What do you want your site to contain? (Becta Advice)
Some websites are a 'triumph of style over content', but for schools it's important that visitors to the site can get the information they need as quickly and painlessly as possible.
'School website designers need to look at their plans from the end user's point of view'. 'Complicated file structures won't present a school in the best light. You really have to think about what will work in every browser.'
There's a temptation to provide too little content on a website, initially at least, but this isn't as practical as it might seem. The potential scope of a school website is immense, but core information is vital. The following, at least, should all have a place on a school's website:
- School name, location (with directions, perhaps linking to a map) and contact details
- School logo and motto
- Ethos or mission statement
- Welcome from the head
- Basic information about the school (e.g. the number on roll, number of staff, a brief history of the school and the key facilities it has)
- List of all staff members and their role in the school
- Ofsted reports (with all but the most recent archived)
- School calendar of key dates and events
- Timetables
- Examples of children's work
- School newsletters (with all but the most recent archived)
The following optional extras could be included too:
- The school prospectus (although the website is a prospectus of sorts so there is probably little point in having the whole thing online)
- Curriculum and other policies (summaries would do)
- Schemes of work
- Homework notes for pupils
- Activities for pupils
- Links to other useful information or activities for pupils
- A search engine (once your site takes off it will be useful to find content quickly)
Whatever you decide to include in your website, make sure that it has an identified readership group, e.g. Governors, parents, pupils, staff, the community. Aim to write with that readership in mind.