Schools all over the world, from snowy Canada to sunny Kuala Lumpur, are shaking things up online! It seems like February is secretly the month for launching fresh, newly redesigned websites with big, bright colors and impressive, bold text that make quite the statement.

These recent launches feature some seriously smart design, websites that are actually easy to use, and content that really tells their school story. Let's see how these Finalsite schools are stepping up their design and connecting with their communities in a bigger, better way right now.

Faith Family Academy

Faith Family Academy's new website stands out with its big, bold style. Right away, you notice they've opted for a striking color palette and design that captures their distinctive experience as a public charter school.

Large text and impactful colors work well to convey a sense of ambition and possibility, especially paired with strong, aspirational statements like "Dream bigger, rise higher, go farther, explore more." 

Including “fast facts” right upfront is a smart way to communicate key information like attendance rates and scholarship information quickly, and the consistent use of purple and gold throughout the site reinforces a feeling of richness and tradition. It still feels modern and innovative, though!

Across five different campuses, its signature programs, like a flight school and visual and performing arts, are key to their identity, and the website brings them to the forefront to highlight opportunities for students to learn, explore, and express themselves. Amazing job!

West Island College

West Island College in Canada has launched a really impressive website that immediately invites you into their world, or rather, island? (It's not really an island, though.)

The hero panel is packed with a video montage, clear calls to action to connect, visit, and apply, followed by animated text that flows down to reveal their mission statement. That’s a dynamic and engaging way to introduce the school and what they stand for, which is preparing young girls in grades seven to twelve to pursue their passions.

• The "WIC Way" horizontal scroll is an engaging and creative way to present their different programs and offerings, like academics, career advising, their institute program, and facilities. Without overwhelming the homepage, it’s a great strategy that allows users to explore at their own pace and focus on what interests them.
   
• Highlighting the voices of students and parents through video testimonials is always a powerful strategy to build trust and show the school community in action. Presenting those testimonials with questions upfront is a really thoughtful touch so prospective families can quickly scan and find the testimonials that address their specific concerns or interests.
   
• Their take on "fast facts" is definitely refreshing. Instead of just typical stats, they’re highlighting things like pounds of produce donated and the square footage of their fitness facility. It's a more unique and human way to showcase the school culture and student life, beyond just academics.
   
• The text treatments throughout the site, with those big, bold statements like "Be brave. Be bold. Be ready," are impactful and memorable. And the clear call to action to "Start your WIC journey and apply" keeps the focus on engagement and next steps. It's also clear they prioritize showcasing student life, inclusivity, and belonging throughout the site, which is crucial for creating a welcoming atmosphere.
   
• Scroll to the bottom, and an animated footer with the cityscape and little wolf sprinting across is a fun detail that adds a touch of personality and charm.

Its interior pages are equally well-developed, with custom news stories, alumni pages, French immersion info, and admissions details. The use of full-width panels, testimonials, and enlarged text on these pages creates a visually rich and engaging experience throughout the entire site. Clearly, a lot of work went into the design and build out of this site—congratulations on a fantastic launch!

St. Xavier High School

St. Xavier High School's new website really makes a statement right from the start, centering itself around the idea of "expect more." And what’s interesting is how they immediately ground that expectation in their core pillars of student experience: compassion, humility, simplicity, trust, and zeal. You don't often see those kinds of values so explicitly stated on school websites, and it gives St. Xavier a distinctive and refreshing identity.

• The design itself is thoughtfully executed. A horizontal scroll highlights what gives them their "edge" – things like academics, expertise, facilities, and alumni network – is a visually engaging way to showcase their key strengths.
   
• Including video testimonials right on the homepage is always a smart move for building connection and trust. And I particularly like the phrasing they use – "exactly what our world needs" – it really positions St. Xavier as a place that's developing students to make a real difference.
   
• For prospective families ready to take the next step, the site clearly directs them to inquire or apply through a streamlined enrollment process. The fact that it’s branded and mobile-friendly says they’ve paid attention to making that initial enrollment journey as smooth as possible.
   
• Visually, the branding with greens and yellows creates a nice balance. It evokes a sense of legacy and tradition, while still feeling modern and innovative. The subtle animations throughout the site – sliding panels, the hover effects – add a layer of polish and interactivity without being distracting.
   
• Even the navigation is well-considered. The expanding menu that neatly highlights news, social media, and events keeps key information accessible without cluttering the main navigation. It's also interesting to know they partnered with Finalsite Advantage, and it definitely shows in the elevated design and messaging. 

Looking at some of the specific enhancements, like the full-width panels, custom image buttons, branded content cards, and those bold "X" typography cards – you can see a real attention to visual detail and creating a rich, engaging layout. Even features like the word pairing, containers with background images, tiered sub-navigation, and the one-page parent zone all point to a website that’s been carefully planned and executed to provide a top-notch user experience.

The International School of Kuala Lumpur

The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) has a truly best-in-class website! Right away, you're struck by how bright and energetic it is with its fantastic color palette of blues, yellows, greens, and teals, which really makes it stand out and feel alive.

The site also uses big, bold typography and powerful words like "Know. Care. Create." acting like bookends to introduce and conclude the site's message and core values. The homepage starts by clearly stating "Welcome to ISKL" and then quickly moves into highlighting what makes them special, like their future-ready education, a world of opportunities, and inclusive community.

As you scroll down the homepage, you’ll see animated "fast facts" that quickly scroll upward, revealing impressive numbers and stats about the school. Throughout the entire site, you'll notice the panther mascot, cleverly represented by animated paw prints in the sticky navigation menu, within the page, and even in the sticky navigation— it’s a fun way to keep branding consistent and memorable as you browse.

The site has a natural and welcoming feel thanks to the rounded corners on content blocks and section dividers. The design hints at the local environment and culture of Kuala Lumpur, which is represented through the gradients and style of its content blocks.

Once you get to the interior pages, you'll find many pages with tabs to break down large amounts of information into digestible pieces. For example, on their learning pages, information is neatly arranged in tabs, making it much easier to read and understand step by step. These pages are packed with content, including embedded videos and social media feeds, but the text is thoughtfully arranged for a nice, easy flow. They also use accordions to organize text, making it simple to browse and find what you need, like on the "Community" and "Beyond the Classroom" pages.

From the vibrant colors and bold typography to the cultural nods and content ISKL has created a website that is both beautiful and highly functional. Love it!

COBIS: Council of British International Schools

The Council of British International Schools (COBIS) has launched a new website, a beautiful site that supports a professional and engaging image for the organization. 

Visually, the site is brought together by rich blues and splashes of red, inspired by the colors of the Union Jack, which is seen within COBIS' branding and logo. Toward the top, the site clearly presents COBIS's mission and vision, and they also include mobile-friendly icons that act as quick links to important areas of the site, such as continuing professional development, job postings, student events, and more.

The site effectively highlights COBIS' community and shares some impressive statistics that speak to the scale and reach of the organization, like their 300+ member schools in over 80 countries that serve 240,000 students—impressive!

Further down the page, the website explains "Why Choose COBIS?" and "Ways to Join COBIS" to clearly communicate the value for potential members. Directly below, they feature a "Latest News & Events" section, keeping the content fresh and showing opportunities for engagement.

Because COBIS is an organization for schools, rather than a school itself, the website's functionality is adapted accordingly. So instead of "inquire" or "apply" buttons, you'll find calls to action focused on "getting in touch" and "joining the network."

Take a look for yourself — it's functional and well-designed to represent COBIS' mission and its impact on British international schools and their students worldwide. Wonderful job!

Key Point Christian Academy

 Key Point Christian Academy's new website is live and it's mix of blues, greens, oranges, and maroons gives the site a lively and energetic feel, balancing it in a way that’s both youthful and grounded. Definitely a vibrant and welcoming space!

I like how they introduce their key values right upfront – mindfulness, academics, community, innovation, and family. The "in their own words" section with video testimonials from teachers and students is a great touch, too. Hearing directly from the school community is always more impactful than just reading about it, and the video adds a personal and authentic touch.

• The custom design elements that mirror the school seal are nice branding details, tying everything together visually. The four different divisions – preschool through upper school – are highlighted right on the homepage, and the scope of their programs is clearly laid out.
   
• The social media integration pulling in Instagram content is a smart way to keep the website feeling dynamic and up-to-date without constantly having to update it manually. It’s a great way to showcase school life in a more authentic and visual way.
   
• The branded map of Miami in the footer is a lovely touch! It's a subtle way to show their location within the city and add a bit of local flavor and visual interest to the footer area, which often comes as an afterthought.
   
• As for the interior pages, they’re clean and well-organized with lots of white space, and thanks to the accordions, information is kept neatly contained and spaced well on the page to make information easily accessible.

It looks like a place that's full of joy and learning, and that sense of community definitely comes through in the design and content. They’ve created a website that effectively reflects the spirit and values of the academy, congrats!

St. Stephen's Episcopal School

St. Stephen's Episcopal School's new website is really striking and sophisticated, showcasing a strong visual identity right from the start. The use of color is definitely a standout feature – those branded royal purples paired with secondary greens, reds, and golds create a rich and cohesive palette. It’s clear they’re using color strategically to draw attention to content blocks and calls to action, making key elements really pop.

• The full-width imagery panels throughout the site are also very effective, especially in sections like "By the Numbers" and "News from the Hill." There's a nice design balance happening throughout the site too, with the rounded edges of content blocks playing off those angled panel dividers. It's a subtle detail, but it adds a layer of visual interest and sophistication.
   
• Custom button designs with mobile-friendly logos for admission, diversity, and alumni are a nice touch, making those important areas easily accessible and visually distinct. The imagery across the site as a whole is strong, particularly in how they’ve incorporated images into the navigation menu itself and in the hero sections of interior pages. It really elevates the visual appeal and helps guide users intuitively.
   
• The news section is comprehensive and user-friendly, allowing visitors to search by keyword and filter by tags —there's a lot to explore on this site, and they’ve made it easy to do so.
   
• It’s telling that the school itself describes the site as exemplifying "belonging, sharp minds, fierce spirits and compassionate hearts." That sense of school identity really seems to be woven throughout the design and content. They’ve clearly aimed for a website that is not only more engaging and easier to navigate, but also reflective of the St. Stephen's experience.
   
• Looking at some of the specific enhancements, like the beautifully designed Annual Report landing page, the custom timeline for the application process, and the custom image buttons, it's clear they've gone the extra mile to create a polished and user-centric experience.

It’s a site that will serve their community well and make a strong impression on prospective families!

Congratulations to St. Stephen's Episcopal School and all the other amazing sites that went live with Finalsite this February!

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.