For many prospective families, a school website is the first place they look when they are considering their options. It may be where they discover the school, compare it with alternatives, check an open day date or find out how to make an enquiry.
That makes the website an important part of admissions communications. It should not simply provide general information about the school. It should help families understand whether the school could be right for their child and guide them towards a useful next step.
Admissions and marketing teams can improve this experience by reviewing the website around the questions prospective families are most likely to have. Clear structure, relevant messaging, well-presented visit information, accurate dates and prominent calls to action can make the site more useful throughout the admissions journey.
Start with the questions prospective families are asking
A prospective parent may arrive at the website with only a general idea of what they need to know. They may be looking for a primary school, secondary school, sixth form or nursery. They may have heard about the school through a recommendation, a search result, an open day invitation or a printed prospectus.
The website should help them find answers without requiring them to understand the school's internal terminology.
Common questions include:
- What is this school like?
- What are its values and priorities?
- Where is it located?
- Which year groups does it serve?
- How does the admissions process work?
- When can I visit?
- What are the important dates?
- How can I contact the school?
- What should I do next?
These questions can inform the main navigation, page structure and content plan. They can also help teams identify gaps in the current website.
For example, a school may have a page called “Admissions”, but that page may contain little more than a link to an external application process. While that link may be necessary, it does not answer the wider questions families have before they are ready to apply.
A useful admissions area should provide context, reassurance and direction as well as formal information.
Make admissions easy to find
Admissions information should be easy to reach from the homepage and main navigation. Avoid making visitors search through several layers of menus or rely on a small announcement that disappears when the next news story is published.
The right structure will vary between schools, but a clear admissions area may include:
- An overview of the admissions process
- Information for different year groups or entry points
- Open days, tours and visiting arrangements
- Key dates
- Frequently asked questions
- Application guidance
- Transport, wraparound care or other relevant practical information
- Contact details for admissions enquiries
- Links to the prospectus and other useful downloads
A homepage callout can also be helpful during busy periods. This might highlight upcoming visits, applications or a new admissions guide. The important point is to make the route visible without allowing admissions content to overwhelm information for current families.
For schools with several audiences, audience-based navigation can help. A prospective parent should not have to work through pages intended mainly for current pupils, staff or governors before finding the relevant information.
Explain what makes the school distinctive
Admissions communications should not be limited to dates, forms and procedures. Families are also trying to understand the character of the school and what their child's experience might be like.
The website can communicate this through a combination of:
- A clear introduction to the school's values
- Information about the learning environment
- Age-appropriate descriptions of the school experience
- Examples of wider opportunities and enrichment
- Information about pastoral care and support
- Staff introductions
- Photographs that reflect everyday school life
- Testimonials or first-hand comments where appropriate
- Details of the local community and setting
This content should be specific enough to be useful. General phrases such as “high expectations” or “putting children first” may be important to the school, but they are more meaningful when supported by practical examples.
For instance, instead of simply stating that a school offers a broad range of opportunities, the website could explain the types of activities, visits, clubs or leadership experiences available. The aim is not to make promises that cannot be evidenced. It is to help families build a more accurate picture of the school.
Strong admissions messaging also needs consistency. The language used on the website should make sense alongside the prospectus, open day materials, social media and conversations with staff. A consistent message makes it easier for families to understand what the school stands for.
Create a dedicated visit experience
A visit is often one of the most valuable steps in the admissions journey. It allows families to see the environment, meet staff and decide whether the school feels suitable.
The website should make visiting information straightforward to find and understand. A dedicated page might explain:
- What types of visit are available
- Whether visitors need to book
- How to book
- What will happen during the visit
- Who they are likely to meet
- Where to go on arrival
- Parking or access information
- What to do if they cannot attend the published dates
- How to contact the school with questions
Open day information should be treated as a key admissions resource rather than just another calendar entry. A date, time and booking link may be enough for a current event, but prospective families often need more reassurance before committing to a visit.
If the school offers personal tours or alternative appointments, make that clear. Families may be unable to attend a large open event because of work, caring responsibilities or travel. Providing another route can make the school feel more approachable.
It is also worth checking the full journey on mobile devices. A parent may discover the event through social media or email and complete the booking on a phone. Dates, directions and booking buttons need to remain easy to use on a smaller screen.
Keep key dates accurate and prominent
Out-of-date admissions information can quickly undermine confidence. A family may find an old open day date, an expired booking link or a previous year's application guidance and be left unsure about what still applies.
Create a clear process for reviewing time-sensitive content. This might include:
- A named owner for admissions content
- A shared calendar of important dates
- A review period before each admissions cycle
- A process for removing expired events
- Checks on external application links
- A clear approach to updating downloadable documents
- A final review by the relevant admissions or senior staff member
Key dates should be presented in a format that is easy to scan. A simple list or timeline is often more useful than burying dates within long paragraphs.
Where dates vary by year group, make the distinction obvious. Families should not have to interpret a single list that combines nursery, reception, secondary transfer and sixth-form deadlines without explanation.
If dates are not yet confirmed, say so clearly and explain where visitors should return for updates. It is better to provide an honest holding message than to leave old information in place.
Use calls to action that match the visitor's needs
A call to action should help the visitor take the next sensible step. It does not always need to be “Apply now”. Many families will be at an earlier stage and may want to learn more, ask a question or arrange a visit.
Useful admissions calls to action might include:
- Book an open day place
- Arrange a visit
- Download the prospectus
- View admissions information
- Ask a question
- Contact the admissions team
- Find key dates
- See our school in action
- Start your application
Use clear, descriptive wording rather than vague labels such as “Click here” or “Find out more”. The link should tell visitors what they will find when they follow it.
Calls to action should also appear at appropriate points in the content. A booking link at the top of an open day page is useful, but repeating the same action after the relevant explanation can make the page easier to use.
Avoid adding too many competing buttons. If every section asks visitors to do something different, the main route can become unclear. Decide what the page is intended to help visitors achieve and make that action prominent.
Build content around different stages of the journey
Not every visitor is ready to apply. Some may be discovering the school for the first time, while others may already have attended a visit and be looking for detailed application guidance.
A helpful website supports these different stages:
Early research: Explain the school's character, location, values and overall experience.
Considering a visit: Provide open day details, tour information, photographs and answers to common questions.
Preparing to apply: Make deadlines, forms, eligibility information and application routes easy to find.
After an enquiry or visit: Offer a clear contact route and useful follow-up information.
This does not mean creating unnecessarily long pages. It means organising content so that visitors can move from general information to more detailed guidance as their questions develop.
Analytics and feedback can help identify where the current journey is difficult, but teams can also learn a great deal by testing the website with a few people who are unfamiliar with the school. Ask them to find the next open day, locate the admissions process and explain what they would do next. Their experience may reveal issues that are easy to miss when staff already know the site.
Review the website before each admissions cycle
Admissions communications work best when they are treated as an ongoing process rather than a one-off campaign.
Before a new cycle begins, review the website from a prospective family's perspective. Check the structure, wording, imagery, dates, downloadable documents, contact details and calls to action. Make sure the content works on mobile devices and that key links lead to the right place.
A short review checklist could include:
- Can a new visitor find admissions quickly?
- Is the school's character clear?
- Are visit options explained?
- Are all dates current?
- Are application routes accurate?
- Are there clear next steps?
- Is contact information easy to find?
- Do the website and prospectus use consistent messages?
- Has expired content been removed?
- Can staff update the information easily?
A well-organised school website will not replace personal contact or a welcoming visit. It can, however, make those interactions more likely to happen and help families arrive better informed.
For schools reviewing their wider communications, website structure, admissions content and calls to action should be considered together. The goal is a clear, reassuring and practical experience that helps prospective families understand the school and take the next step with confidence.
A school website should explain the admissions process, entry points, key dates, visits, application guidance, frequently asked questions and how to contact the school. It should also communicate the school's values and character so families can understand more than just the formal procedure.
Admissions should be easy to find from the main navigation and homepage. A dedicated admissions area is usually more effective than relying only on news posts or temporary homepage announcements.
Create a dedicated page with the date, time, booking instructions, what visitors can expect, access information and an alternative contact route for families who cannot attend. Link to it clearly from the homepage and relevant admissions content.
Review admissions content before each admissions cycle and whenever dates, processes or contact details change. Time-sensitive pages, events and downloadable documents should have clear ownership within the school team.
An effective call to action is clear, specific and suited to the visitor's stage in the journey. Examples include “Book an open day place”, “Arrange a visit”, “Download the prospectus” and “Contact the admissions team”.
Talk to Design for Schools
If your school website needs to communicate more clearly with prospective families, we can help you review its structure, content and user journey. Contact Design for Schools to discuss your website and admissions communications.
You can also call 01618830043 or email hello@designforschools.co.uk.