To someone running a school website, it’s not always clear which developments in the web you need to follow. Many websites are commercial projects and so what matters to them may not matter to you.
One of the most important developments in recent years is the growth of SSL certification. This raises two important questions for anyone running a school website:

• what is SSL? and
• do I need it for my school?

What is SSL Certification?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It’s the name for the predecessor of Transport Layer Security (TLS), a system that lets computers communicate safely with each other. Though SSL is now redundant, the phrase “SSL certificate” still refers to a public key certificate, an important part of the TLS system.
An SSL certificate is a digital file associated with your website. It has two important effects.
Firstly, it provides evidence that this is the real version of your website and not an imposter using your name to gain people’s information.
Secondly, it is used to encrypt information your users put into the website. This means that, if someone intercepts the information, they will not be able to read it. Only you can decrypt the data and read the message. This is very important when making financial transactions or sharing private information.
You can tell if a website has an SSL certificate in three ways:

• Its address starts with https instead of http.
• Your browser may show a padlock next to the site’s address.
• Depending upon your browser, the browser bar may change colour to draw attention to the certification.

Why Does SSL Matter?

Whenever you use the internet, you are sharing packets of information. This might be something seemingly small, like a request for the contents of a website to be sent to your browser. It might be something more important, like details of a bank card. Every time you click on a link or fill in a form, you share a little bit of information and you get a bit back.
For websites without SSL certification, this information is not encoded. If someone intercepts it then they can read the information you have sent. The growth of wireless networks and mobile browsing has created more possibilities for interception than ever before.
SSL is important because it lets people use your website more safely. Those packets of information, however big or small, can’t be read if they are intercepted.
This has a lot of implications for a school website.

Peace of Mind

One important thing that SSL provides is peace of mind. Not everybody understands SSL or the importance of internet security, but most people have noticed the padlock symbol in the browsing bar. They know that it shows that a site is safer to use.
SSL certification gives reassurance to your site’s users. Internet savvy parents will recognise that you are security conscious and that your site is safe to use. Even those less informed about technology will recognise that familiar padlock logo.
Importantly, browsers sometimes flag up sites that don’t have SSL certification, with a glaring red symbol to show that the site is not secure. This can be alarming for users, whether or not they understand what SSL is. It may not be something you want associated with a school site.

Sharing Information

SSL lets you securely share information through your website. This lets you turn the site into an interactive experience, a valuable hub for communication and work.
With SSL certification, you can provide secure webforms for parents to send messages to the school, book events, and keep up on their children’s activities. You can provide online spaces such as e-portfolios for pupils to upload their work and network with their peers. Your website can become a central hub for learning.
You can also use a secure website to communicate with staff. Information and resources can be shared through a secure site.

Visibility

One of the reasons for a school to have a website is to increase its visibility, both in the local community and in the wider world.
Visibility on the web is increasingly dependent upon SSL certification. Google, the most popular search engine, gives higher search rankings to sites with SSL certification than to those without, as it steers its users towards safer sites. If you have SSL certification, your site will show up higher in the rankings and so be more visible to people surfing the web.

Setting an Example

Schools have to consider a factor that most other websites don’t – their role in educating both pupils and parents.
Schools set examples, whether good or bad. If pupils and parents regularly see a school website without SSL certification then they will get used to it. They are more likely to view unsecured websites as safe to use. After all, teachers are expected to know what they are doing, even in areas outside their expertise.
On the other hand, if the school website is certified then parents and pupils are more likely to treat this as the norm. They will ask questions if they see a website without signs of certification. This will make them safer in their use of the internet.

Does My School Website Need SSL?

SSL certification isn’t essential for a school website. It’s not yet the universal standard for legitimate websites.
But certification brings a lot of advantages. It lets you make your website more interactive for pupils, parents, and staff. It provides a sense of security for people using the site. And it supports the school’s role as an educator, setting an example in the safe use of information technology.
You might not need SSL certification to get your website up and running, but to create a modern site and set your school up for future success, it’s almost certainly worth the extra effort.

Your school website design is an important part of your school’s presence in the world. It’s a line of communication with parents, a way of celebrating your achievements, and a tool in attracting both pupils and staff. So how can you make the most out of the design?

Clear Navigation

It may not be glamorous, but the first thing you should think about is making your website easy to navigate. It affects the structure of the website, and so is fundamental to its design.
To do this, group pages together in a logical hierarchy that fits what people are used to seeing on the internet. Address, phone numbers, email, and a map to find the school should all come under “contact us”. Information about subjects can go together under “curriculum” or “what we teach”. Information about events should start with what’s coming next. A calendar with links to individual event pages can be a great way to tell people what’s going on.
Minimise how much effort it takes to find information. Whenever possible, visitors should be able to find the information they want within three clicks.

Accessibility

A few simple measures can make your website more accessible for a variety of users.
Use font colours that stand out well against the background. Black text on a background that’s white or pale is usually best. When making text stand out through different colours, avoid those that might be indistinguishable to the colour blind.
Use alt text for images. Make it describe what you want the picture to convey, as blind or partially sighted users will rely on this text.
Use clear, descriptive text for links, to help those using screen readers.
Some website providers, like School Jotter, include a translate option. If your school serves a diverse community then this can be a huge help by communicating with parents in their first language.

Use the Layout

Use the layout of each page to make it clearer and more accessible. For a page with lots of content, include jump links to each part at the top of the page, so that users with limited mobility can get down the page without much mouse use. Include drop down menus and links to break up text and provide extra options.
Because of the way people read, more information is absorbed from what’s at the top and left of each page. Focus the most important information here, to make sure that people see it.

Pick Your Font

The font you use can make a huge difference in how easy your website is to read. Avoid quirky choices like Comic Sans or old-fashioned ones like Times New Roman. The best fonts for online reading are sans serif fonts like Arial and Verdana, which are easy to read while looking elegant and modern.
Size matters. The best font size for online reading is 16px. You’ll also want to use other sizes for headers. With these, keep to the same font and to no more than three different sizes, to avoid mess and clutter.

Get Visual

Images are great for getting people’s attention and creating variety. You can use them to make pages more attractive and to draw readers to important parts of the page.
When using photos, take care in your choices. To keep them safe, children should not be identifiable from photos, so be careful with faces and don’t match them with names. Photos of eye-catching work can provide an interesting alternative.
Slideshows are another way of making the site more interesting. The movement they provide draws the eye, and they can show visitors a variety of images and text without taking up lots of screen space.
Bright colours create an emotional response and so can be good for drawing attention to important information. Use them sparingly so that they have more impact when they appear.

Use White Space

As you try to make the website more eye-catching, it can be tempting to fill it full of images and text. But too much can be overwhelming. Don’t be afraid to leave plenty of empty background space. Then, the text and images you provide will stand out better, and it will be easy to see what’s important.

Clear Writing

The content of your website is as important as the way it is presented, so think carefully about what you’re saying and how you say it.
Wherever possible, use plain English to make your message understandable. If you can choose between two words with the same meaning, pick the simpler one.
Break the text up into small paragraphs. It might feel odd as you write it, but simpler, shorter blocks of text are easier for a reader to take in. Where possible, limit paragraphs to around three sentences and don’t let those sentences run on.

Break it Down

Divide the writing up with headings and subheadings. Like small paragraphs, this makes the text less intimidating and easier to take in. It also makes it easier for users to navigate the page, skipping to the relevant heading to find what they want.

Keep it Relevant

It can be tempting to cram in a lot of information, just like it’s tempting to go overboard on the visuals. This might seem like a good way to tell people more, but in reality it’s often overwhelming.
To avoid this, think carefully about what the important part of your message is and how you can get it across. What do you want people to know after each page? How much extra is going to be interesting or useful?
If you want visitors to do something after reading a page, make this clear through a call to action. For example, a page about an upcoming school trip might end by suggesting that parents fill in the booking form, and then provide a link to the form.

Learn by Example

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Check out other schools’ websites and learn from what works for them. For some examples, check out our School Jotter website. There, you can also find out how School Jotter can help you make your own great website.

After achieving my BA QTS in Primary Education and English Language Studies in 1996 (at the seasoned age of 40), I didn’t feel qualified to teach much of anything. Despite going the ‘long route’ of a four-year teaching degree and having numerous courses on the best way to teach the curriculum subjects, I was only a subject knowledge expert in my degree specialism – English. Me teaching PE was a joke. Trying to corral a group of exuberant 10 and 11 year olds and teach them how to interpret scenarios through dance was a particular favourite (insert appropriate emoji here). Of course lack of self-confidence didn’t help and neither did having no behaviour management input at university. I was most definitely not a natural – I just wanted to teach those wonderful young people who had so much potential.
Does it even matter whether a teacher knows a subject inside and out? Just knowing enough to cover the National Curriculum is good enough – right? Anyone who’s watched a true subject expert teach a class knows the answer to that question. There’s something almost magical about having a teacher who really knows their topic. I grew up in the US and had subject specialists teaching me from the equivalent of KS2 upwards. Should the UK follow suit? Subject Leaders are super resources but your school may not be lucky enough to have a full complement. So what can a primary teacher do if knowledge is lacking?

Extra Training

If you’re lucky and your school has the budget, you might be sent on a course that will turn you into a subject knowledge expert. The trouble with courses is that many focus on skills rather than substance. I remember roomfuls of bored teachers being more interested in what was on offer for lunch than the course content. Ironic when you think we were there to learn teaching best practices. I also recall a four-hour course on how to coach football. Even now it makes me laugh. My secret weapon was to rely on the pupils who played footy for a team – they knew more about the offside rule and what constituted a penalty than I ever would.
The National College for Teaching and Leadership fund Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses, which seem to be very worthwhile, according to a study carried out for the DfE. The trouble is that although these courses are widely available to trainees, there are only a few Teaching School Alliances in England that give access to existing and returning teachers. Another disadvantage is that a lot of the courses are aimed at secondary level, eg, biology, chemistry and physics. This means that existing teachers will be extremely lucky if they can find a relevant module and get the funding to attend.

Hacks

Hurray for the internet! In-depth, online research helped me throughout my twenty years of teaching. From lesson plans to how-to videos, whatever you need to know is out there. The only downside to researching topics is the time it takes. It’s bad enough planning lessons, marking and setting targets, without having to top up knowledge – even with PPA time. There must be a better way.
This could be seen as a long-term strategy but schools should take advantage of bespoke elearning content. Edtech developers work alongside a subject expert to create dynamic, interactive content. This not only relieves pressure on teachers who don’t know enough about a subject, it also cuts down on prep time. Once content has been created, it can be shared throughout the school and beyond. To make it more cost-effective, cluster schools could join forces to cover all areas and share content. This type of elearning content focuses on the visual learner and is highly engaging. As non-experts can learn from bespoke content, it will form the basis of a more confident blended learning scheme. Eventually, you may develop into a subject knowledge expert after all.

How would you describe a modern teacher? Today we are sharing some skills and attributes that we think modern teachers should possess.
 

Engage in professional communities

Teachers should view personal and professional development as a continuous process. One of the best ways to engage in personal and professional development is by networking. Network with other industry professionals by attending education conferences and events or by joining professional online communities for educators. Networking with other teachers is a great way to exchange ideas about different ways of teaching and to share other useful tips.

Keep learning

Being a teacher does not mean you should stop educating yourself. Like with any other profession, there is always something new to learn when you are a teacher. Modern teachers should be curious and proactive in terms of gaining new skills and knowledge.

Understand technology

Modern teachers should be willing to explore new technologies and the different ways they can improve teaching and learning. Technologies are constantly evolving and changing, therefore, teachers should be flexible and adaptable in order to stay up to date with changes in technologies that could support education.

What is more, most students are tech-savvy, this means that having an interest in different technologies will definitely help you engage with students more.

Participate in social media

Incorporating social media into lessons can be a challenge due to lack of knowledge, accessibility and issues like e-safety. However, teachers who are using social media can benefit in a number of different ways. For instance, different social media sites can help make lessons more interactive as well as they can extend the learning outside the classroom.

Social media is also useful for engaging with parents and for promoting the school image online. What is more, joining different discussions or connecting with people of social media are great ways for networking with other industry professionals.

Know when to take a break

This is very important for keeping high levels of productivity and for reducing work-related stress. Modern teachers know when it is time to slow down and relax for them and for their students.

April 2016 marks 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare – an English poet, playwright, and actor who is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time. Some of the most famous Shakespeare’s plays include “Hamlet”, “Romeo and Juliet” and “Macbeth”. His plays remain highly popular, and are constantly studied, performed, and reinterpreted throughout the world.

This month, the celebrations have officially started in the United Kingdom and across the world to honour Shakespeare. Today we are sharing some of the main events happening to celebrate the 400th anniversary as well as some online resources for improving your knowledge about Shakespeare and his work.

Events

1616: A Momentous Year at the Shakespeare’s Globe

Visit Shakespeare’s Globe in London for a year-long programme of performances, exhibitions, talks, workshops, conferences, a family story-telling festival, and even a Kabuki inspired ‘Ophelia’ in Japanese.

Shakespeare Lives by The British Council and the Great Britain campaign

Shakespeare Lives is a global programme of events and activities celebrating William Shakespeare’s work on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his death in 2016. The work of Shakespeare will be celebrated throughout 2016 directly on stage, through film, exhibitions and in schools.

Shakespeare400 by King’s College London

Shakespeare400 is a consortium of leading cultural, creative and educational organisations, coordinated by King’s College London, which will mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016. A number of public performances, programmes, exhibitions and creative activities will take place in the capital and beyond in 2016.

Online learning resources

BBC bitesize learning resources for schools
Check out the BBC bitesize learning resources to learn about Shakespeare and his work. Great for schools!
Teaching Shakespeare on TES
Teaching Shakespeare provides a number of useful resources for learning more about Shakespeare’s work.

Other activities

Visit Shakespeare’s birthplace
Visit the house where Shakespeare was born and grew up.
Visit Shakespeare’s classroom
The original classroom where William Shakespeare is believed to have studied and seen his first plays opened to the public for the first time last week.

School website is very important for making a good first impression as it often is the first contact that people have with the school. Therefore, the school website affects the overall image and reputation of your school which can lead to increased admissions. Having good school web design is also very important for delivering a good user experience for its regular users, including teachers, students and parents.

Here are some of the most important features of why having a good school website matters.

The features of a good school website

Website Appearance

The overall look of the website is the first thing that users notice when they visit the website. This includes the layout, colours, images and fonts you use to build the website. Make sure that all these factors are considered when building the website as they contribute towards creating an overall impression of the school.

Make sure you check our infographic on how to design an awesome school website here.

Quality content

A good school website is expected to include a range of quality content. Remember to add basic information like contact details, welcoming messages, school value and images to the homepage followed by learning resources, curriculum information, news, events calendar and other school information.

Navigation

The website design and good content are very important, however, if visitors cannot easily find the information they are looking for, they will become frustrated and it will negatively affect the overall user experience.

This is especially important when talking about parents researching the schools for their children because if they find the website impossible to navigate, they might just leave the website and search for another school.

The right message

Make sure your website sends the right message to its visitors and it actually represents the values and promotes the strengths of your school. Your website is very important when it comes to creating the best image of your school.

Mobile version

This is another very important feature that should not be ignored in the modern days. Most users, including teachers, parents and students will visit the school website on their mobile devices. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the website remains clear on all devices.

Check out our new mobile apps for schools here.

It is engaging

Finally, make it engaging!

Having a school website is very important, but making it a good website is what creates a good image of your school and leads to the positive user experience.]

The Importance of Having a Good School Website

A well-designed school website is crucial for creating a solid first impression and shaping the school’s image. Focusing on appearance, quality content, easy navigation, clear messaging, mobile compatibility, and engagement means schools can ensure a positive experience for all visitors.

A great website attracts new students and parents and is a valuable resource for the school community. Investing in a high-quality school website is vital in showcasing the school’s values and commitment to excellence.

Whether you are doing your homework, preparing for an assignment or studying for an exam, it is very easy to lose motivation to study if you do not feel organised, you are distracted or just feeling tired. Sounds familiar? These simple study tips will help you get in the right mindset.

Create the perfect studying environment

The first step to smarter studying at home is creating the perfect studying environment. Make sure your study area is quiet, comfortable and free from distractions. Try to experiment with different study areas. For example, if you get too distracted when you are at home, try studying in the school library or in any other quiet area. If you are not required to use technologies for your studying, try switching off all of your devices.

Stay organised

Use an academic planner to keep track of your assignments, homework and deadlines.You can use a traditional paper based planner or use the resources available on your school website or online. Always organise your learning materials. Keep all materials for different subjects in different folders, use colour coding or labelling to make your studying more effective. Most importantly, not all organisational systems work for all students, so make sure you develop a system that works for you.

Manage your time

Effective time management is one of the most useful skills that you can learn while at school. This is a lifelong skill that will benefit you in many ways. Plan how much time you want to spend studying a specific subject every day and set yourself realistic deadlines. Do not forget about any extracurricular activities that you might have and make sure you have enough time for studying.

Communicate with your peers and teachers

Engage with your peers on social media for asking questions, sharing your thoughts and resources or collaborating on different projects. What is more, teachers are always more than happy to answer your questions and to help you with your studying. This also shows that you care about your academic performance which can eventually lead to improved grades!

Turn your notes into flashcards

Turning your notes into flashcards is very useful when you are studying for an assignment or an exam. For instance, if you are studying geometry formulas, write the name of the formula on one side and the formula itself on the other side of the card. Use paper index cards or try some online resources and mobile apps for creating flash cards.

Take a break

Your brain can only take a certain amount of information at a time. If you do not take regular breaks, you will most likely find it difficult to memorise information and you will end up feeling stressed and frustrated. For every hour that you study, you should take at least a 15 minute break to do something that takes your mind away from studying. For example, go for a walk, listen to some music, play a game, chat with your friends or even take a nap.

Reward yourself

Positive reinforcement is a great tool for staying motivated. Reward yourself in small ways after completing tasks. Treat yourself to having your favourite snack, watching a movie or playing a computer game. Find whatever keeps you going!

Study all the time

Finally, try your best to study all the time instead of studying a day before your test or exam. Reviewing your notes daily and learning in smaller chunks will help you stay organised and will lead to better knowledge retention. This will definitely lead to achieving better academic results.

Studying does not have to be very stressful and time-consuming all the time. It is all about taking a different approach and finding what works for your. Hopefully, you found these tips useful.

The importance of spelling

Learning how to spell words is one of the most useful lifelong skills and it builds the basic foundation that all children will need throughout their education and life in general. Learning how to spell is very important for other basic skills, including writing and reading. These skills support children in achieving good results and progressing through various grades. What is more, being good at spelling may have an impact on the future careers of students.

One of the hot topics surrounding the education sector also relates to learning spelling in schools. The introduction of compulsory spelling tests for all key stage 2 pupils in England is expected to improve the literacy of students.

The new spelling tests are justified by making sure the students are prepared for the secondary school. This is expected to eventually improve the standards of learning and to raise England’s position in reading and writing. However, it has caused a number of negative responses in terms of being unnecessary and putting too much pressure on pupils, causing stress or even discriminating against students who might have special learning requirements caused my mental health.

Another point that some people make against spelling tests or even against teaching spelling in school is based on the irrelevance of learning how to spell in the age of technologies.

How technologies affect the way students learn to spell?

The rise of different learning technologies causes discussions on how they could be used to support education in schools. Some people see endless opportunities in how modern technologies could benefit education, while others only see the negatives associated with technologies or even believe that technology should be banned in schools. Talking about the relationship between spelling and modern technologies, most of us are familiar with ‘autocorrect’ on our smartphones or other online resources for checking spelling. Does that mean that that it is less important for students to learn spelling at school?

Having good spelling skills is just as important as it was before different technologies were available. Although technologies provide great alternative ways for practicing spelling, it should not be assumed that learning how to spell is less relevant nowadays. Mobile phones correct our spelling and if we are not sure how to spell something, it is easy to check it online. However, different learning technologies should be seen as opportunities for learning and practising spelling and we should not encourage students to view technology as a replacement for their own thinking as there will always be situations where technology might not be available.

It is clear that it is very important to learn how to spell and it should not be considered less important in the age of technology. However, it might be worth focusing more on teaching spelling in many different ways and helping students achieve high standards without causing unnecessary stress by making them take complicated tests for spelling.

We’ve created a handy infographic to help explain some of the more confusing aspects of website creation, click on the image for a higher resolution version!

How do you imagine a modern 21st century classroom? The reality is that the school environment in which most students learn remains old-fashioned in terms of how the classroom is designed and how the students learn. There are many things that could help modernise the classroom as well as to improve teaching and learning. The improvements you can make for your classroom range from simply changing seating arrangements to integrating latest technologies into the classroom. There is no right answer and every school should choose what works for their classrooms. Here are some characteristics of a modern 21st century classroom.

Technology integration

This is probably the most obvious solution for creating a modern classroom. Integrating technology into the classroom can make learning more fun and engaging and it can help to provide students with essential skills that will prepare them for the environment they will enter as modern day workers.

For instance, there is a number of easily accessible online learning resources that could be used for learning languages, practicing spelling or learning maths. You can also experiment with BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) where you allow your students to use their own devices for learning. This is a great way to encourage independent learning as well as for creating personalised learning plans. Not to mention the enthusiasm and excitement created by letting students use their own devices! Gamification is another amazing tool for creating a fun atmosphere in the classroom and for encouraging collaborative learning.

Flexible learning environment

Consider experimenting with seating arrangements and see what works best for your students. Think about whether your classroom layout and seating arrangements have a positive impact on learning. For instance, a traditional arrangement of the classroom where teacher is at the front and students are in rows facing the same direction, might not be the best solution for encouraging collaboration.

What is more, learning can take place anywhere and should not be limited to staying in the classroom all the time. Use other school facilities or other locations to make learning more engaging. Remember that a change to physical environment is believed to encourage creativity and collaborative work.

Teacher as facilitator

Most classrooms consist of tables and chairs, usually arranged so that children face a teacher and the teacher is considered as the source of all knowledge. However, the role of educators in the 21st century has evolved. That does not mean that the role of a teacher is less important. What it means is that teachers are expected to become facilitators in terms of inspiring students to take ownership in their own learning by providing them with opportunities to learn key concepts and to discover the tools they need for learning.

Collaborative learning

Learning through collaboration is one of the most effective forms of learning. As mentioned before, there are many ways for encouraging collaboration in the classroom. It can be done by integrating technology and using tools like gamification or engaging in discussions on social media. Other collaborative learning activities include group projects, debates or peer reviews. All these different activities are great for developing collaboration as well as for improving other useful skills like problem solving, creativity and critical thinking.

Characteristics of a 21st century classroom

Although, there are many different ways in which any classroom can be changed to meet the needs of modern learners, technology plays a big role in developing most of these characteristics for modern classrooms. If you are interested in learning about the evolution of technology in schools, check our infographic here.