Quick answer: a school website brings admissions when parents can find the board, classes, fees, admission process and transport areas within a minute on their phone, and can enquire or chat on WhatsApp in one tap, with every enquiry going straight to your admissions team.
Last updated: November 2026.
For many parents, your school website is the first visit to your campus. They look at it on a phone, often late in the evening, comparing three or four schools. If they can't find what they need quickly, they move on. These twelve must-haves come from what parents actually look for.
12 must-haves for a school website
1. The basics on the home page
Board, classes offered, location and a single clear "Enquire" or "Book a visit" button, visible without scrolling.
2. A clear admissions page
Age criteria, the steps from enquiry to admission, documents needed and key dates.
3. Fee information
Exact fees or at least a range, with what is included and instalment options. Parents shortlist on fees; hiding them loses enquiries.
4. An enquiry form that reaches someone
The form should create an enquiry in your admissions CRM and alert a counsellor, not land in an email inbox nobody checks.
5. A WhatsApp button
Many parents prefer to chat. A WhatsApp button that opens a chat with your school's verified number is often used more than the form.
6. Real photos and video
Your classrooms, labs, playground, buses and teachers. Stock photos are easy to spot and reduce trust.
7. Transport areas
A list or map of bus routes and stops. For many parents, "Does the bus come to us?" is the deciding question.
8. Results and activities
Board results, sports, arts and clubs, kept up to date.
9. Fast and mobile-first
Most parents visit from phones on mobile data. Compress images and keep pages light.
10. Found on Google
A clear title and description for each page, your address and phone matching your Google Business Profile, and pages for the questions parents search for.
11. Trust signals
Affiliation number, accreditation, safety policies, and how you protect student data.
12. A parent login
Current parents should find the app or portal login easily, so they don't call the office.
Mistakes school websites make
- A beautiful home page with no fees, process or contact details.
- Enquiry forms that email a generic address.
- Outdated news and events from two years ago.
- Slow pages full of large images.
- No way to chat on WhatsApp.
Measuring whether your website works
Track enquiries from the website form and WhatsApp button separately, and follow them through to admissions. If the website brings visits but few enquiries, the admissions page and fee information are usually the first things to fix. Our guide to increasing school admissions covers the rest of the funnel.
Websites and AI search
More parents now ask AI assistants which schools to consider. Clear pages that answer specific questions, such as fees, board, transport areas and admission dates, are more likely to be understood and quoted. Keep facts consistent across your website, Google profile and social media.
How CtrlCampus builds school websites
With CtrlWebsite, we design and build your school site on Wix as a Wix Legend Partner. Every enquiry form feeds the CtrlCampus Education CRM, so enquiries are assigned and followed up instead of sitting in an inbox. See our website builder page, read about ads for school admissions, or see the Oaktree Kidz case study.
FAQ: school website
What should a school website include?
Board, classes, fees, admission process, transport areas, real photos, results and an enquiry form and WhatsApp button that reach your admissions team.
Should we publish our fees?
Yes, or at least a range. Parents shortlist schools on fees, and missing information loses enquiries.
How often should the website be updated?
Admission dates and fees each year, news and results each term.
Does a school website help with Google?
Yes, especially pages that answer the questions parents search for and match your Google Business Profile details.
Can website enquiries go straight to our CRM?
They should. Book a demo to see website enquiries arriving in CtrlCampus.
