider you want to leave. So, before you can leave, you’ll need to know what your website provider requires from you. So, consider:

• Whether you need to give any notice on your current contract.
• Whether there is a renewal date where you will be tied into a new contract.
• Whether there are any charges for leaving the provider.
• Determine whether you own and control the domain, website content, and any assets on the platform. If you don’t, contact the provider to see if there are any fees related to transferring ownership to you.
• See if your website provider will give you your content when you leave.
• Find out whether you need to move your email hosting and other services.

Most of this will be built into your website contract. Most reputable companies will help to make the exit as smooth as possible, including the transfer of ownership of your assets. However, this is something that you really do need to check.

Step 2 — Decide What Your School Needs From Its New Provider

Before you can search for a new provider, you need to decide what you need from that provider. This means thinking about the following:

• Determining what the issues with your current website are. Is it too old? Is it lacking certain features? Is it tough to update? Make a note of what you really need your new website to do.
• It is important that you seek a provider that makes it incredibly easy to edit your content. It should save time and effort, ensuring communication with parents and other stakeholders is simple.
• You should always opt for a website provider that provides ample amounts of support. You don’t want to be left with a website that doesn’t move with the times, right?
• Decide what your budget should be. Not only should you think about your initial budget, but also the ongoing fees for support and website hosting.
• If you run a school trust, then think about a website provider that will allow you to easily manage all your websites within that trust.

Step 3 — Compare Providers and Agree Responsibilities

There are quite a few providers for school websites out there. So, your first job is to narrow down your choices. Here are a few tips to help with that:

• See whether the provider has school website examples. It is important that these are school websites, as you need evidence that the provider has worked on your type of project before.
• Ask for a demonstrated of the Content Management System (CMS) so you can see how it works.
• Determine what the quote from the website provider offers. You want website migration, training, support, and on-going maintenance. If the quote doesn’t offer future support, find out how much it will cost.
• Ask who will handle the transfer of the website, domain name, etc.
• Ask how quickly the website can be online. Make sure that you get everything in writing.

You should spend a while ensuring that you get the right provider for your new school website.

Step 4 — Audit and Back Up Your Existing Content

By this point, you should have chosen a website provider. This means it is time to start auditing your content, and backing it up.

Keep tabs on all of the pages, documents, images, forms, etc. you have on your current website. You’ll want to note what needs to be updated, deleted, and where information is duplicated. At this stage, you may notice that a lot of your website is out of date.

You will want to ensure that you keep a backup of all your content before you ditch your current website provider. This includes content that you may not use again. It is better to have access to it, after all.

Step 5 — Plan Your Domain, Email and URL Transfers

Contrary to popular belief, switching website providers doesn’t mean you need to change your domain name or email address. You will almost certainly own the domain name. You just need to contact your current provider to find out how the domain name can be managed.

You should work with your new provider on switching the domain name to your new website. A good provider will ensure everything runs smoothly. This includes getting you set up with your new email accounts.

Step 6 — Build and Test the New School Website

At this point, your website should be in the process of being built. New content will be produced, old content transferred, etc.

The new school website will also have new forms, calendars, and other functionality built into it.

If you work with a good website provider, they will carry out ample testing for you. However, you may still want to test things out yourself. This means checking the navigation works, that the site works on multiple devices (especially mobile), and that the correct statutory content is there.

Always get approval from all decision makers in the school.

H2: Step 7 — Launch the Website and Train Your Staff

When your website is ready to launch, talk to the new provider about the launch plan. They will help you to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. This includes redirects to the new website, email services, etc.

It is important that you set up some sort of analytics on your website at the same time. This will allow you to track how the website is being used. If you are unsure of how to do this, talk to your website provider.

Finally, train your staff on how to manage the website, especially when it comes to adding new content.

Step 8 — Monitor the Website After the Switch

The final step is to ensure that everything continues to run smoothly after the switch. Make sure that there are no broken links, the forms work correctly, etc.

You should keep tabs on incoming traffic to your website. A drop could indicate a major problem.

We also suggest that you get feedback from staff and parents. They will let you know what is working with the website and what isn’t.

Choose the Right Provider

School Jotter is the leading school CMS provider in the United Kingdom. We only build school websites, and we do it well. Contact us today, and we will talk you through how we can help transfer your current website to a more modern platform. One built for the future.

Running a parents’ evening is a mammoth task for schools. They need to be done, but they take up a huge amount of a teacher’s free time, and a huge amount of planning. This is why many schools are starting to look into solutions for reducing some of the management related to running a school parents’ evening. One of these solutions is introducing a parents evening booking system. A way to reduce some of the administrative load on staff.

Let’s discuss what this means.

What is a Parents’ Evening Booking System?

A parents’ evening booking system is, essentially, a website that allows parents to book a timeslot for their parents’ evening attendance. For staff, there is very little administration involved. Parents are sent a link with available booking times. The parents book. It is that simple.

The booking system contains all available time slots and bookings, and parents, teachers, and administrative staff can refer to this whenever needed. The booking system takes some of the headache out of running a parents’ evening.

Why Schools are Switching to Online Parents’ Evening Bookings

As we said before, there is already a lot of effort running a parents’ evening. A lot of administration. Schools are looking to reduce the headache wherever they possibly can. One of these methods is to ‘automate’ bookings as much as possible. Schools are opting for online booking systems because it reduces the need for staff to dedicate their time to managing bookings, and it gives parents a lot more control over the time they want to attend.

The Benefits of an Online Parents’ Evening Booking System

In this section, we want to go through the benefits both schools and parents can enjoy with a well-implemented parents’ evening booking system.

Reduce Administrative Work

Having an online system drastically reduces school administrative work. All schools need to do is set up the system (which is simple if the right solution is selected), set the times available, and allow parents to book.

Since parents choose their own time online, there is no need for the school administration to try and work out how to schedule parents, or to constantly field booking telephone calls from parents. This is something which normally takes up a hefty amount of time around parents’ evening.

Allow Parents to Book Appointments Online

Parents can book their parents’ evening appointment at their leisure. No need to contact the school and find out what times are available. If they click their link to the booking system, they can see what slots are available and book within seconds.

Prevent Double Bookings

An online booking system will prevent double bookings. This means schools won’t have two sets of parents arriving at the same time, hoping to speak to the teacher. This was a common problem in the past when you had multiple people trying to manage the administrative side, and everything was done on paper.

Improve Parent Engagement

This is a minor benefit, but a benefit nonetheless. Many schools believe that introducing a booking system like this improves parent engagement. Parents will be taking an active role in booking their time slot, rather than being told when to turn up. This may encourage parents to engage with the school in other ways too.

Save Teachers and Office Staff Time

We’ve covered this extensively already. An online booking system saves teachers and office staff a lot of time. A proper booking system doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t have to do anything, but if it takes more than a few minutes each week to manage bookings, we’d be surprised.

How Our Online Parents’ Evening Booking System Works

To demonstrate why our online parents’ evening booking system is so beneficial, we want to go through how our system works.

Create Your Event

Teachers/administrators start by setting up the event in the online system. This takes a few minutes. While we are discussing using the system as a parents’ evening booking system, you really could set up any event that requires booking select times within the system.

Set Appointment Times

Available appointment times are set. You can adjust the length and time of each appointment slot.

Share the Booking Link with Parents

Parents will be sent their own unique booking link for the system. They must click this link to book an allotted time.

Parents Choose Their Preferred Time Slot

Parents can see which time slots are available. They can book any available time slot. Of course, the earlier they book, the more opportunity they have to get a time that is right for them.

Manage Bookings and Changes

On the rare occasion that a parent needs to make a change to the time they’ve booked, teachers and administrative staff can help. It takes less than a minute to change bookings.

Common Challenges Schools Face with Parents’ Evening Scheduling

Running a parents’ evening is tricky at the best of times. Scheduling, for instance, is particularly difficult. Schools need to manage:

• Ensuring that parents get the time slot that is most suited to their schedule.
• Ensuring double bookings do not happen.
• Having to stay in contact with the parents, which takes up a huge amount of time.
• Ensuring that the correct available times are shared with people.

Working with an online school parents’ evening system can reduce almost all of this workload, allowing schools to focus on more important parts of a parents’ evening.

How Parents’ Evening Booking Software Improves Parent Communication

A parents’ evening booking system improves parent communication by encouraging parents to actually engage with the school. Parents will have a full list of all available times for the parents’ evening, and they are free to choose whatever available slot they wish for. No hassle. Parents love the fact that the school is so brilliant at communicating available booking slots, something which was a major problem in the past when everything was done on paper.

Choosing the Right Parents’ Evening Booking System for Your School

When choosing a parents’ evening booking system, it is essential that you opt for the right system. The best system would be one used in real-world situations and developed especially for these types of bookings. We highly recommend the software developed here at School Jotter. It is used by countless schools already to manage their parents’ evening scheduling. Why not yours too?

Get in touch to learn more about our parents evening booking software, school website design or our marketing for schools.

Pre-designed school website templates allow school websites to be up and running quickly, and at a far lower cost. The right pre-designed school website templates allow schools (or their website designer) to fill in the blanks, while also having some degree of customisability to them.

Contrary to popular belief, these templates are not generic. They won’t make a school look like every other school that uses a similar template. In this day and age, many of these templates are ‘editable’ enough that they can look unique, without significantly increasing the cost.

Here, we’ll tell you a little bit about why pre-designed school website templates could be significantly better than something that is custom-designed for your school.

What Is a Pre-Designed School Website Template?

A website template is a pre-built website structure. A school template has been designed specifically for schools, and includes all the pages and information that a school would need. A school can then fill in the blanks, or add new pages as needed.

Good school website templates are customisable. While they may all stick to the same rough layout, schools have huge amounts of control over branding, colours, and imagery used on them. This means that schools that use the same templates as their back-end may have websites that end up looking completely different.

Template Websites vs Custom School Websites

Template websites are a quick and easy way for schools to get a quality website online. They’re affordable, and when designed properly will include all the information a school needs. This includes legal obligations, as well as the right information for school stakeholders.

A custom school website is, as the name suggests, custom-designed for the school. They are more expensive, and take a lot longer to make. However, schools have a lot more control over the design, what is included, etc. They are often only recommended for schools with huge budgets that really need to drive admissions (normally fee-paying schools).

The Benefits of Pre-Designed School Website Templates

Faster Website Launch Times

School website templates are ‘ready-made’. Use a school website template and you can be online in a matter of days. Custom-designed website? It could take months.

Since schools need a website, a template is the best route to go down when working to a tight deadline.

More Cost-Effective Than Custom Development

School website templates are more affordable. Considerably so, in fact. For a school website template, where the cost is effectively shared across multiple schools, you’re paying just a fraction of what a custom-designed site would cost.

The fees for keeping the website up and running are much more predictable too. Many of the companies operating school website templates have a predictable subscription model. A custom-designed template? It is made just for your school, and it would require incredibly large costs to keep it running effectively, and these costs can be very unpredictable.

Designed Around School Website Best Practices

School website templates have been designed specifically for schools. This means that they include the features and information school websites need to have. The developers of these templates, including companies like School Jotter, regularly work with their users to ensure that the user experience remains ‘top notch’. A school website template isn’t set in stone. It constantly evolves to the needs of the school and the users.

Easier to Manage for School Staff

School website templates often boast features that make them easier to use. This includes sophisticated back-end systems that allow staff, even those without technical experience, to update the website. This saves time and money.

One of the most popular content management systems (CMS) is School Jotter, which offers a school website template that is easy to use for everybody. Even those who have never updated a website before will instinctively know how to keep the platform updated, with little to no training.

Custom-designed sites are not like this. Developing a back-end that is easy to use for staff is tremendously expensive.

Supports Ofsted and DfE Website Compliance

If you’re in the United Kingdom, a good template will meet legal requirements. This means that the site will be in compliance with any rules put in place by Ofsted or DfE. The template producer will also regularly check compliance requirements and ensure that their templates consistently meet them. This means schools using templates never need to worry about falling foul of the law.

Mobile-Friendly by Default

Most people aren’t using computers to browse the internet nowadays, they’re using their mobile devices. This is why you need a quality school website template that works with mobile devices ‘by default’. A pre-designed school website template offers that. A good template, like those offered by School Jotter, will work just as well on mobile devices as it does on desktop computers, ensuring no website user feels alienated.

Accessibility Features Built In

School websites need to be accessible to everybody. This is why many good school website templates have accessibility features built-in. This includes changing text size, colours, and ensuring that images have alternative text for those who may not necessarily be able to see the image. This comes as default. No need for extra development or effort.

Professional Design Without the Complexity

Website templates offer professional design, without any complexity. A well-designed template will ensure consistent branding across your website. This boosts the image of your school. A good template will also offer regular design updates too, ensuring that your website is always modern and ‘with the times’

Scalability for Future Growth

Over time, your school will grow, as will your need to include extra content. A good template will allow your website to grow with your school’s needs. It becomes easy to add new pages to the website, features, and more. No effort required!

Why Many Schools Choose Pre-Designed Website Templates

Schools are opting for pre-designed website templates because they don’t need anything else. Templates offer all their school needs, without the cost. Templates are also much more customisable than ever before so, even if a school purchases something ‘off the shelf’, they get something completely unique to their school.

The Benefits of Pre-Designed School Website Templates

School website templates are the way to go if you want to get a website up and running quickly, without the costs of a bespoke design. Explore our school website templates of get in touch for a bespoke school website design.

Having a school website is essential. You know that. However, having a school website that works for your school, teachers, students, and parents is also important. This means that you need to choose a content management system (CMS) that has been designed explicitly for school use. One that boasts features that will benefit everybody that uses your website. On this page, we want to discuss exactly what you should be looking for in a school CMS.

What is a School CMS?

Your school CMS is the platform that your school website is built upon. We won’t get too technical here, but you can think of the school CMS as consisting of two components:

• The front-end: this is the actual website. The part your site visitors see.
• The back-end: this is where the actual ‘content’ is managed. Depending on the CMS, you can add new pages to a website, add calendars/events, etc.

Basically, the idea of a CMS makes it a whole lot easier to manage your school’s website. A well-designed CMS will be almost as simple to use as a word processor. Anybody can do it.

Why Choosing the Right CMS Matters for Schools

It is essential that the right CMS is chosen for a school. This is because not only should the CMS be easy to use for everybody that is updating the site, but there are school-specific features that will make sharing content or delivering accessibility much easier.

Choose the wrong CMS, and updating the site becomes harder, and it becomes a lot more difficult to ensure that the right content is shared with people. In fact, you may be jumping through hoops to do something that should be very simple.

Essential School CMS Features

In this section, we’ll go through the features that we believe a quality school CMS should have.

Easy to Use

We assume that not everybody tasked with updating school content will be well-versed in computers, or anything too technical. So, things need to be simple to do. Designing pages should be drag & drop i.e. dropping various page elements into place, including images.

Adding new pages should be a breeze and, as we said before, no more difficult than using something like Microsoft Word.

Parent Communication Tools

Most parents will be using your website for updated information. So, there should be a way to send push notifications to mobile devices if any important news is shared. Parents should also be able to sign up to newsletters (or view them online) to always have access to the most up-to-date information on the school.

Compliance & Ofsted Support

Schools have legal obligations from DfE and Ofsted. Part of these obligations are ensuring that the right pages and information is included on a website. A decent school CMS will ensure that Ofsted and DfE required information is included. It will also provide alerts if things need to change.

This will ensure that your school’s website is always legally compliant.

Accessibility Features

School websites should be accessible to as many people as possible. Therefore, a good school CMS will have features such auto-translation for content, and the ability to control the size of the front. This ensures people can read the content.

In an ideal world, images should also have alternative text to them, which will enable screen readers to ‘read’ image content to those with limited vision.

Trust/MAT Management Tools

If your school is part of a trust or a MAT, then things become a lot easier when you have a centralised CMS. A good school CMS will have a central dashboard, which will allow multiple sites to be updated at once.

The school CMS should also work to avoid the duplication of content across the trust/MAT, and ensure that all the correct pages are included where they should be. Remember, a MAT has way more legal obligations in terms of site content than a typical school.

Integrations

The CMS should make things easier for people. For example, there should be the ability to sync up calendars with various systems e.g. Google Calendar.

If your school is using MyNewTerm to recruit for positions, then MyNewTerm integration is a must, as it means recruitment can be shared directly through your website with no need to create and update specific pages.

Engagement Features (Social Feeds, House Points, Pop-Ups)

A school CMS should promote engagement. Give people a reason to keep visiting. This may include:

• Showing a feed of current school news and important information.
• Social media posts e.g. Instagram.
• Showcase current house points (if your school uses that), or student achievements.
• Banners that promote events, or share notices and reminders.

In some cases, you may even want to allow parents to comment on certain posts. However, make sure that you use proper moderation here.

Design & UX (Mobile Optimisation, Themes, Video Banners)

A school website should look just as good on a mobile device as it should on a desktop computer. So, ensure that any CMS that you choose boasts proper mobile-optimisation.

In addition to this, the site should be easy to navigate, have selectable themes (so your school site does not look the same as every other school website).

Some schools also use video banners nowadays. Video banners have a very ‘modern’ feel to them, and can showcase some of the best parts of the school in a few seconds. Not to mention the fact that they’re very eye-catching.

Nice-to-Have vs Must-Have Features

Remember – there is a difference between ‘must-have’ features and ‘nice-to-have’ features.

The must-have features are those that are essential to running a school website. For example, easy-to-update pages, calendars, school policies, and accessibility features.

Nice-to-Have features, such as video banners or engagement features are ideal to have, but shouldn’t be your main focus. Basically, anything that is not essential to running a school website, but can make the school website ‘better’ when included can come under this header.

Why Choose School Jotter’s CMS?

School Jotter CMS is the leading school-focused content management system in the UK. Built from the ground-up with schools in mind, School Jotter includes features all schools need. This includes:

• Easy-to-Use
• Mobile optimisation
• Required school policies, plus Ofsted detection features, policy alerts.
• MAT compatibility
• Accessibility features
• Customisability
• AI integration

With School Jotter, you take the ‘guesswork’ out of creating a solid website for a British school. School Jotter ensures that your website is done properly, and can continue to grow over the years.

What Features Should A School CMS Have?

When building a school website, it is essential that you use a dedicated school content management system. A CMS should boast features that will ensure that your site works well for your school, including parent communication tools, required school policies, easy site management, and customisability.

Our School Jotter CMS was specifically designed for schools. Get in touch for a free demo’s or to learn about our school website design and marketing services.

Every school should have a website. You know this. However, under absolutely no circumstances should you put a website online and just ‘forget’ about it. Legally, every school in the United Kingdom (and probably other countries) needs to be compliant with certain rules from the DfE and Ofsted. Schools should also have accessible websites. On top of all of this, a website just needs to be plain simple to use. If neither of these happen, a school website may not be legally compliant (causing problems with Ofsted), and may drive prospective parents away (reducing admission requests).

Here, we want to help you to not only discover what some of the most common website compliance mistakes are, but provide you with advice on how to fix them.

Common Website Compliance Mistakes

We’ll start by going through a list of some of the mistakes that most schools in the United Kingdom are making. We’ll then provide guidance on how these problems can be fixed.

Missing Statutory Information

Schools are legally required to include certain pieces of information on their website. This includes contact details, SEND policies, admissions information (and appeals process), the latest Ofsted report, safeguarding policies, the curriculum, and much more.

You probably won’t be surprised at how many schools fail to include this legally required information. Many don’t know they are not compliant until Ofsted inspect their websites. Part of the problem is the fact that the DfE and Ofsted are constantly changing requirements, and they are often not great at conveying the right information. Still, obligations rest on the school to ensure that everything is included.

Outdated or Incorrect Content

This is where most schools are failing. Many school websites have so much information that it is nigh on impossible to get it all updated in a timely manner, especially since there are many other school administrative tasks that need to be tackled.

Common issues include outdated policies, term dates, staff lists, etc. However, if things haven’t been checked for a while there is a good chance much of the site could be ‘out of date’.

Poor Website Structure and Navigation

School websites should be easy to navigate. The problem is that many of them are not. There are two reasons for this.

The main is that there isn’t really any sort of structure to the site. Links that you think would take you somewhere toward the information you need simply don’t. Other information may be hidden in the most unexpected of places. Probably because many older school websites have grown up organically, and staff aren’t really thinking about the website’s navigation when they add more and more pages to the site.

There may also be navigational issues where it is tough to find the information a person actually wants. There may also be dead links that will have you darting around a website trying to find some information.

Accessibility Issues

School websites should always strive to ensure that as many people as possible can browse their website. This means taking into account certain disabilities. For example, thinking about colour contrasts on the page, or ensuring that any images have ‘alternative’ text to them, which will ensure that those who suffer from sight issues can have the content read to them and know exactly what is going on.

Websites should also be accessible both on desktop computers and mobile devices, and the experience should be just as good on both. The problem is that many older school websites don’t even have that, despite mobile internet being around for a good while now.

Broken Links and Technical Errors

No broken links. Links should always be working, which ensures that browsers are not spending an age trying to hunt down the information that they need, or not finding the information at all and just leaving.

Technical errors (e.g. 404 errors, or anything thrown up by the content management system) not only impact the way that potential visitors see your site, but can also impact Google search rankings.

Non-Compliant Safeguarding Information

Schools legally need certain safeguarding policies on their site. These policies need to be written in the correct way. Many schools are not doing this, and this will be one of the first things brought up by Ofsted.

Lack of Clear Contact Information

It should be easy to contact the school. Address, names of certain staff members, phone number, and email. Simple.

Failure to Publish Financial and Ofsted Information

Some schools need to publish their financial records. All schools need to publish the latest Ofsted report.

How to Fix School Website Compliance Issues

To fix issues, you’ll need to identify where the issues are. This can be quite tricky. We, therefore, recommend doing a school website audit. This will identify compliance issues, and provide advice on how to fix those issues (step-by-step), ensuring that your website can be compliant.

How to Stay Compliant Long-Term

A school website that is compliant now may not necessarily be compliant a year or two down the line. Therefore, it is highly recommended that your school website is audited at least once per year. Ideally, there should also be an audit shortly before an Ofsted inspection. Regular audits will ensure that a website always remains compliant, even in the face of ever-changing Ofsted and DfE requirements.

Final Checklist: Is Your School Website Compliant

We’ve given you a list of some of the most common compliance mistakes on school websites. We highly recommend that you go through this list and try and spot problems on your website. Chances are, you’ll spot quite a few of them. That’s OK. While your school website may not be quite compliant right now, there is nothing to say that you can’t get it up to scratch quickly.

We suggest doing a school website audit, and using a school website provider that specialises in education. They’ll tell you exactly what needs to be done to ensure your website works.

Teaching has changed quite substantially . This is due to the changing technologies, and what the future employment market may demand. Many schools, rather than having their students sit and just ‘listen’ to fact after fact being churned out are, instead, opting for more play-based and interactive learning methods.

Here, we want to look at the evolution of teaching methods in this area, and why they have changed.

Why Teaching Methods Have Evolved

Sure, school curriculums often don’t evolve as fast as they should, but they do evolve. Recent evolutions of school curriculums in the UK have focused heavily on more skills-based learning, helping students prepare for 21st-century careers.

As technology evolves, schools need to keep up. Students need to learn skills that will help them in the real world, including computing skills, teamwork, and more. Curriculums are working hard to include all of that, with a huge focus on practical skills, rather than forcing students to recite facts.
While curriculums still need to develop a little bit, students of today should be prepared for more modern 21st-century careers.

Play-Based Learning

The early part of a child’s learning will be play-based learning, with almost all of this happening during primary school.

With play-based learning, children don’t know they are being ‘taught’. They are just having fun, while also picking up useful skills.

Play-based learning focuses on exploration, creativity, and social development. You probably did a lot of this back in primary school. For example, making clay sculptures, playing in the sand pit, etc.
The key aim of play-based learning is to increase skills that will set a child up for their schooling life, and beyond. This includes learning communication, problem-solving, and boosting confidence.

Inquiry-Based Learning

As a child gets older, a lot more of their education becomes focused on inquiry-based learning. Here, children learn by asking questions and investigating. This involves a lot of science experiments and research projects. This will likely continue throughout the child’s schooling career. As the student gets older, teachers will encourage more and more independent learning here.

Inquiry-based learning focuses on improving critical thinking and boosting curiosity, something which is essential for thriving in the modern job market.

Project-Based Learning (PBL)

This is very much an evolution on inquiry-based learning. The major difference is that PBL is often more long-term, and focuses on real-world projects. For example, coding a small app or website, etc. Some schools may even have their students set up a small business, or something similar to that.

PBL will often involve team work, and may even involve aspects from different subjects, promoting cross-curricular learning.

Since modern careers will often involve projects, the skills picked up here are essential. Students will learn about teamwork, planning, and there will also be a healthy amount of independent learning too.

STEM & STEAM Education

Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), or adding in ‘arts’ (STEAM) have become a key part of school curriculums.

STEM matters for all modern careers, since the future will be very technology-focused. STEM also enhances problem-solving skills and boosts logical thinking. While many students hate maths and see no point to it (they think they will have a calculator everywhere they go), maths is, without a doubt, one of the most important subjects at school for this reason.

STEM learning is now equipping students for the modern world. Many schools are now focusing on robotics, coding, and solving engineering problems. Many jobs in the future, particularly the well paying ones, will require some of these skills. So, it is best to prepare students early. Even if a student doesn’t take a career in STEM/STEAM, many of the skills learned during these lessons will help them in the future.

Blended & Digital Learning

Most schools will now combine classroom teaching with online tools. This may mean using educational apps, videos, and virtual labs. It, essentially, enhances the teaching while also providing a student with a degree of independent learning.

This type of education is essential nowadays. In the past, schools focused purely on one learning style, which often left students behind. With digital tools, schools can adapt to many different learning styles, ensuring their students learn in the right way.

Many digital learning experiences also offer personalised pacing for students, ensuring that a student doesn’t ‘move on’ until they can fully grasp a concept.

Differentiated Instruction

Once again, schools of the past were very much focused on one learning style, and they had a fixed pace to keep. This meant many students, some of whom could be quite gifted in the right circumstances, were left behind.

School curriculums are now starting to understand the importance of catering to the individual. This means teaching has become more inclusive, and can now cater to multiple learning styles and abilities. Lessons can be paced based on the individual, whether they are SEND, EAL, or a gifted learner.

The hope is that more inclusive school curriculums will ensure that students will be far better prepared for the real world. It won’t just be the students that work best with a very specific style of teaching.

Collaborative & Social Learning

More and more schools are now focusing on much more collaborative learning, because this enhances skills for modern employment. Expect a lot more group work, peer-to-peer learning and discussions in class.

This will happen from an early age, and students will learn communication, empathy, and teamwork.

How Schools Can Adopt Modern Methods

As much as schools know they need to adapt their teaching techniques, it can be a slow process. Thankfully, there are a few ways that things can be made easier:

• Investment in professional development for teachers. Teacher training can go a long way toward encouraging modern teaching techniques.
• The encouragement to use digital tools effectively. Teachers need to research the right tools for their students, and incorporate them into learning. Although, teachers must also take great care to ensure that digital learning is not the only teaching method.
• Classrooms need to be flexible. This means more teaching styles, and the ability to adapt the way of teaching for unique student needs. Not everybody will move at the same pace.
• Schools should keep parents in the loop about teaching methods, and perhaps collaborate with them to devise more modern learning plans, including the use of digital tools.

Modern Teaching Methods 101

Modern teaching methods are vital for improving engagement in the classroom, while also developing skills that can be used in the real-world.

As with all forms of teaching, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, and teachers will need to use multiple methods to ensure the best education for their students.

The future of teaching should be adaptable, creative, and technology-enhanced. If this can happen, then graduating students will always be in the best position to succeed in the modern employment market.

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.

Classrooms are now more diverse than ever. Despite this, many schools are not doing anywhere near enough to promote diversity and equality in the classroom. This is leading to increased bullying, and children being ill-equipped once they leave for the workplace. We want to change that.

We won’t be able to change everything about how diversity and equality are taught in the classroom. However, we can provide advice on how things can be made a little easier.

Why Promoting Diversity Matters in Education

Promoting diversity in schools leads every student to feel like they are valued and respected. They feel less like they are ‘different’, and just part of the group. Obviously, they know they may be different in terms of ethnicity, skin colour, gender, etc. but they won’t feel as if they are being excluded because of who they are as a person.

Promoting diversity will also increase empathy among students. Certain studies have shown that people’s issues with diversity often occurs much later in life, and by fostering an understanding of diversity early on, people are much more likely to continue in the correct way of thinking later on.

Teachers have often found that promoting diversity also helps to lower bullying, and even prepare people for the workplace where they will be working in diverse teams.

Encouraging Equality and Diversity in the Classrooms

While they are often intertwined, equality and diversity are different concepts.

Equality means offering fair treatment and opportunities for people. Access to the same resources and support. Basically, no child is left behind. Although, there is also the understanding some people may need a little extra help to get access to those opportunities.

Diversity looks at the differences between people, whether it is cultural, religious, skin colour, disabilities, etc. and celebrates them. Equality is about accepting differences between others, and being able to see things from the perspective of those who are different.

When diversity and equality are promoted in the classroom, the learning environment is better. People get access to the opportunities they need to thrive, while also knowing they won’t be held back by who they are as people. As we said, it will also encourage better communication and, hopefully, less bullying between class members.

Practical Ways to Promote Equality and Diversity

As we said, we can’t solve all diversity and equality issues in classrooms right here. However, we can give some key advice to teachers that can smooth the process out a little bit. Of course, you also need to be willing to promote the right environment in your classroom.

Create Inclusive Lesson Plans

Lesson plans should be much more inclusive. Look for teaching materials that represent multiple cultures, genders, and perspectives. Try to ensure everybody feels represented in that material. Modern teaching materials will be much easier to use here, with older materials very much a product of their time.

We are sure you’ll have no issues finding books that promote diversity, both in terms of stories and case studies.

Any content with stereotypes should be out. Older teaching materials are rife with it. Not harsh stereotypes, i.e. full-blown racist ones. Just ‘caricatures’ that make people feel excluded.

Encourage Open Discussions

We’ll be honest with you and say that children don’t always say the most ‘politically correct’ things. It happens, sadly. Mostly, it is because children lack a filter, and a real understanding of what they said is wrong. Some of the time, the comments are a product of the environment they grew up in. As a teacher, it is important that you facilitate open discussions about why what a child might have said was wrong.

Encourage discussions about differences between people. Answer questions people have, and try to quash some of the stereotypes that do arise.

During discussions, it is important that you teach children to value different opinions, no matter how opposed they are to them. Try to encourage people to see things from the perspective of another. We don’t all grow up in the same cultures, after all. Our beliefs are shaped by a lot of things.

Celebrate Cultural Awareness

Cultural awareness should be at the centrepiece of your teaching. For example, celebrate and discuss key cultural events throughout the year with children. This includes things like Diwali, Eid, Black History Month, and Ramadan. Base lessons around this and don’t be afraid to answer questions.

You likely have students from diverse backgrounds in your classroom, so encourage them to share any traditions or experiences, without judgement.

You may even want to develop displays in the classroom to celebrate the diversity of your class.

Challenge Bias and Stereotypes

You might not want to admit it, but we all carry unconscious bias. It is up to you to identify and correct those bias. We highly recommend that you regularly analyse the teaching materials and style you are using. You also might want to consider who you interact with most in the classroom, who is receiving the most praise, etc. It might be quite eye-opening e.g. you may be spending more time with the students who need less help to get them to the ‘next’ level. Many teachers do this. Some teachers keeps logs and journals to try to identify their biases over time.

It might also be worth talking with other teaching staff to discuss how they handle equality and diversity in their classrooms. Pooling resources works. Nobody can do everything alone.

Adapt Teaching for All Needs

As we said, equality is not about giving students equal access to the exact same resources. It is about ensuring that students get the help they need to be on a much more level playing field.

This will especially apparent in Special Educational Needs (SEN) where teaching styles may need to be adapted to a slower pace. There may also be a lot more encouragement on the strengths of the student rather than the weaknesses. There may also need to be far more personalised support.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners may also need teaching in different ways. For example, simpler language structures, more imagery that students can learn from. Encouraging group activities also works very well.

Basically, every child in that classroom needs to feel like they are valued and that you support their needs. Some people may need more help than others, but you never leave somebody by the wayside. You need to adapt your teaching methods.

Role of Teachers and Schools in Promoting Diversity

Children are often spending 8 hours per day at school, so it is a major part of their lives. This means teachers will play a key role in shaping a child’s views on diversity. Teachers need to be regularly trained to ensure they have the skills required.

Leadership will need to develop policies and commitments that teachers can follow, and parents/students can understand. These policies need to be adaptable as the needs of the school change, or as more learning about how best to offer equality happens.

We highly recommend schools regularly partner with local communities and schools to ensure they are offer proper diversity.

Measuring the Impact of Equality and Diversity in Schools

This will be an on-going process. It is essential to keep tabs on student engagement on wellbeing, especially those in marginalised groups. Although, of course, you don’t want the non-marginalised to fall through the cracks either. Everybody needs to feel respected.

Each year curriculums should be regularly reviewed for inclusivity. Any appropriate changes should be made.

Of course, you should also encourage student feedback. This way, you know exactly where changes need to be made.

Promoting Diversity in Education 101

Inclusivity in education is important, because it ensures everybody has the tools they need to thrive. It also ensures the classroom environment is fairer for everybody.

Promoting diversity leads to better education, less bullying and, later on, a smoother transition into the workplace.

Teachers can start promoting equality and diversity in the classroom today by fostering more open discussions, allowing those of different backgrounds to share who they are and, of course, a review of the curriculum to ensure it is more diverse.

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Do you think “gamification” is little more than a buzzword? Think again. For a very good reason, the phrase has been popping up all over educational billboards over the past couple of years—it’s a formidable learning tool for today’s digitally focused generation.

As children spend an increasing amount of time on their phones, tablets, and game consoles, parents and educators alike are worried about the rising negative impacts. But adding gamification to the learning environment is the perfect way to turn these worries into relief.

Believe it or not, fractions (and other “boring” topics) can be taught even more effectively by gamifying the classroom. And in the following sections, we’re going over the six primary benefits that await you and your students on the other side of gamification.

1. Boosts Student Engagement

The most obvious benefit of gamification in a classroom setting is raised student engagement. Adding game-esque elements like scoreboards, badges, and awards to your lessons boosts their appeal in your learners’ eyes. It beats a standard-issue textbook any day of the week.

While every child is different and learns in distinct ways, a growing pile of evidence proves that gamification motivates and engages the masses for overall academic (and personal) performance.

In Analysis of Gamification in Education, a research paper by Andrew Stott and Carman Neustaedter, it acclaims games’ levelled formats for their ability to help learners digest new information steadily: “The concept of acutely designed progression in games has direct links to the concept of scaffolded learning in pedagogy. Both structure learning in planned increments to increase engagement and subdue feelings of disorientation and helplessness.”

2. Increases Motivation and Encourages Healthy Competition

Motivation is a powerful, complex process involving the brain’s reward system. Likeable experiences, such as winning a game, releases dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This release reinforces the behaviour that led to it, meaning we’re more likely to repeat it to reap the same rewards.

Gamification taps into this little neuroscience trick incredibly well, thanks to the immediate feedback and rewards provided after every challenge/task. Whenever your learners earn points or badges for reaching milestones or completing missions, their brains release dopamine, reinforcing the behaviour and motivating them to keep going.

However, dopamine isn’t the only way gamification raises motivation; it also adds friendly competition to the mix through classroom leaderboards. Learners can instantly see how they rank with their peers—a powerful motivator, particularly for children who are motivated by extrinsic factors (e.g., winning a competition, garnering approval, etc.).

Let’s look at an example to illustrate this competitive factor better. 

A gamified literacy program awards points for correctly comprehending paragraphs and bonus points for the speed at which they were comprehended. The more points your students get, the higher up the leaderboard they’ll appear. This motivates them to work harder and improve their skills to rank better among their peers. As such, the gamified environment fosters a sense of friendly competition, encouraging students to always do their best.

3. Enhances Knowledge Retention

Engagement and motivation are benefits to gamifying your learning environment in their own right, but they also (somewhat inadvertently) bring about another intrinsic advantage — improving information retention.

When students are more motivated and engaged, they will naturally retain more knowledge. Points and leaderboards spur the innate human desire to “win” and be recognised for achievements. This incentive unknowingly helps students process the curriculum deeply, leading to better overall retention.

4. Supports Collaboration and Teamwork

Competition and collaboration may seem like they exist in two wildly separate Venn diagrams, but in the case of gamified education, this couldn’t be further from the truth. While there are certainly solo goals to meet and missions to win, many game-based learning platforms offer a plethora of chances for collaborative learning. 

On the majority of educational game-based platforms, students will work together to achieve common objectives, fostering a sense of camaraderie. Ultimately, this collaborative spirit improves communication skills and teaches children the power of collective effort.

5. Offers Personalised Learning Opportunities

As we’ve briefly alluded to, not every child learns the same way — and effective gamification understands this.

Well-gamified environments give learners genuine choices and adapt to their individual needs, providing a range of learning pathways that achieve the same (or similar) goals. Offering such a personalised experience helps educators implement the Universal Design for learning framework (a.k.a., UDL framework), ensuring students’ unique strengths are catered to and their distinct weaknesses are improved in the most efficient way.

6. Provides Data-Driven Insights for Educators

In a traditional school system, teachers only truly reflect on students’ learning and their progress when marking papers or exercise books. But gamification gives real-time, measurable, meaningful data for educators to take on board and implement every day. Access to such accurate data will only enhance learning for your students, preparing them for the rest of their life more steadfastly than before.

6 Benefits of Gamification

Adding game-esque elements to your classroom improves collaboration, engagement, motivation, and friendly competition while providing highly personalised learning experiences for your students and giving you accurate, real-time data that will undoubtedly improve the efficacy of your teaching efforts.

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A well-designed website is more than just an online presence for a primary school. It is a vital communication tool between the school, parents, and students. When a website is user-friendly, it makes staying informed easy for everyone involved.

The website also helps build engagement and a sense of community. It allows parents to connect with what’s happening at the school and helps students feel more involved. The whole school community can unite by sharing news and events online.

This article will explore six essential tips for designing an effective primary school website.

1. Prioritise User-Friendly Navigation

Keeping the website navigation simple is crucial. A straightforward menu helps visitors find what they need without frustration. When parents and students can easily access information, their experience is much better.

It’s also important to use clear labels for menu items. Choose words that everyone understands to avoid confusion. This way, visitors know exactly where to click to find what they want.

Adding a search bar is another helpful feature. It allows users to quickly find specific information without browsing through many pages, saving time and making the website more efficient.

2. Implement Responsive Design

Your website must work well on all devices. Whether someone uses a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, the site should be easy to use and look good. This way, parents and students can access information no matter what device they use.

Starting with a mobile-first approach is a smart move. Many people use their phones to browse the web, so designing for mobile users first makes sense. You can then adjust the design for larger screens like tablets and computers.

Optimising images and media is also key. Large files can make your website load slowly, especially on mobile devices. Reducing the file sizes without losing quality helps your site load faster and provides a better experience for everyone.

3. Highlight Important Information

It is essential to ensure that contact details like phone numbers and the school’s location are easy to find. Having this information handy saves time and reduces frustration when parents or visitors need to reach out.

Keep the school’s calendars updated with current hours, events, and important dates. Parents appreciate knowing about upcoming activities, and students can stay informed about what’s happening at school.

Feature the latest news and announcements prominently on the homepage. You keep the school community engaged and aware of what’s going on by showcasing recent updates.

4. Incorporate Engaging Visuals

Using high-quality images can make your school’s website more appealing and inviting. Professional photos of the school environment, staff, and students help visitors get a real sense of your school. These images showcase the friendly faces and vibrant spaces that make your school unique.

Adding multimedia content like videos and slideshows brings the website to life. For example, include a virtual tour of the school, clips from recent events, or slideshows of student artwork. This kind of content engages visitors and connects them to the school’s activities.

Consistency in branding ties everything together. Applying the school’s colours and logos throughout the site creates a cohesive look that strengthens your school’s identity. Consistent branding helps visitors recognise your school instantly and builds trust through a professional appearance.

5. Ensure Accessibility Compliance

It is vital to make your website accessible to everyone. Inclusive design means people with disabilities can use your site easily, which shows that your school cares about every community member.

Providing alt text for images is important. Adding descriptive text to each image ensures users with vision impairments can understand what the pictures show and don’t miss any content.

Using readable fonts and good colour contrast makes your site easier to read. Choose clear fonts. Make sure there’s a strong difference between text and background colours.

6. Optimise for Search Engines

Optimising your website for search engines is important because it helps more people find your school online. When your site ranks higher in search results, it’s easier for parents and the community to discover what your school offers.

Relevant keywords are a key part of SEO. In your content and metadata, include words related to primary education and your school’s name. This helps search engines understand what your site is about and connects you with people searching for those terms.

Providing quality content is also crucial. When you offer valuable and original information, visitors are likelier to stay on your site and explore. This positive engagement signals to search engines that your site is useful, which can improve your rankings.

Remember technical SEO. Ensure your website follows best practices like a clear structure, fast loading times, and mobile-friendly. Use descriptive URLs and allow search engines to crawl your pages. These steps help search engines properly index your site so it appears in search results.

6 Primary School Website Tips

To make your school’s online presence shine, focus on creating a website that:

• Is easy to navigate
• Works well on all devices
• Showcases important information
• Includes engaging visuals
• Is accessible to everyone
• Is optimised for search engines

Combining these elements means building a site that informs and connects with your community. These strategies enhance the experience for parents, students, and staff, fostering better communication and engagement within your school.

Looking to improve your website? Get in touch with School Jotter today to learn about our primary school website design.

Parental involvement plays a crucial role in student success. When parents are engaged, students often perform better academically, show improved behaviour, and feel more supported in their learning journey. Schools also benefit from a collaborative environment between teachers and parents, which forms a positive and supportive school culture.

Active parent participation goes beyond individual families—it strengthens the entire school community. Engaged parents connect, contribute fresh ideas, and help bring school events to life.

This article will cover five practical tips for boosting parental engagement and creating lasting benefits for students, staff, and the whole school.

1: Improve Communication Channels

Reaching parents where they already are—through emails, SMS, school apps, and social media—makes communication more effective. Using multiple channels ensures parents receive important information most conveniently, increasing the likelihood they’ll stay connected and engaged with school updates.

Consistency is also key. Sending regular updates, like weekly newsletters, event reminders, and progress reports, helps parents feel informed and included. When parents know what’s happening at school, they’re more likely to get involved and support their child’s learning. Reliable, steady communication builds trust and makes it easier for parents to participate actively in the school community.

2: Organise Regular Parent-Teacher Meetings

Scheduling parent-teacher meetings at different times—or offering virtual options—can make it much easier for parents to attend. Flexibility shows consideration for parents’ busy schedules and can increase attendance, ensuring more families stay involved in their child’s education.

These meetings should be collaborative, focusing on supporting the student’s growth rather than only discussing grades. Schools can build a supportive partnership by involving parents in setting goals and creating strategies for their child’s development. This approach helps parents feel valued contributors to their child’s success and strengthens the connection between home and school.

3: Create a Welcoming School Environment

Hosting events like cultural nights, sports days, and community fairs can make the school feel inviting and open to families. These events allow parents to engage in a relaxed setting, meet other families, and feel more connected to the school. When parents enjoy being at school, they’re more likely to get involved.

Encouraging inclusivity through cultural awareness is also essential. Recognising and celebrating the diverse backgrounds of all families ensures that every parent feels welcome and valued. Creating a space where everyone feels accepted can create a stronger, more supportive community that benefits students, staff, and families alike.

4: Encourage Volunteering and Participation in School Activities

Providing various volunteer opportunities that fit different schedules can make it easier for parents to get involved. Whether it’s helping with event planning, assisting in the classroom, or joining school trips, flexible options allow parents to participate in ways that work best for them.

Recognising and appreciating parents is equally important. Simple gestures like a thank-you note, a mention in the school newsletter, or a small appreciation event can go a long way. Acknowledging their efforts reinforces their value in the school community and encourages ongoing participation, creating a supportive network that benefits students and staff alike.

5: Use Technology to Enhance Engagement

A dedicated school app can speed up and simplify communication with parents. With features like event reminders and important announcements, an app keeps parents informed in real-time, reducing the chances of missed information. Everything in one place streamlines the experience, making it simple for parents to stay connected.

Another critical tool is a regularly updated school website, which serves as a go-to resource for parents. It provides essential information about school policies, events, and news. When parents know where to find current information, they feel more engaged and included in the school community.

5 Tips to Improve Parental Engagement in Schools

Parental engagement is crucial for student success. When parents are involved, students often achieve higher grades, have better attendance, and show more positive attitudes toward school.

We encourage schools to adopt some or all of these strategies to build a more connected community. Even small steps can make a big difference.