Sian Williams

Conventions of school websites

http://rws1.alivewww.co.uk/rws1/

We can see that Ravens Wood has a house style of green used throughout the website to maintain consistence and match the school logo. Green is usually associated with tranquility and the environment, which creates positive imagery and a calm atmosphere. There are many useful features such as:

• The ability to download the latest information and newsletters• Student log-in, so they can access their work from home• Photo gallery of the latest events and productions• Links to parts of the school such as the Rugby academy• The ability to print out the home page

School name lets users know what they are viewing

School logo School slogan shows the schools high aspirations and standards

The students in the images have happy expressions, which makes the school seem an enjoyable place to be and creates a positive atmosphere

Images are merged into one another and then fade into a new set of images. Very aesthetically pleasing

Announcements are convenient and easily inform parents and students of what is going on. Can be updated quickly and easily

Latest news allows parents and students to keep up to date with letters and information.

Big, bold links to other sections of the website

Motivational image- suggesting the children are competing/working hard and working together to achieve

Welcome message and ‘vision’ informs parents what the school prioritizes and aims to achieve

Navigational buttons allow users to easily navigate around the site

Interaction with the user. Login allows students to access their school documents from home- very convenient

Sian Williams

http://www.priory.bromley.sch.uk/

Like the Ravens Wood website, The Priory has sections on the home page for upcoming events and the latest news however they are not immediately noticeable. When I think about my website design I shall have to decide what I think the most important features are, and what I shall place at the top of the home page- the bit you notice first.

The Priory has a house style of burgundy and yellow, which are quite bold and eye catching colours. They match with the school logo and are used consistently throughout the website. The school logo is also used repeated so that it becomes a familiar with the user and also to maintain the house style.

A search engine allows users to search the website for a specific item.School logo

School slogan

School logo

Images of the school and students working- giving the user an insight to what the school is like

Navigational buttons allow the user to use the site conveniently.

Latest news is immediately noticeable (bold)-allows users to keep up to date with what is happening in the school

Headmaster’s message (for parents considering sending their children to the school) gives people an idea of what the school’s main priorities are

Head boy and girl message adds a personal touch to the website and let’s parents see what kind of example is being set for their children

Sian Williams

http://www.cdarwin.com/

The Charles Darwin website also contains the latest news on the website and it is clear to see that this is a common convention on school websites.

It is unclear what the house style is at first but there appears to be a repetition of yellow and blue text. We are also unsure of the school’s logo. The website does look quite modern though with the use of an image faded into black as the background. I think it is important to use the school logo on the website as it gives the website a personal edge and allows the user to recognize the school in the future.

School slogan- allows the student to question what they have achieved

School nameSearch engine

Student/teacher login

Promotional video for parents considering sending their child to the school

Two navigation bars for extra convenience

Slide show of different articles and interesting pages

Information about recent exams for parents

Motivational sayings to emphasize the schools high aspirations

Welcome message

Sian Williams

http://www.bishopjustus.bromley.sch.uk/

I think the Bishop Justus website is very aesthetically pleasing and the house style of green and purple is composed and modern; the colours match very nicely. All the most important information is displayed on the home page with an interesting features box, which changes after a short amount of time to display a different article.

Common ConventionsI have noticed that the common conventions on school websites are:

• School logo• School name• Positive school slogan• Images of the site• Student login• Search engine• Latest news• Motivational quotes• Consistent house style• Navigational bar• Welcome message

It is important that the website’s layout is professional and aesthetically pleasing. Also, the

School nameSchool logo

School slogan

RSS feed Contact usBookmark and share page

Student login

Search engine

Welcome message

Navigation bar

Latest news and features displayed by a timer- article changes after ten seconds and fades into the next. Top stories

AnnoucementsElectronic prospectus- for parents considering sending their child to the school

Important information

Sian Williams

website should be simple to use and specific qualities should be easy to search for; if the website is too cluttered then it will run slowly and also be inconvenient for users. A house style allows you to maintain a ‘theme’ throughout the website, which makes it look nice but also, creates an atmosphere, which influences your opinion.