Designing a School Website

A school website is much different than a normal one, for many reasons. Not only do you need to have a site that is accessible by your staff, students, and parents, but one that is easy to navigate through.

While you may not need all the different internet marketing strategies a commercial website needs, it still has to be seen on search engines, so the public and parents can find you.

So what makes a good school website design? There are a lot of factors that go into creating a great school site. The first is the background design. A great website is one that catches the eye quickly. You could have your school’s logo in the background, with pictures of the school, and some activity photos. A good school design has a homepage that is easy to navigate through, making it easy for parents to access their students’ information, like their grades, what classes they are taking, and access to teachers. It should also be clearly defined so that students can access their information. It should be easy for teachers to input grades, attendance, and any other information they need.

A good website will have important information right on the homepage, school announcements, upcoming sporting and social events, etc. It should be simple, with links to more detailed information. It should also be easy for administrators to access, to update information on a regular basis. There’s nothing worse than having a great website but it isn’t updated.

School websites include a lot of information of a sensitive manner. Some of these can include students names and the grade they’re in, as well as their contact information. It can include email addresses for teachers, students, and parents. While you want these people to be able to access this information, you don’t want just anybody to have access to this information. The home page and some general information about the school should be accessed by the public, but any sensitive information needs to be password protected. Passwords should have to be changed on a regular basis as well.

Here are some other tips for putting together a well designed school website. Make sure your fonts are consistent throughout the site, in a size and design that is large enough for people to easily read. Make sure that your website includes a homework page, one that is easy for teachers to update assignments, post grades, attendance, and whatever else related to the class. This allows both students as well as parents to see what it going on in a class at any time.

Schools have to find ways to save money wherever they can, so it’s important that you utilize your website as much as possible. One way you can do this is instead of having to print off school supplies for each grade and class, you can set up these lists on your website. With teacher access, they can also post speciality supplies their students require on this page. This way it not only saves money and paper, but parents also don’t have to worry about losing the supply list. If they need to print one off to go to the store, they can do it themselves.

There are also other options to add to your school website. Some of these can include a page showcasing student’s accomplishments, with pictures and even videos. You can include school activities, sporting events, dances, or others. Parents always need information, and a link to parent resources can also be a good idea. A school calendar that shows all the events going on through the year, what days off are scheduled, and any other information is a good idea. These are just a few things that make up a great school website.

To discuss your school website requirements in more detail, give us a call on 0800 690 6250 or drop us an email at enquiries@lemongrassmedia.co.uk we’d love to hear from you!

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