You may not know exactly what you want to include in your school’s website, particularly if this is the first time that you’ve worked on a website.
How do you choose the features that will best suit your school and reflect it in its best light when you are making a list? Some features may be required by OFSTED, while others will just make good sense.
- What information is required by OFSTED?
You’ll first need to familiarise yourself with the things your school’s website must contain to be OFSTED-compliant. OFSTED will first check your school’s website before a visit.
The guidance on what you should include changes regularly, so it is always worth checking.
Inspections by OFSTED
You can make the job of the inspector easier by creating a page that is not public on your school’s website. This will allow you to include all of the information OFSTED needs in advance of an OFSTED inspection.
It gives the impression that you are organised and proactive before the inspection begins.
- Up to date, professional photos
First impressions are important when prospective parents visit your school’s website. How does the school appear? Are the students happy at school? Great photography can instantly answer all of these questions.
Websites that feature professional photos are more likely to create a positive first impression than those using images from an iPhone taken 5 years ago by a member of staff!
- Your school calendar
You need to make sure that parents can easily find the information they are looking for.
This will save your receptionists time by reducing the number of emails and phone calls they receive regarding dates and schedules. For help with Websites for schools, contact https://www.fsedesign.co.uk/websites-for-schools/
- A News Page
A regularly updated section of news can make a great impression about your school. Parents can get a quick idea of the activities that their children are likely to be involved in, and how the school operates on a daily basis.
Parents will be able to check the site for updates and photos of their children participating in school life.
- An FAQs page
Are you getting parents asking the exact same questions all the time? They may not have been able to find the answers they are looking for on your site, or they might be too busy to spend the time to browse the entire website to find an answer.
A regularly updated FAQs section allows parents to quickly find the answers they are looking for and the school staff is not bombarded with the same questions every week.