Gilsland C of E Primary School
Primary School in Gilsland, Cumbria
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The brief
Gilsland C.E. Primary School needed a professional, modern website that could act as an important communication hub for parents, pupils, prospective families and the wider school community.
As well as presenting the school's character and ethos, the website needed to make a large amount of information easy to find and maintain.
The challenge
School websites have to balance two very different requirements:
- Present the school in an attractive and welcoming way.
- Provide quick access to a considerable amount of practical and statutory information.
The website therefore needed a clear structure that allowed visitors to quickly find things such as:
- Admissions information
- Term dates
- School policies
- Curriculum information
- Ofsted and SIAMS reports
- Performance information
- Staff details
- School news and activities
- Parent information
- Contact details
- Useful educational links
The school's statutory information is particularly extensive, with the website providing access to required information covering areas including curriculum, SEND, policies, governance, safeguarding and admissions.
The solution
Kierweb designed and developed a content-managed school website with a straightforward navigation structure, allowing the school to keep information up to date without needing to rely on a web developer for every change.
The website brings together the school's key information under clearly defined sections including About Us, Key Information, Parents and School Life.
The design also provides plenty of opportunity to showcase everyday school life, helping the website feel like more than simply a repository for policies and documents.
Built for parents
A major focus was making information easy for parents and prospective parents to access.
The site provides dedicated areas for practical information including term dates, admissions, school policies and parent resources, alongside information about activities such as the school's Friday morning parent/toddler group.
Keeping information up to date
Because school information changes regularly, the ability for staff to update the website themselves is important.
The CMS allows the school to maintain its own content, update dates and announcements, add documents and keep parents informed without requiring technical web-development knowledge.
A central hub for the school community
The website also acts as a central point for connecting visitors with the wider school community.
Visitors can find staff information, useful educational resources, school reports, contact details and links to external services and organisations.
The website also provides links to the school's social media presence, helping connect the website with the school's day-to-day communications.
The result
The finished website provides Gilsland C.E. Primary School with a professional, informative and easy-to-manage online presence.
It combines the school's personality and ethos with the practical information parents and the wider community need, while giving school staff the flexibility to keep the site current.
The site continues to provide information about the school as part of The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust.
Kierweb
Another website designed and developed by Kierweb for a local Cumbrian organisation.
From school websites and community organisations to business websites and e-commerce, Kierweb builds straightforward, affordable websites around what each client actually needs.
