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.

 

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

Two Decades of Transforming Education

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

Elevating Schools’ Reputations Through Integrated Solutions

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

Seamless Synchronicity for Effective Communication

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

Fostering Connection and Involvement

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

Looking Ahead: A Stronger Future Together

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

Let’s Connect and Explore Together

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Storing information securely is a key concern for schools. For that reason, we you might find it useful to have a private area on your school website for governors, teachers or OFSTED.
School Jotter makes it easy to add and customise access to your own private area, requiring a login for users to access it.

1 – Firstly, make sure you have a user login set up. You can do this by going to the ‘admin’ section on your jotter site and clicking ‘add user’.
Fill out the details there with whatever you want the user to log in with. Check their application roles have ‘Site’ set to ‘Viewer’ or above.

2 – Then, return to the site. Click ‘Manage’ and ‘Pages’ and then find the page you want to make private in the left hand side. Click ‘access’.

3 – Check ‘private page’ and then enter the name of the user you want to be able to access the page. Set their access to ‘view only’. This will be automatically saved.

Log out of School Jotter and when viewing the page as a non administrator you will be asked for your login credentials.

You can use your new private area to upload confidential documents and share meeting dates, improving communication between staff, governors or your PTA.

We’ve created a handy infographic to help explain some of the more confusing aspects of website creation, click on the image for a higher resolution version!

Website Design For Schools In The UK

This is a tricky issue for non-experienced website designers. While wanting to save on costs by doing their school web design themselves, schools should make sure they meet the Ofsted requirements when it comes to website content and structure.

One of the problems many school website designers encounter is that they use too many colors making their content very difficult to read. What follows are some tips to help create a beautiful website design for schools in the UK.

Defining Your School’s Brand and Content Strategy

 

Knowing your school’s brand and what you stand for will help you write the content for your school’s website. You need to understand the school’s core values as well as what your school stands for.

 

Then you need to understand what your school does well and what problems it can solve for its students. There are other key questions you can ask yourself before you start creating a content strategy.

 

That strategy will revolve around the answers to all of those key questions. Plus, understanding the purpose of your school will help you create a unique website look that stands out from the crowd.

 

What also is involved in defining your school’s brand will be the following elements:

 

• Develop your school’s promise to potential parents and students
• Add a tagline that reflects the purpose of the school
• Create your school’s identity- this includes creating a logo, finding your voice, the imagery you want to use, and the colours you want to use.

 

Defining your school’s brand is a wide range of elements that help potential and current students know who you are. That makes your website more attractive than using a number of bright or other colours.

 

Building A Solid User-Friendly Experience On The School Website

In the world of web design, there are a lot of options you can use to build complexity to your school’s website design. However, the old sayings ‘keep it simple’ and ‘less is more’ are key guides you should use when creating a primary school website design.

Yes, having fun things like pop-ups, interactive polls, and lots of videos can help but often those elements and other ones turn the user experience into something far more time-consuming than parents want to go through.

The key to building a good user experience on your school’s website is to follow these key tips:

1. Keep The Website Focused On Current School Parents

Make sure the relevant information is easy to access and find. Those important issues of tuition costs, teacher contact opportunities, and school events all should be very easy for the current school parent to find.

2. Focus On Enrollment

Make your enrollment process a priority. Part of the school’s website design is to attract new students to your school. This can partly be achieved through your About Us web page.

3. Help Busy Parents

This is done by having a clear school calendar on your website. Then make it easy to access for those busy parents who do not have the time to waste doing complicated searches or bypassing pop-ups, etc.

4. Miscellaneous Pages

These include contact information, a news and media web page, and more. You want to keep your school web design interesting without making it hard for parents to navigate through all the pages to get the information they want.

Add Interactive Features and Compelling Content for engaging the audience

Once you have understood your school’s identity and purpose, and then fleshed out a content strategy, now is the time to add some more interesting elements to your school website design.

Look for key features that can incorporate interactive activities. These will help engage both parents and students. Then make sure to have someone write excellent content that will be of interest to those school parents.

Content is still king and will help boost your school’s website in the search engine rankings. Bad content is one way to drive prospective students and parents away from your school.

Some Additional Words

Since 2003, School Jotter has been working with thousands of schools across the UK and worldwide to develop the best school website and e-learning software. We always make sure our school web design reflects the ethos of each school.

Contact us today to see how we can help make your school website design more attractive and user-friendly. Our experts will be glad to spend time working with you to enhance your public face.

You might remember, six months ago, how all the blogs about school websites (us included) – and indeed all websites – were talking about Google’s impending “Mobilegeddon” – the change in their ranking algorithm that would prioritise mobile-friendly websites and penalise those that aren’t mobile compatible. No doubt you received countless emails from providers (ourselves included, again), offering to fix the problem, but six months on we have to ask – was it a genuine threat to your website?
The short answer is “no, but….”, and the long answer is “yes, and…”. The reasons for this are due to a number of trends in the way people are accessing content, and the long and short of it is that, from here on out, things are only going to get worse for non-mobile-friendly websites.

Changes in browsing habits

The traditional model of browsing on your desktop, with Google results in front of you and websites tucked comfortably behind the tabs or windows of your screen, is in decline. Even since April, Android traffic alone has gone up by as much as 6% by some metrics – invariably at the expense of desktop searches. This means that parents are more likely to be searching for things like schools from a mobile device.
In this environment, your content needs to work on these devices, and not just function but look great while doing it. This is why we really do recommend a responsive website, and it’s worth pointing out that School Jotter 2 customers needn’t worry about these changes – all their websites are responsive straight out of the box, with easy access from any device you choose. Content will change and adapt to suit the screen size, so it doesn’t matter if you’re using a 27” iMac or a 3.5” Android phone – you’ll get the same content, tailored to your device.
The reality of the situation is that you need to be going where the people are, and increasingly they’re on their tablets and phones.

Google’s changes are gradual

I want to be clear here – Mobilegeddon was a real thing, with real effects, it just wasn’t as bad as everyone said, but the important thing here is “yet”. April was the beginning of a longer process which will slowly see mobile-friendly designs becoming the new normal, transitioning from a luxury to a general fact of life. By upgrading your site to a responsive theme, you’ll be getting around this; by staying non-responsive things are only going to get worse for your rankings.

The overall picture

Your website needs to work on the phones of parents, teachers and students, and if it doesn’t you’re missing out. Not just in terms of your slowly-decreasing search engine traffic, but in terms of providing a decent browsing experience to the people who need it most.
Interested in getting a responsive, mobile-friendly website? School Jotter provides responsive themes out of the box, contact us for a free trial.

By Becky Cunliffe
There are many posts online about how to make a great website, and many similar posts on what to avoid; these tend to be fairly generic. In this blog I’ll summarise some of the key things that, in my opinion, should be considered, and what should be forgotten about, when it comes to school websites in particular.
My top tips:

1. Remember the Purpose – It’s important to remember what the point of the website is. Is it to encourage parents to use your school? Is it a portal for parents? Is it for students to check for events?
   Remember you may have other systems or sites for these purposes, so link to them rather than try to fit it all on your website.
2. Make it easy to find – Navigation is crucial and can lose visitors; if it is not easy to see where to go, they may give up.
3. Planning – Rushing into the site may result in bulky pages, so always try to plan out what pages you are going to have and what should be on them. Don’t forget to use links to try and keep pages short, if they want more information they can go to the additional pages.
4. Update it – Nothing discourages visitors more than finding an event being advertised that was over 5 years ago, as this creates the impression that the site may no longer be in use. Likewise, try to remove your old website from the web to stop parents ending up in the wrong place.
5. Use colour – Try to not make the website a textbook. Add some relevant images or colour to the page, but do make sure your page is still readable and easy on the eyes.

I would strongly recommend avoiding the following:

1. Sound – This can startle visitors and often they will simply mute their speaker. It also asks the question, why do you need that sound?
2. Animation – Small gifs can be useful but try to avoid anything that changes the whole page, such as leaves falling down the page. This just causes annoyance when trying to view the page and can get in the way.
3. Several-tiered menus – Keep your navigation to 1-2 submenus only. At a certain point the visitor may be lost, or if its a hover-over menu they may lose their place.
4. Large files – Keep images, files, videos etc to a smaller size so visitors are not waiting on downloads.
5. Too much info – Remember, a website is there to show information, but try not to overwhelm it with too many pages. Use the other Jotter Apps and any system or sites you may have, and try to remember what the purpose is of each to avoid duplication.

The last thing most teachers will be thinking about right now is September. It’s a an age away – a whole new school year! Before then, there are sports days, end-of-year award ceremonies and gifts from pupils to look forward to!
As an e-learning company dealing with thousands of schools in the UK and worldwide, naturally Webanywhere’s workload ebbs and flows with schools’ needs. We’re therefore usually pretty quiet over July and August – which is why we’re offering schools a limited offer.

Plan to start the next school year in style with a new school website design, introducing new pupils and parents to your school, and we’ll knock off £100 if you’re a Webanywhere customer, and 20% if you’re not yet using our School Jotter website system.
To find out more, just get in touch here, quoting our website redesign offer. Before you do, however, we recommend you take a look at some of our latest website designs below.

Coxhoe School is a familiar name to primary schools all around the country, thanks mainly to a popular website the school created a few years ago.

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