Creating a School Web Site

A website provides an opportunity to celebrate pupils’ work and the school’s achievements, and can bring rewarding professional and community contacts.  Web publishing is more challenging than e-mail or Web surfing, but many teachers have developed the creative and technical skills required.

It is important that schools design websites around educational good practice.  Other schools’ websites may be examined to compare approaches, and to avoid repeating their mistakes!  The time and commitment to create a Website should not be underestimated.

Click here to for links to schools in Kent with a website

Publishing a School Website - benefits and costs

How do the educational benefits compare with the costs?  Although the cost is low, time will be required to create and maintain the website, and to develop new skills.  Schools that use DTP software, and can capture images through a scanner or camera, have many of the skills required to publish a Web site.  Most secondary schools already have Web sites.  Some primary and special schools will prefer to concentrate on paper publishing and multi-media presentations and leave Web publishing until they are ready for further challenges.

Educational benefits:

• A world showcase to celebrate the school’s and pupils’ achievements
• A publishing challenge drawing on English, Art, Technology and ICT expertise
• Better communications with parents and links with the community

Some Considerations:

• The staff time required to create the website should be planned for, and tasks shared
• Courses may be appropriate to help teachers develop Web publishing skills
• A Web site must be regularly reviewed to ensure readers return to it
• The Kent Internet Access Policy covers pupils’ safety and copyright issues

Requirements: 

• Domain name:
  A URL or domain name:e.g. www.yourschoolname.kent.sch.uk is reserved for all Kent LA schools.

• Software:
  - to create a website: Dreamweaver, Frontpage, or Kent's free online website creator tool
  - to create or edit graphics: e.g. Paint Shop Pro
  

• A digital camera or flat-bed scanner.
  
  
• Hosting:
  See below

Free Hosting and Website tool for Kent schools

Primary schools in Kent have free hosting of their web sites if they have internet connection with either Kent's KCN Network or RM Internet for Learning.

Creating a Website with a FREE Online Tool

Schools who have signed up for Full Broadband, or will so in during the coming year, through Kent, get free use of an easy-to-use online web site builder designed specifically for Kent schools.

www.eisite2.co.uk

How to create a School Website

Woodlands Junior School in Tonbridge Kent, have built a very successful school web site which attracts between 3,000 and 8,000 visitors each day. They have created a very useful 'How to Create a School Website' section which is worth looking at for schools considering starting a web site.