On September 5, 2022, TWO new requirements were released for immediate action by schools. The good news is that they’re easy to implement. Here’s how you can quickly meet the new school requirements 2022/23. You can, as always, find the full details of all requirements in the School Website Requirements Guide.

Use the information below to get a quick understanding of the requirements and the steps to take to meet them quickly.

New School Website Requirements 2022/23 – School Uniform

Schools routinely publish school uniform information already. This requirement formalises the specific information that parents find helpful.

As a reminder, here are the details.

School uniforms

The department produces statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms which schools must have regard to when developing and implementing their school uniform policy. This guidance requires schools to publish their uniform policy on their website.

The published uniform policy should be easy to understand and, where a school has a school uniform, should:

• clearly state whether an item is optional or required
• make clear if the item will only be worn at certain times of the year (for example, if it’s summer or winter uniform)
• make clear whether a generic item will be accepted or if a branded item is required
• and make clear whether an item can only be purchased from a specific retailer or if it can be purchased more widely, including from second-hand retailers

These are not difficult requirements to meet. But, here are some best practice tips for making sure you meet this requirement in full, applying the principles we advise across all requirements.

1. Create a page specifically for school uniform information
2. Note the instructions say “make clear” and “clearly state”
3. Write the content in a way that is “easy to understand”, again as instructed
4. Separate information about seasonal uniform requirements into two sections on the page so the content is clear
5. Link to any school uniform providers
6. Use photos to illustrate uniform requirements clearly

New School Website Requirements 2022/23 – School Opening Hours

The new requirement to publish school opening hours is something that most schools currently do not advertise. It is often included in the information provided to parents but not often highly visible on the school website.

The publication of this requirement will change that.

Again, as a reminder, here are the details.

School opening hours

Schools should publish on their website their opening and closing times and the total time this amounts to in a typical week (for example 32.5 hours).

Schools should show the compulsory times they are open. This time runs from the official start of the school day (morning registration) to the official end of the compulsory school day. It includes breaks, but not optional before or after school activities.

Again, they are not difficult requirements to meet but below are our best practice suggestions for making sure this requirement is met in full. Note that the details below have taken the requirements and broken them down into individual, hopefully, clearer instructions.

1. Publish Opening and Closing times – simply list what times school opens and closes.
2. Publish the total time this amounts to in a typical week (for example 32.5 hours) – add a line which states the total number of hours
3. Show the compulsory times school is open – make it clear when students must be in school and when the day ends.
4. Add this information to a prominent position on your website. We suggest at least one of the following:
   1. Contact Us page
   2. Term Dates page
   3. Footer of your website on all pages, alongside school contact details (include a link to the Contact page)

This requirement should simply take a few moments to implement.

Next Steps …

Firstly, share with us if you have implemented these changes – we would love to see how you have actioned them and we will share those who are doing a fantastic job.

Be sure to download the latest, free edition of the School Website Requirements Guide for instructions on how to meet all the requirements in full.