Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why strong school website features matter
- Top 7 school website features
- 1. Responsive, mobile-first design — a non-negotiable school website feature
- 2. Clear Admissions Hub — the conversion-focused school website feature
- 3. Parent & Student Portal (Secure) — a productivity school website feature
- 4. News, Events Calendar & Announcements — an engagement-focused school website feature
- 5. Staff Directory & Contact Pages — a trust-building school website feature
- 6. Accessibility, Search & Intuitive Navigation — the inclusive school website feature
- 7. SEO, Analytics & Security — the technical school website feature that powers growth
- How to prioritise these school website features
- Examples and inspiration
- Implementation Checklist (copy this into your project plan)
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Introduction
Parents, students and prospective families judge your school online first. If your website fails to answer simple questions, you lose enquiries, trust and enrolments. That’s the hard truth. This post shows 7 high-impact school website features that fix that problem.
Each feature is practical, measurable and focused on outcomes: better admissions conversions, improved engagement, and stronger school branding. Along the way you’ll get implementation notes, priority ranking, examples and a downloadable checklist you can use with your web team.
Read on to learn which school website features matter most — and how to make them work for your school.
Why strong school website features matter
A school website is no longer just a brochure. It’s the central communication, admissions and engagement platform for parents, staff and students. Good school website features reduce phone calls, cut admin time and make your school easier to find online. Poor features cost time and reputation.
Key outcomes from investing in the right features:
- Faster admissions funnel and higher enquiries
- Clearer parent communication and fewer information requests
- Better search visibility and local discovery
- Improved student experience for digital-first families
Top 7 school website features
Below are the seven features every modern school website must have. Each section explains the user problem, what to include, how to measure success and quick implementation tips.
1. Responsive, mobile-first design — a non-negotiable school website feature
Problem: 60–80% of parent and community traffic now comes from phones and tablets. If your site isn’t mobile-first, visitors leave.
What to include:
- Mobile-first layout and touch-friendly navigation
- Fast load times (aim <2.5s on mobile)
- Visible CTAs for admissions, visits and contact
How to measure:
- Mobile bounce rate and session duration in analytics
- Conversion rate for contact forms on mobile
- PageSpeed Insights score
Implementation tips:
- Use a responsive theme or framework and test across devices
- Compress images, lazy-load media, and enable browser caching
2. Clear Admissions Hub — the conversion-focused school website feature
Problem: Prospective parents want quick answers: fees, entry criteria, open days and how to apply.
What to include:
- Single ‘Admissions’ hub with subpages (fees, process, dates, FAQs)
- Downloadable prospectus and quick enquiry form
- Easy booking for school tours and open days (calendar + form)
How to measure:
- Enquiry form submissions and open day sign-ups
- Time-on-page and downloads for prospectus and admissions documents
Implementation tips:
- Add structured data (schema.org) to admissions pages to improve search snippets
- Use an admissions form that integrates with your CRM or email system
3. Parent & Student Portal (Secure) — a productivity school website feature
Problem: Parents and students need a private area for homework, reports, attendance and notices. If it’s clunky, staff spend hours replying to emails.
What to include:
- Role-based login (parents, students, staff)
- Secure document sharing and notices
- Integration with school MIS (where possible)
How to measure:
- Number of active users, daily logins and reduced admin support tickets
- Time saved by staff (qualitative surveys)
Implementation tips:
- Start with SSO if supported (Google Workspace/Microsoft ADFS)
- Ensure GDPR/data-protection compliance and clear privacy messaging
4. News, Events Calendar & Announcements — an engagement-focused school website feature
Problem: Parents expect up-to-date news and event details in a single place. When updates are missing, confusion increases.
What to include:
- Prominent news feed and category filters
- Shareable events with RSVP or booking links
- Email newsletter signup and RSS feed
How to measure:
- Newsletter signups and open rates
- Event RSVPs and pageviews for news posts
Implementation tips:
- Use a CMS with easy editorial workflows and publishing schedules
- Automate social sharing for new posts to your school channels
5. Staff Directory & Contact Pages — a trust-building school website feature
Problem: Parents and stakeholders need quick access to staff contacts and department information.
What to include:
- Searchable staff directory with photos, roles and email/phone (obtain consent)
- Department pages with subject info and links to curriculum resources
How to measure:
- Reduced phone/email queries for basic contact information
- Directory searches and profile pageviews
Implementation tips:
- Keep the directory updated via a simple CMS feed or integration with HR systems
- Use lazy-loading for headshots to keep pages fast
6. Accessibility, Search & Intuitive Navigation — the inclusive school website feature
Problem: Users with disabilities, older parents or non-native speakers must access info easily. Poor navigation and missing accessibility features are legal and reputational risks.
What to include:
- Clear main navigation, breadcrumb trails and a visible search box
- WCAG 2.1 AA-friendly elements: contrast, skip links, keyboard navigation
- Multilingual support or clear language-switcher where relevant
How to measure:
- Accessibility audit results and error counts
- Search success rate and time-to-find information metrics
Implementation tips:
- Run automated audits (axe, Lighthouse) and manual checks with real users
- Prioritise critical pages (Admissions, Contact, Calendar) for accessibility fixes
7. SEO, Analytics & Security — the technical school website feature that powers growth
Problem: Even the best site won’t be found without SEO and analytics. Security lapses risk data and trust.
What to include:
- On-page SEO best practices: meta tags, H1s, schema, mobile-friendly site map
- Local SEO signals: Google Business Profile, NAP consistency, local schema
- Analytics (GA4 or equivalent), event tracking and conversion goals
- HTTPS, regular backups and role-based admin access
How to measure:
- Organic traffic, keyword ranking improvements and local pack presence
- Goal completions for admission forms and open day bookings
- Security scan reports and uptime metrics
Implementation tips:
- Build an SEO content calendar targeting long-tail keywords (e.g., ‘[city] primary school admissions’)
- Configure server-side caching and a WAF for security
How to prioritise these school website features
Not every school needs everything at once. Use this 90/60/30 day roadmap:
- 30 days (quick wins): Mobile-responsive fixes, update contact & admissions pages, add events calendar, set up analytics.
- 60 days (high impact): Admissions hub with downloadable prospectus, newsletter signup, improve page speed and security basics.
- 90 days (strategic): Parent/student portal integration, accessibility audit, SEO content plan and local SEO setup.
Quick priority table
| Feature | Impact | Effort (approx.) | Priority (30/60/90 days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Responsive design | High | Medium | 30 days |
| Admissions hub | Very High | Medium | 30–60 days |
| Parent/Student portal | High | High | 60–90 days |
| News & Events | High | Low | 30 days |
| Staff directory | Medium | Low | 30–60 days |
| Accessibility & search | High | Medium | 60 days |
| SEO & Security | Very High | Medium | Ongoing |
Examples and inspiration
Look at recent industry roundups for design inspiration and features in action. Many top-performing school sites put admissions and mobile-first UX front and centre. Use strong hero imagery, clear CTAs and modular components so editors can update without developer help.
Real-world ideas to borrow:
- Bold hero with quick admissions CTA and prospectus download
- Dedicated microsite or landing pages for open days and events
- Short video tours embedded on the admissions hub
Implementation Checklist (copy this into your project plan)
- Mobile responsiveness: pass mobile Lighthouse score >90
- Admissions hub: single entry point, forms, prospectus download
- Portal: SSO enabled, role-based access
- Events & news: editorial workflow and calendar
- Staff directory: searchable with consented profiles
- Accessibility fixes: WCAG 2.1 AA baseline
- SEO: meta titles, descriptions, schema, sitemap
- Analytics: GA4 or equivalent, event tracking
- Security: HTTPS, backups, access control
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Hiding admissions information behind complicated menus
- Large unoptimised hero images that kill load speed
- Not testing forms on mobile or older browsers
- Forgetting to secure portals and private data
- Publishing PDFs with poor accessibility
FAQs
What are the must-have school website features for admissions?
A clear admissions hub, downloadable prospectus, online enquiry form, open-day booking, fees page, and an SEO-optimised landing page.
How do I make my school website features mobile-friendly?
Use mobile-first design, compress and lazy-load images, readable fonts, large CTAs, and test on common devices and speeds.
Which school website features help with SEO and local search?
On-page SEO (meta titles, H1s, structured data), local schema, Google Business Profile, fast mobile pages, and content targeting local keywords.
How secure should a parent/student portal be?
Very secure—use HTTPS, strong passwords, SSO, encryption, and regular access audits to comply with data protection rules.
Can small schools implement these school website features on a budget?
Yes. Start with responsive design, an admissions hub, and a simple events/news workflow. Use affordable CMS solutions and phased improvements.
Conclusion
Improving a few key areas—mobile responsiveness, a focused admissions hub, and accessible navigation—leads to higher enquiries, parent satisfaction, and stronger search visibility. The seven school website features outlined form a practical, high-impact checklist for schools modernising their online presence.
Use the checklist and 30/60/90 roadmap to prioritise improvements. For expert support, LegacyEdTech can help schools plan and deliver modern websites that convert.
Ready to update your school website? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with LegacyEdTech and get a custom feature plan tailored to your school.
