Site Structure

In terms of the site content, you might like to start by considering the following. Each heading is a section that would be a page with the overview. Each bullet point, other than the Home page, is one or more sub pages.

Home Page

  • Keep the home page simple and short enough to avoid scrolling. A small amount of vertical scrolling is acceptable on other pages but sideways scrolling is not.
  • Headteacher’s Welcome
  • Basic rule: Use heading, subheading, a small amount of text and a link to more information on the site

Information

  • 'About Us' page that describes the history and educational philosophy of the school plus any affiliations, associations, accreditations, and awards the school may have received. If you’re ambitious, create a short video overview and embed it in this page.
  • Map of your school’s location
  • Up-to-date calendar of school-wide events, including schedules for all the sports teams.
  • School development plan and school progress report
  • Easy-to-understand summaries of school policy statements
  • Enrolment information. There should be at least one page design specifically for prospective students and parents that describes the application process, deadlines, and any openings the school may currently have.

Parents

  • Documents. Frequently used documents like permission slips, application for enrollment, student handbook, lunch order forms, and so on. PDF format is usually the best format for these documents.
  • Minutes of School Board/PTA meetings
  • School uniform details and current prices
  • School meal menus, prices, etc.
  • The range of out-of-school activities offered
  • Breakfast clubs and after-school care, costs, kit, etc.
  • Support provided for pupils with additional support needs
  • Web link suggestions to assist with topic work and homework
  • Direct links to the authority website/local community/Ofsted reports

Children

  • Pupil achievements
  • Class pages. Each teacher ought to have a page for the class(es) they teach. Ideally these could be updated weekly with news and homework assignments, but even something as simple as a link to the class syllabus is very helpful

News

E-newsletter with subscription and archives online. Having an school-wide e-newsletter is a must. Schools may also want to have e-newsletters for each class and extra curricular activities.

Contact

School contact details, especially contact info for the main school office