From a Catholic school founded in the wake of the Gold Rush to a school with buildings dating back to the 11th century, we're taking a closer look at the web design, user experiences, and content of the schools and districts worldwide that just launched beautiful and accessible new websites with Finalsite.

Here’s the latest round-up of school website launches for May 2023!

Germantown Friends School

Bursts of colors, smooth transitions, and creative animations bring this site’s branding to life. Germantown Friends has its messaging down solid, and as a Quaker, independent day school, it’s all about students discovering their “inner light.”

There’s a real sense of aspirations for its students and community, too — the belief that significant change can happen when its people, values, and neighborhoods work together to make a better world. Those ideas are supported by inspiring imagery, detailed community pages, and a focus on its students' academic and personal developments, all from early childhood through their transition to college.

There’s a lot to see — don’t miss:

• A beautiful infographic treatment on the About Us page 
• Great visuals and animations for buttons throughout the site 
• An all-star Athletics page, social highlights, and complete schedules

Canford School

A hundred years of history have gone into forming the Canford School that exists today, but the school’s early beginnings actually date as far back as the 11th century. Its homepage captures that extensive past perfectly with a wide range of content presented in a full-panel hero video, expanding panels of its visions, mission, and value, an at-a-glance section, and multiple testimonials and quotes.

There are a handful of design elements that catch your attention as you scroll the homepage: a great drop-down menu mid-page, answering the question, “What makes a Canfordian?” and a text-based animation highlighting a quote about the school’s offerings. 

There’s so much to take in, but be sure to check out:

• Colorful, infographic tiles for fast facts on the Canford Impact
• Custom hero, menu, and calendar design elements
• A custom timeline to share its history, Day in the Life, and admissions journey

The Langley School

You won’t have any trouble finding great photography on Langley’s website — its homepage’s hero slideshow, divisional panels, and testimonials are filled with great moments, genuine emotion, and images that capture the spirit of the Langley experience.

Value props, mission statements, and the impact of the school are found in every corner, and section dividers and panels subtly crossfade into view, delivering a great branded experience for users. Its news and event section is especially well-designed, with the latest stories, calendar items, and social posts coming together to paint the picture of an engaged campus. 

When prospective families are ready to inquire, learn more about financial aid, sign up for an information session, or enroll, Finalsite Enrollment streamlines the process for families, ( as well as its admissions staff)

Be sure to check out:

• A custom timeline detailing the history of the school
• Full panel image buttons for interior pages
• A mobile-friendly curriculum guide, powered by Finalsite Posts
• A Giving Thermometer to help visualize the progress of important giving campaigns

St. Ignatius College Preparatory

St. Ignatius’s new site looks beautiful on a desktop, but it’s important to note how great it looks and it functions on a mobile device, too! With a collapsed menu, quick links, a search bar, and even a home button anchored to the bottom, it feels more like a mobile-app experience designed to prioritize users’ navigation and keep them engaged. 

Half a dozen icons on the right-hand side of the page anchor the scrolling experience, but on mobile, those large, easily identifiable icons line the bottom of key sections about academics, athletics, and arts, as well as its community and faith pages. Animations bring its At-a-Glance section to life, while a drop-down menu lets users choose their questions to be answered by video testimonials from students — definitely a unique feature!

There’s a lot to explore, check out its additional microsites for:

• Current Families
• Alumni
• The Fr. Sauer Academy

Widefield School District 3

Widefield’s website is the new digital home to the community of 20 schools in Colorado Springs. A full-width video panel greets users with footage from a parade filled with school spirit, and overlaid are two calls to action — enroll and apply, which are found again as sticky navigation on the right side as users scroll.

Just underneath is the text: “To learn, grow, achieve: Every child, every classroom, every day" — a great introduction and callout the district’s mission. The site is modern, not overly designed, and very mobile friendly — large buttons, big images, and a minimal amount of text that won’t overwhelm visitors, whether it’s their first visit or returning for more information.

Users will find the drop-down menu in the top left corner, and a roll-over feature to expand into its Welcome and About sections, while links to the portal pages in the top right make it easy for students, families, and staff to find their resources in just a few clicks. The latest district news, events, and social posts are showcased on its homepage just above a modern panel that calls out the distinctions of the district—nicely done!

Theme Launches

But wait, there’s more! A dozen schools and districts also launched their theme sites this month — congratulations on all successful website redesigns!

• Belvidere Comm Unit SD
• Laramie County School District 2
• North Montco Technical Career Center
• Wright City R-II School District
• Penn Hills School District 
• Ross Local School District
   
• Moor Park
• Russell Independent School District
• Steilacoom Historical School District 1
• New Bedford Academy
• Spartanburg School District 4
• Findlay City Schools

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Connor has spent the last decade within the field of marketing and communications, working with independent schools and colleges throughout New England. As Finalsite’s Senior Content Marketing Manager, Connor plans and executes marketing strategies and digital content across the web. A former photojournalist, he has a passion for digital media, storytelling, coffee, and creating content that connects.