Summer is almost upon us, and with the end of the school year in sight, it’s the perfect time to start preparing your school website for the upcoming academic year. As school website managers, taking advantage of the summer break to refine and enhance your website can set you up for success when the new term begins. Here, we’ve compiled the most critical tasks to focus on this summer to ensure your school website is engaging, compliant, and up-to-date.

Embrace Summer Reading for Website Improvement

Summer provides a fantastic opportunity to catch up on some essential reading that can improve your school website. Dive into our School Website Design Blog, packed with advice on keeping your website current, engaging your users, and exceeding statutory requirements. Here are some must-read articles to get you started:

School Website Policies = Yawn?

Yes, we know! It’s the most deathly dull part of your school website. Sadly, it’s also a really important one. We have the article for you. School Website Policies = Yawn? This post talks us through why they’re so important. It also describes practically how you can effectively manage policies on your school website. Summer is the perfect time to get ahead on this one.

Social Media and Your School Website

More and more schools are using social media, particularly Twitter, to engage with their wider audience. A great example is schools that are tweeting to keep parents up to date when a class are on a trip. It’s useful, it’s helpful and reassuring and meets the needs of the audience. And that’s what you should be aiming for with everything on and around your school website, including socially.

If you’ve no idea where to start, here’s an article about Social Media and Your School Website. You’ll find everything you need to get started. If you want to take that one step further into social then this is the blog post for you – How Social Media can Improve Parental Engagement.

These resources will provide you with valuable insights and practical tips to ensure your website is in top shape for the new school year. Then, check out the Social Media Management products available in our marketplace. They’re created to make managing social media within your school or Trust highly effective.

Plan Ahead for Events and News

One of the great advantages of working in schools is the ability to plan ahead. Use the summer to add next year’s events to your school website. This proactive approach will ensure you are ahead of the game and can help improve engagement with parents and students.

When adding events, make sure to create engaging content rather than just listing dates. Compelling descriptions and visuals can draw users in and encourage them to participate. Additionally, high-quality school website software can prompt you to write news articles after events, ensuring your site remains fresh and up-to-date.

Ensure Compliance with Ofsted Requirements

Compliance is crucial for keeping Ofsted happy and your school website legally sound. Each summer, the Department for Education (DfE) often updates the list of school website requirements. Here’s how you can stay on top of these changes:

Download the Ultimate School Website Requirements Guide – This comprehensive guide offers expert advice and is relied upon by nearly 4,000 schools across the UK.

Subscribe to Email Updates – Once you’ve downloaded the guide, make sure to check your emails regularly for updates. These emails contain the latest requirements and essential information.

By following these steps, you’ll be well-prepared to handle any compliance updates that come your way.

If you’re managing the compliance across a number of schools within a trust, be sure to check out the Schudio MAT Portal – it brings together the essential tools for managing compliance across a wider-organisation.

Develop a Strategy for News, Events, and Blogs

Regularly updating your website with news, events, and blogs is essential for maintaining engagement with your school community. Although it can be challenging to generate content over the summer when schools are closed, this is the perfect time to develop a comprehensive content strategy for the upcoming year. Here’s how you can create a robust plan to keep your website dynamic and engaging.

Identify Your Key Content Areas

Start by identifying the key areas you want to focus on, such as news, events, and blogs. Each of these areas serves a different purpose and engages your audience in unique ways. Consider the following:

News: Keep your community informed about the latest developments, achievements, and important updates.
Events: Promote upcoming school events, ensuring that parents, students, and staff are aware and can participate.
Blogs: Provide in-depth insights, stories, and educational content that add value to your community.

Create a Content Calendar

A content calendar is a vital tool for planning and scheduling your posts. It helps ensure that your website is consistently updated and allows you to coordinate content around key dates and events. Here’s how to create an effective content calendar:

1. Annual Overview: Start with a broad overview of the entire year. Mark key dates such as holidays, school terms, and significant events (e.g., sports day, open house, exams).
2. Monthly Plan: Break down the annual overview into monthly plans. Assign specific topics to each month, ensuring a balanced mix of news, events, and blogs.
3. Weekly Schedule: For a more detailed approach, create a weekly schedule. Determine specific days for posting different types of content to maintain a steady flow of updates.

Generate Content Ideas

Generating fresh and engaging content ideas can be challenging, but with a bit of creativity and planning, you can ensure a steady stream of content. Here are some ideas:

News:
– Announce student achievements and awards.
– Share updates on school projects and initiatives.
– Highlight community involvement and partnerships.

Events:
– Promote upcoming school events, trips, and activities.
– Provide pre-event coverage, including interviews with organisers or participants.
– Post-event summaries with photos and feedback.

Blogs:
– Feature guest posts from teachers, students, and parents.
– Share educational resources and tips.
– Discuss trending topics in education and how they relate to your school.

Leverage Examples from Other Schools

Look at examples from other schools to see how they manage their content. For instance, Werneth School uses blogs effectively to keep parents informed about school activities, updating their blog weekly. Fairfield Primary School regularly adds news articles, showcasing what’s happening within their school multiple times a week. These examples can provide inspiration and practical insights for your own strategy.

Encourage Community Participation

Engage your school community by encouraging participation in your content creation. This not only lightens the load but also fosters a sense of involvement and ownership. Here are some ways to involve your community:

Student Contributions: Encourage students to contribute articles, stories, and artwork. This can be a great way to showcase their talents and perspectives.
Teacher Insights: Ask teachers to share their experiences, teaching tips, and classroom highlights.
Parent Feedback: Invite parents to share their thoughts, experiences, and suggestions for the school.

Utilise Technology and Tools

Make use of technology and tools to streamline your content management. Here are some recommendations:

Content Management System (CMS): Ensure your CMS allows for easy content scheduling, editing, and publishing.
Social Media Integration: Integrate your website with social media platforms to automatically share updates and increase reach.
Analytics Tools: Use analytics tools to track the performance of your content and make data-driven decisions to improve engagement.

Promote Your Content

Once your content is live, promotion is key to ensuring it reaches your audience. Here are some strategies:

Email Newsletters: Send regular newsletters highlighting new content and upcoming events.
Social Media: Share your content on social media platforms to reach a broader audience.
Website Banners and Pop-ups: Use banners and pop-ups on your website to draw attention to new content and important announcements.

Evaluate and Adjust Your Strategy

Finally, regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your content strategy and make adjustments as needed. Use analytics to measure engagement, and gather feedback from your community to understand what works best.

By developing a comprehensive content strategy and leveraging the tips above, you’ll ensure your school website remains vibrant, informative, and engaging throughout the year. This proactive approach will not only keep your audience informed but also build a stronger sense of community within your school.

Utilise Document Groups for Better Organisation

Organising documents on your website is crucial for accessibility and ease of use. Document groups allow you to display policies, governor documents, term dates, and more in an organised manner. This ensures documents can be viewed, downloaded, and printed easily.

Read our article on **Document Groups** to learn how to create, add, and manage these groups on your website. Schools like Lytham High School use document groups to display their policies effectively, setting a great example of best practice.

Enhance Your Website with Quality Photography

Photographs bring your website to life, adding personality and colour. They make text-heavy content more engaging and provide a visual insight into your school. Consider having professional photography sessions to refresh your website’s visuals.

Check out these school websites for inspiration:
Rushey Green Primary School
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School

These schools effectively use photographs to showcase their environment, activities, and culture. If you want to learn more about making the most of photography for your website, read our blogs on **How to Get the Most Out of Your Photography Day** and **School Website Photography – Where Should Your School Start?**

Final Steps for a Smooth Transition to the New School Year

By completing these tasks, your school website will be ready for the new academic year, reducing your workload and ensuring a smooth start. Additionally, explore SchudioTV’s School Website Managers membership for tools and resources to help you manage your website effectively.

Remember, new compliance requirements were released on May 15th, 2024. Use this summer to ensure your website meets all the latest standards. Stay proactive, and you’ll be well-prepared to welcome students and parents back in the autumn.

We love hearing about the changes you’ve made and the impact they’ve had. Feel free to share your thoughts and plans with us. Have a wonderful summer break and happy website updating!