Every week, schooljotter.com names one school website its School Jotter of the Week – showcasing those websites that are great examples of how a school website should be. Now, we want you to tell us if you think you have an outstanding School Jotter!

Continue reading →

At Webanywhere, we always love to see a school website that’s a bit different, and Copley Primary School’s Windows 8-inspired website is definitely one that stands out!

The Halifax school recently had their website redesigned, and it now incorporates colourful ‘blocks’ on each page. The box for the header even changes colour!
The best thing about using colourful blocks to separate out the content on your website is that you can add a large amount of information to one page, without it looking messy. In fact, take a look at the Homepage – scroll down and you’ll see there is quite a lot on this page, yet the design of the website makes it look like there should be lots of content.
The way the menus have been ordered keeps things neat and tidy too – there are only four menu boxes – but hover over one and you’ll get further menu options. It’s clearly a website that wants its visitors to find their way around easily – whether that’s parents, pupils of Ofsted. Plus, this design would look great whether viewed on a laptop, desktop, tablet or smartphone.
To take a look at Copley Primary School’s website click here. To find out how your school website can be colourful, functional and engaging, get in touch with us here.

Elloughton Primary School near Hull is a place ‘where children are happy and want to be’, according to the introduction on the Homepage of their school website. Everything about the website reflects this statement, both in terms of the design and the content.

Firstly, there’s the beautiful photography that’s been used on the Homepage – shots of schoolchildren enjoying learning or looking studious, and generally lots of smiles.
The website also has an Our Community section. This is a great place for the school to not just shout about how they involve pupils in the community (the School Council, consisting of representatives from each class, and Eco Warriors (a group of pupils who drive initiatives in and around the school) but to showcase staff and governors.
The Showcasing Our Work section is the school’s opportunity to display work created by pupils in picture form – a great way for the children to feel proud about their work. Finally, the Vision & Aims section shows that the school really are clear on what they’re about, and why they are a school worth considering.
To view Elloughton Primary School’s School Jotter website click here. To find out how your school website can reflect your vision, values and ethos, get in touch with us here.

Holy Family Catholic Primary School, between Manchester and Wigan, have populated their School Jotter website with a huge amount of content – and you can see that it’s updated regularly.

The content they’ve included must be a dream for Ofsted inspectors – take their newsfeed for example. News stories include the latest newsletter, information regarding their funding for sports provision and information about their new Google Translate option – a popular feature for School Jotter website users.
Another good feature – something that more school websites should have – is a Governors area. On Holy Family’s website, this is a restricted area available for those with log in details only – so it means their website acts as an online portal for storing important documents safely.
Holy Family Catholic Primary School’s website is a great example of how a school website could be used – and will help them with future Ofsted inspections (an Inspector’s first port of call, remember, is the school’s website). If your school is looking at revamping or putting more time into developing and improving its website, take a look at Holy Family Catholic Primary School’s website here. You can request a School Jotter demo here.
 

This week’s chosen school website comes all the way from Northern Ireland – Craigavon to be precise. It’s a School Jotter website that represents a very useful website design choice.

As you can see from our image above, Portadown Integrated Nursery & Primary School have gone for an attractive background design that gives them plenty of white space in the centre of the page. This allows for any kind of content to be added in, yet the design keeps the website looking attractive and professional, whatever page you’re on.
This is another school that have chosen the Google Translate option: On the Homepage, site visitors are given the option to change the language of the website. This helps non English-speaking parents stay engaged with what’s happening within the school.
From an admin point of view, Portadown Integrated Nursery & Primary School will also see their dashboard change later this month, as we revamp the look and usability of School Jotter websites. If you’re a School Jotter user, look out for a guide to the new layout coming soon; if you’re not a School Jotter user, get in touch and find out how your school website could soon be integrated with all your e-learning.
You can see Portadown Integrated Nursery & Primary School’s website here. You can request a School Jotter demo here.
 

A School Jotter website is perfect for capturing the ethos of your school, but at Gosbecks Primary School, Colchester they’ve gone one step further.

Their new School Jotter website design incorporates a woodland background, and friendly images of the children working. There are also cartoon-style graphics of children and the school, creating the feeling of a warm and welcoming primary school for any child or prospective parent – exactly what the school wanted to achieve.
The website includes all the latest Ofsted requirements, from sports provision funding to information about Pupil Premium – but its real strength is its ambition to increase parental engagement. From school dinner menus information and the use of Google Translate for non-English speaking parents, to the parents’ handbook and the events feed on the homepage – this website has everything to keep mums and dads informed.
For prospective parents there’s a virtual tour, too – and this, along with the amount of content included, combined with the attractive website design, makes this a great example of how effective a School Jotter website can be.
To visit Gosbecks Primary School click here.
To find out how we can create an effective school website for you, get in touch here.

Honley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infant and Nursery School’s website is inviting and warm, with smiling, waving children placed in the header of each and every page. What makes it even better is that these children are wearing the uniform of the school itself.

Continue reading →

Hoyle Court Primary school’s website allows you to put names to faces with the ‘Meet Our Staff’ page. Children may come home and talk about certain staff members and with this page you can see what they do in school and what they look like. Furthermore, this page gives the school website a personality and human connection – rather than just lists of names, you can get a real feel for how the school runs.

Continue reading →

The fluttering butterflies on Triangle C of E Primary School website entice you into the site and bring an element of fun and character.

Continue reading →

The look and feel of the site is personalised to the school itself, encompassing the school building and local features, including the moving train and viaduct bridge.

Continue reading →