Planning a school website redesign does not have to be stressful, but it does have to be deliberate. Whether your current site is failing Ofsted requirements, looks outdated, or simply does not work on mobile, a well-planned redesign can transform how your school communicates with families and governors alike. Before you brief anyone, read this. And when you are ready to see what a modern, compliant school website looks like in practice, take a look at our school website design services.
Why a Planned Approach Makes All the Difference
Too many schools launch into a school website redesign without a clear brief, a realistic timeline, or an understanding of what the DfE requires them to publish. The result is a site that looks fresh but still fails compliance or a project that runs months over schedule because content was never gathered properly. The ten steps below fix that.
1. Audit Your Current Website
Start by reviewing every page of your existing site. Note what is missing, what is out of date, and which statutory school website content requirements are not being met. Cross-reference your site against the current DfE guidance; look specifically for your pupil premium strategy, SEN report, safeguarding information, governance details, admissions information, and curriculum content by year group. This audit becomes the foundation of your redesign brief.
2. Define Your Goals and Outcomes
A redesign without clear goals produces a site that looks different but performs no better. Define what success looks like before a single design decision is made. For most UK schools, this means full statutory compliance, a user-friendly school website that parents can navigate on mobile, a CMS for school websites that office staff can update independently, and a design that reflects the school’s values and community. Write these down and share them with your web agency from day one.
3. Know Your Audience
Your website serves several distinct groups simultaneously: current parents, prospective families, pupils, governors, and Ofsted inspectors. Each group needs something different. Prospective families want to understand your school’s ethos. Current parents want quick access to term dates and letters home. Inspectors want statutory school website content to be present and easy to verify. A genuinely user-friendly school website is structured around these different needs, not around what is easiest for the school to manage internally.
4. Build Your Site Map
A site map is a list of every page your new website will contain, organised into a clear hierarchy. This is one of the most valuable planning steps you can take; it forces structural thinking before aesthetic decisions creep in. Organise pages into clear categories: About Us, Curriculum, Key Policies, SEND, Admissions, News and Events, and Contact. Every school website feature, from your searchable document library to your news section, should appear on the sitemap before any design work begins.
5. Map Your Statutory Compliance Requirements
This step is non-negotiable. The DfE publishes detailed guidance on what UK schools must publish online, and the list is longer than most headteachers expect. If your new site does not meet these requirements at launch, you are building on unstable ground. A specialist in school web development will map these into your site architecture automatically. If you are working with a general web agency, you will need to provide the full list yourself. An Ofsted-compliant school website is not a nice-to-have; it is a statutory expectation.
6. Plan for Accessibility from the Start
Accessible school websites are a legal requirement under the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018. Your site must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards covering colour contrast, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and descriptive alt text for all images. Treat accessibility as a core design principle, not a final checklist item. You are also legally required to publish a school website accessibility statement before the site goes live. A specialist agency will handle all of this as standard.
7. Design for Mobile First
The majority of parents interact with your school website from a smartphone at the school gate, on the commute, or during their lunch break. A mobile-friendly school website is not an optional extra; it is the baseline expectation. Insist on seeing mobile mockups before desktop mockups, and confirm with your agency that fast page loading is a stated deliverable. Pages that take more than three seconds to load on a mobile connection lose visitors before they have even read a word.
8. Choose the Right CMS for Your School
The most beautifully designed school website in the country is useless if your staff cannot update it without calling the developer. Choosing the right CMS for school websites is one of the most practical decisions in the entire project. You need a system that a school office manager can use confidently after a single training session: no coding, no technical jargon, and no unnecessary delays. Ask your agency for a live CMS demonstration before you commit, and make sure staff training is included in the project scope.
9. Plan Your Content Migration
If your school has had a website for several years, you will have a significant volume of existing content: policies, news archives, staff profiles, and curriculum documents. Decide early what is being migrated, what needs rewriting, and what can simply be left behind. Content migration is one of the most commonly underestimated parts of any school website design process and it is almost always the cause of delayed launches. Assign a named member of staff to own content gathering. Your web agency cannot do this for you.
10. Set a Realistic Launch Timeline
Schools have notoriously compressed calendars. A project that runs during SATs week or across a half-term break will stall. Work backwards from your ideal launch date, typically the start of a new academic year or a new term, and map out clear milestones: site map sign-off, design approval, content submission deadline, testing period, and go-live. Most professional school website designers will tell you that a well-managed project takes eight to twelve weeks. Build in buffer time, communicate deadlines clearly, and treat your web agency as a long-term partner.
How Much Does a School Website Redesign Cost in the UK?
School website design cost in the UK varies depending on the size and complexity of your project. A straightforward redesign for a primary school website with a clear brief typically requires a lower investment than a bespoke secondary school website design or a multi-academy trust project spanning several sub-sites. As a general guide, a well-built, fully compliant site from a specialist agency represents a meaningful but worthwhile investment. Be cautious of very low prices, affordable school website design should mean exceptional value, not a recycled template. Transparent, itemised quotes with no hidden costs are always a good sign.
Ready to Get Started?
A thoughtful, well-planned school website redesign does not just improve how your school looks online; it reduces parent queries, strengthens your standing ahead of Ofsted, makes life easier for your staff, and gives prospective families a genuine reason to choose your school. The ten steps above give you a solid foundation. When you are ready to take the next step, the team at Dot it Media is here to help.
Frequently Asked Questions for School Website Redesign
How do I know if my school website needs a redesign?
If your site is more than three to four years old, does not work well on mobile, is difficult for staff to update, or has gaps in its statutory school website content, it almost certainly needs attention. An upcoming Ofsted inspection is often the trigger, but your website should be in good shape long before an inspector ever looks at it.
What is the average cost of a school website redesign in the UK?
Costs vary depending on the size and scope of the project. A primary school website design typically starts from a few thousand pounds, whilst a bespoke secondary school website or multi-academy trust project will be a larger investment. Always request a detailed, itemised quote so you know exactly what is included before committing.
What statutory content must a UK school website include?
UK schools must publish admissions information, the behaviour policy, the pupil premium strategy, SEN report, safeguarding information, governance details, curriculum content by year group, and an accessibility statement, among other requirements. A specialist in website design for schools will build every mandatory page into your site structure from the outset.
How long does a school website redesign take?
Most school website redesign projects are completed within eight to twelve weeks from initial briefing to launch. Larger projects such as academy school website design or multi-trust builds may take twelve to sixteen weeks. Planning the timeline around the school calendar is always advisable.
Does our redesigned school website need to be accessible?
Yes, the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 legally require all UK school websites to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. A redesign is the ideal opportunity to achieve full compliance, including publishing your mandatory school website accessibility statement. Building accessibility in from day one is far more effective than retrofitting it afterwards.
Can our staff update the website after the redesign?
Yes, provided your web agency builds on a user-friendly CMS for school websites. The right system allows any member of office staff to publish news, upload documents, and update key pages without any technical knowledge. Make sure CMS training for your team is included in the project scope from the start.
Should we redesign our school website before an Ofsted inspection?
Yes, and well in advance, not in the final few days. Ofsted inspectors review your website as part of their pre-inspection process, and statutory school website content gaps are noted. A proactive, Ofsted-compliant school website redesign removes a significant source of inspection anxiety and reflects the kind of transparent, well-organised governance that inspectors value.
Do I need a specialist school website designer, or will any web agency do?
Any web agency can build a website, but not every agency understands the statutory requirements specific to UK schools. A specialist in website design for schools will build Ofsted compliance, WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility, and GDPR-compliant school website standards in automatically, saving you significant time and reducing the risk of costly gaps.
What is the difference between a school website redesign and a refresh?
A redesign rethinks the structure, content, and design of your site from the ground up with new navigation, new pages, new visual identity. A refresh updates the look of an existing site without changing its architecture. If your current site has structural or statutory school website compliance issues, a full redesign is almost always the better long-term investment.
