Yes, regularly reviewing your school’s website is essential, but it’s not as simple as it seems. A quick glance isn’t enough – you need to carefully evaluate what you’re updating, when you’re making changes, and how those updates impact usability, SEO, and compliance. When done correctly, your website remains accurate, user-friendly, and optimised for success. So, let’s dive into the how, when and why of effective website reviews.
Websites are often the first-place prospective students and parents go to learn more, making it a critical component of your marketing strategy. If your school’s website fails to engage visitors or provide essential information, you risk losing potential students, funding, and opportunities. For that reason, it’s essential that your website meets the needs of its intended users and accurately represents your institution.
A well-maintained school website builds trust and engagement, reinforcing your commitment to excellence, aligning with the high-standards visitors expect online and when they step onto your campus.
Getting the correct balance when reviewing your institute’s website is difficult – you don’t want to find yourself reviewing it too often, or even too little.
Google does not instantly update rankings every time you make a change to your website. It follows something called a ranking cycle, evaluating changes over time.
Frequently modifying content can cause Google to reset the ranking process, delaying improvements or even lowing rankings. Too many changes can also cause Googlebot’s to crawl the site inefficiently, making it harder to prioritise important updates.
A stagnant website leads to poor user experience. Users expect current and accurate content, and if they encounter outdated details, they may lose trust in your school. Additionally, failing to update key documents – such as Ofsted reports or safeguarding policies – could result in compliance issues.
Google prioritises fresh content, assuming it better serves users. If your website rarely updates, it may drop in ranking making it less visible in search results and harder for prospective students and parents to find.
Outdated software also creates security risks, leaving your website vulnerable to hacking or malware. Additionally, broken links and technical errors can damage credibility and disrupt your user’s experience.
Aligning your school website during peak student recruitment times can maximise your engagement and boost applications. Not all schools will require reviewing their websites at the same time – you want to be updating your website at the key times for your community:
Whilst the timing of your reviews is important, so is the content that you review/change during these times.
Weekly/Monthly: SEO content, Term/Diary Dates.
Per Term: Key Open Days/Events (Dates are updated to the latest events), Curriculum, Exam Dates, Funding/Fee Information.
6-12 Months: Key policies (Safeguarding, Health and Safety etc), Ofsted Compliance Information (Updated reports, Website overall compliancy) Security and Technical Maintenance.
To ensure an Ofsted compliant website you must provide clear and accurate information that meets statutory requirements. You should be regularly updating key documents, including:
Accessibility is also crucial as content should be easy to navigate and compliant with web accessibility standards (WCAG 2.2). Regular reviews help to maintain this, ensuring that parents, inspectors, and stakeholders can easily navigate essential information.
We recommend reviewing the Ofsted Compliance Checklist, which outlines the information that maintained schools, academies, free schools, and colleges must publish online. Ensuring that all required details are publicly available on a schools or trust’s website helps meet regulatory expectations and maintain transparency.
What maintained schools must publish online.
What academies, free schools and colleges should publish online.
Maintaining a well-structured school website isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about accuracy, security and visibility.
To ensure that your school’s website provides the most accurate and relevant information to prospective students, parents, and stakeholders, regular reviews and updates are essential. By keeping your school’s website well-maintained, you reinforce trust, credibility and excellence for your institution’s digital presence.
Websites for MATs and Websites for universities may need additional updates to reflect any changes to funding, government details, and key policies.
If you’re unsure about when or how to conduct these reviews, or if your school’s website is in need of a revamp, our team is here to help! We specialise in helping educational institutions find the right balance of content and updates, ensuring that your website is always aligned with your goals and current needs.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can work together to optimise your website for success!
