Parents say school websites aren't up to scratch

New report finds that one in four parents think their child's school website needs improvement

Posted by Rebecca Paddick | September 19, 2016 | Technology

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• #parents
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The research of 1,000 parents with children at school age, undertaken by digital agency Web Foundry, set out to uncover parent’s thoughts on the quality of school websites in the UK.

One in five parents said that the layout of school websites in particular needs some work, and a further fifth said that information isn’t updated regularly enough.

Just 36% of parents find these websites easy to use – which could explain why so few (17%) access them on a weekly basis.

In addition, a sizeable 36% of parents said they would be happier and engage more with their child’s school if its website or online approach was improved, signaling the importance of this channel as a communication tool.

A good but cost-effective website is definitely achievable, and it’s really important that investing in a robust online strategy doesn’t fall to the bottom of the to-do list, as clearly it’s of value to parents

The report also found that a third of parents rated their child’s school website satisfactory, poor, or very poor.

Phil Holt, managing director at Web Foundry, said: “A website is a platform that allows school leaders to showcase the values and ethos of the institution. Not only this, but it’s a valuable communication tool that enables schools to reach most parents all at once. We were disappointed, therefore, to find that so many parents think that their child’s school website needs improvement.

“Our research proves that parents would be happier and interact more with their child’s school if its website was better, and for schools this is a real red flag that they need to invest in their online strategy. 

“A website doesn’t have to be an enormous drain on budget, which we know schools are short of to begin with. A good but cost-effective website is definitely achievable, and it’s really important that investing in a robust online strategy doesn’t fall to the bottom of the to-do list, as clearly it’s of value to parents.”

To read the full school report go to: www.web-foundry.co.uk/blog/education/304-do-schools-have-more-to-karma-when-it-comes-to-their-online-strategy