New Academic Year, New Priorities: Is Your Website Keeping Up?

Your Website is Your School’s First Impression

Your school will have changed considerably over the past few years and your website should have changed with it.

You may have welcomed new leaders, updated your curriculum, improved facilities, joined a trust, introduced new approaches to SEND or wellbeing, and celebrated countless pupil successes.

If your website is more than four years old, it's worth asking a simple question: does it still reflect the school we are today?

Your School Has Changed. Has Your Website?

Schools are constantly evolving, but websites often remain largely unchanged for years. A site that accurately reflected your school a few years ago may no longer tell the story you want prospective parents, staff and stakeholders to see today.

Your website should celebrate what makes your school special. It is often the first place prospective families, staff and community members go to learn about your school and should reflect your current priorities, achievements and culture.

Its role is to communicate the excellent work taking place every day to support pupils, staff and the wider community so everyone knows what to expect when they walk through your doors.

The most effective school websites do more than tick compliance boxes and a review of your website can help ensure it continues to reflect who you are today.

Five Questions Every School Should Ask About Their Website This September

• Does it reflect the school we are today?

• Would a prospective family understand what makes us different?

• Can visitors find the information they need quickly?

• Does it showcase our pupils, staff, culture and achievements?

• Is it helping us attract new pupils and employees?

If any of these questions are difficult to answer, it is time to review your website's content, structure and purpose. Small improvements can make a significant difference to how your school is perceived and how effectively your website supports your wider priorities.

Benefits of an Improved School Website

An effective website can support admissions, recruitment, communication and stakeholder confidence. Download our free School Website Review Checklist, to review whether your website is working hard enough.

How Juniper Websites Can Help

If your website no longer reflects your school's strengths, Juniper Websites helps schools create modern, compliant websites that are easy to update and designed specifically for education.

Whether you're looking to improve admissions, support recruitment or simply present a more accurate picture of your school, our team can help.

For more information or to speak to us, please click here.

Starting The New Year Strong

The start of the academic year is a natural time to review priorities, processes and plans for the year ahead. It should also be a time to review whether your website is supporting those ambitions. The strongest school websites do more than publish information. They attract prospective families, support recruitment, strengthen communication, showcase achievements and reflect the unique character of the school.