{"id":3794,"date":"2019-09-29T08:52:22","date_gmt":"2019-09-29T07:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3794"},"modified":"2019-09-30T15:25:10","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T14:25:10","slug":"what-makes-a-great-school-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/2019\/09\/what-makes-a-great-school-website\/","title":{"rendered":"What makes a great school website?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3808\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Great-website-1024x576.png\" alt=\"What makes a great school website?\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Great-website-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Great-website-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Great-website-768x432.png 768w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Great-website.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We would, with more than a little bias, say that all of our school websites are great. Perhaps even fantastic, if we may be so bold? In this blog, however, we would like to take a more objective look at what it is in general which makes for a great school website &#8211; one which keeps your parents, students, and local community coming back to find all the information they need. One which is easy to navigate and a pleasure, not a chore, to use.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Eye-catching photography<\/h2>\n<p>One thing is certain with this website for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chadwellacademy.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chadwell Heath Academy<\/a> &#8211; you are going to stop for a moment just to take this photo in! Not every photo has to be this spectacular but it helps if one or two full-sized photos on the homepage have these breathtaking appeal. In a sea of school websites your own website would at the very least stand out to prospective parents!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3797\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chadwell-heath-school-website-design-1024x581.jpg\" alt=\"chadwell-heath-school-website-design\" width=\"1024\" height=\"581\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chadwell-heath-school-website-design-1024x581.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chadwell-heath-school-website-design-300x170.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chadwell-heath-school-website-design-768x436.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/chadwell-heath-school-website-design.jpg 1233w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Funny or heartwarming photos<\/h2>\n<p>The photo below from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.claverdonschool.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Claverdon Primary School<\/a> is not as dramatic as the photo above but it is all about photography again. This time the focus is photos which warm the heart of prospective, and current, parents. Photography which conveys the warmth of a school and also shows that achievement is the academic goal but that some light-hearted fun is also involved and children will grow as rounded humans with a sense of humour.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3795\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/claverdon-primary-school-website-design-1024x584.jpg\" alt=\"claverdon-primary-school-website-design\" width=\"1024\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/claverdon-primary-school-website-design-1024x584.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/claverdon-primary-school-website-design-300x171.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/claverdon-primary-school-website-design-768x438.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/claverdon-primary-school-website-design.jpg 1228w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Testimonials<\/h2>\n<p>Having some quotes from parents or even children, as at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.earlscolneprimaryschoolandnursery.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earls Colne Primary School<\/a>, can be a great way to enhance your school website. We like websites to work smoothly and sometimes they often have an almost corporate feel so that they are easy to navigate, but that doesn\u2019t mean removing the little touches which make it unmistakably a great <strong><em>school<\/em> <\/strong>website.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3796\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/earls-colne-school-website-design-1024x581.jpg\" alt=\"earls-colne-school-website-design\" width=\"1024\" height=\"581\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/earls-colne-school-website-design-1024x581.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/earls-colne-school-website-design-300x170.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/earls-colne-school-website-design-768x436.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/earls-colne-school-website-design.jpg 1233w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Easy to find information<\/h2>\n<p>Having clear ways to find information can make all the difference for parents and students coming to your website. This layout of the latest news and diary dates is just one of many, many designs our designers come up with &#8211; however nice they look though, the most important thing is that they are easy to find and easy to read.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3798\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/diary-dates-1024x576.png\" alt=\"diary-dates\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/diary-dates-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/diary-dates-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/diary-dates-768x432.png 768w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/diary-dates.png 1366w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Include your values and ethos with great school website design<\/h2>\n<p>You need to include some values or ethos statements as part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/2019\/09\/september-2019-latest-statutory-ofsted-school-website-requirements\/\">statutory school website requirements<\/a> for Ofsted. But beyond that this is really key information for prospective parents too. The design below also shows how you can have fun and make your values a really stunning part of your website design rather than just typing up some paragraphs or attaching a policy which many parents (sorry!) will never read through.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/school-values-1024x576.png\" alt=\"school-values\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/school-values-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/school-values-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/school-values-768x432.png 768w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/school-values.png 1366w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Some added extras<\/h2>\n<p>If you need your school website to stand out from the crowd then some added extras, such as a virtual tour or drone footage of the grounds, can make a real difference. For prospective parents this will give them a feeling that they already know the school setting before they set foot through the doors &#8211; which means on an Open Day they already feel at home.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3799\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/school-virtual-tour.png\" alt=\"school-virtual-tour\" width=\"1006\" height=\"470\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/school-virtual-tour.png 1006w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/school-virtual-tour-300x140.png 300w, http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/school-virtual-tour-768x359.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1006px) 100vw, 1006px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Having seen these websites you might be interested in more information from Greenhouse School Websites:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/services\/school-photography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">School Photography Services<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/school-website-prices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">School Website Design Prices<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What makes a great school website? A school website which keeps your parents, students, and local community coming back to find all the information they need? One which is easy to navigate and a pleasure, not a chore, to use?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":3808,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3794"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.greenhouseschoolwebsites.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}