Choosing a school is about more than just the buildings, classrooms and exam results. For parents, the question of who will be looking after their child is a much more personal one.
The reason that staff profiles are so valuable for a school’s website is that they allow the school to put a face to the name. These profiles allow parents to learn about the staff members who will be teaching their children before they even enter the school.
A list of names and job titles can be shown to parents who work at the school. However, it does not provide any indication of what those people are like.
Adding a friendly photograph of the teacher, a short introduction to them and a few details about their interests or experience can transform the website from a portal of information to a window into the school community. For Websites for schools, consider https://www.fsedesign.co.uk/websites-for-schools/
Putting faces to names
Think about the first day at a new school. The unfamiliar corridors, the new faces and the numerous names to remember can be overwhelming. However, if you were to recognise a teacher or a member of the school staff before the first day, it would certainly make the experience easier for you.
For younger children especially, familiarity is often a source of reassurance.
In addition to the curriculum, staff profiles can give prospective parents a better sense of the character of the school. Teachers who share their enthusiasm for science, love of reading or enjoyment of school productions are sharing something of themselves that goes beyond their job title.
This shows personality.
Building trust before the first visit
Parents want to feel confident about the teachers and staff members who will be working with their children. Although these profiles cannot replace meeting someone in person, they can help to build a sense of trust with those people.
Also, these profiles can be used to showcase the range of experience within the school itself. By including profiles of teachers, teaching assistants, pastoral staff, office staff and senior leaders, for instance, the school can demonstrate the diversity of people who work together to ensure the school runs effectively.
Keep the profiles genuine. The profiles do not have to be as formal as a resume. A little warmth can go a long way.
The best school websites do not simply provide information to visitors of the website. Rather, they give visitors a feeling of what the school is actually like.
The staff profiles of these organisations can be surprisingly important to the functioning of those organisations. When visitors to the website see the real faces of the students and teachers in the classrooms, they begin to feel a connection to those people.