An accessible school website helps ensure that all parents, carers, staff and visitors can access important information quickly and easily, regardless of ability, language or device.

For schools, accessibility is not just good practice. It supports inclusion, improves communication with families and helps schools meet their responsibilities under UK public sector accessibility guidance.

However, accessibility is not something that can be fixed once and forgotten. School websites change constantly throughout the year, which means accessibility needs regular monitoring and maintenance.

What Does Website Accessibility Mean for Schools?

Website accessibility means designing and maintaining a site so it can be used by people with:

• Visual or hearing impairments
• Cognitive or learning difficulties
• Language barriers
• Assistive technologies such as screen readers
• Different devices, screen sizes and browsers

In the UK, schools are expected to follow guidance based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

These standards help ensure school websites are clear, inclusive and usable for everyone, including parents accessing information from mobile devices.

Why School Website Accessibility Needs Ongoing Attention

School websites are constantly changing.

Throughout the year, schools regularly:

• New policies are uploaded
• Letters and newsletters are added
• Events, term dates and updates change
• Staff update pages in busy periods

Without proper oversight, accessibility issues can creep in quietly, often without anyone realising until a parent struggles to access information.

That’s why accessibility works best when it’s built into ongoing website support, not treated as a one-time fix.

Key Accessibility Features Schools Should Be Maintaining

Creating an accessible school website involves more than simply meeting minimum standards. It requires attention to several key elements that affect how easily parents, carers, and visitors can read, navigate and understand your website.

The following areas are some of the most important accessibility features that schools should regularly review and maintain.

Clear Colour Contrast and Standards

Text should always be easy to read against its background.

Good accessibility practice includes:

• strong contrast between text and background colours
• avoiding light text on light backgrounds
• not relying on colour alone to communicate meaning

These standards help users with visual impairments, but they also make websites clearer for all parents and carers, especially when viewing pages on mobile devices.

Font Size, Style and Readability

Readable text is one of the most important accessibility features, but it is often overlooked.

Schools should aim for:

• A minimum body text size of 16px
• Clear and simple fonts
• Good spacing between lines and paragraphs
• Content that scales properly when users zoom in

When websites are outdated or poorly styled, text can quickly become difficult to read, particularly for parents accessing the site on phones or tablets.

Translation and Language Support

Many school communities include families who speak English as an additional language.

Adding translation tools to a school website allows parents and carers to:

• Understand school communications more clearly
• Access important information independently
• Stay informed about policies and updates

While automated translation is not perfect, it significantly improves access to school information for many families.

Accessible Images and Documents

One of the most common accessibility issues on school websites is information being shared only as images or poorly formatted documents.

Best practice includes:

• Adding descriptive alt text to images
• Avoiding images that contain essential information
• Ensuring PDFs and documents are readable by assistive technology
• Providing text alternatives where possible

Uploading content correctly is just as important as the content itself.

Clear Navigation & Page structure

Parents should never have to hunt for information.

Accessible school websites benefit from:

• Clear, consistent menus
• Logical page structure
• Clear headings and page titles
• Simple layouts that work across devices

This not only supports accessibility, but it also saves school staff time answering repeated queries.

Accessibility, Hosting and Ongoing Support Go Hand in Hand

Accessibility isn’t just about design, it’s also about how a website is hosted, maintained and supported.

Reliable school website support helps ensure:

• Accessibility standards don’t slip over time
• Updates don’t break layouts or readability
• New content remains compliant
• Issues are spotted and fixed early

Without ongoing support, even well-designed websites can quickly fall behind.

Supporting Schools Beyond the Website

At North East Schools, accessibility is part of a wider approach to supporting schools with:

• Reliable website hosting
• Ongoing website maintenance
• Clear, parent-friendly digital communication
• Systems that reduce admin pressure on staff

The goal isn’t just a compliant website; it’s a website that works for the whole school community, every day.

Making Accessibility Part of Your Digital Strategy

An accessible school website reflects a school’s commitment to inclusion, clarity and good communication.

By focusing on:

• Colour and font standards
• Translation tools
• Clear layouts and structure
• Ongoing review and support

Schools can ensure their websites remain accessible, reliable and easy for the whole school community to use.

As school technology continues to evolve, maintaining accessibility will remain an important part of providing clear and inclusive communication for parents, carers and visitors.

Taking a proactive approach today helps ensure that school websites continue to support families, staff and pupils effectively in the years ahead.