Schools worldwide have been busy redesigning and launching new websites that are nothing short of inspiring. As the school year comes to a close, a diverse collection of schools, from smaller specialized programs to larger private schools, went live with Finalsite and unveiled dozens of stunning new site designs.

Let’s look a little closer at the user experiences, beautiful aesthetics, and engaging content—here’s May’s roundup of the inspiring private and independent school website designs from Finalsite!

Canterbury School of Florida

Canterbury School of Florida's new website begins with three powerful action words: Explore, Engage, and Connect, setting the tone for the user experience and encouraging visitors to explore the site to discover all it offers.

The homepage is packed with engaging imagery that’s used effectively throughout the interior pages and even in the navigation.

Detailed information is available about the school's core values, community, character, academics, distinctions, and differentiators, and it's this comprehensive overview that helps prospective families understand what makes Canterbury unique.

The interior pages are well-organized, striking a nice balance between informative text and visual elements. They’re neatly categorized into accordions, slideshows, and image-based buttons, allowing users to find what they need easily. Blocks of color enhance the design, helping content stand out and guide the user's eye naturally through the page.

Full-width panels featuring testimonials amplify the voices of the Canterbury community, adding a personal touch and lending another degree of authenticity. Additionally, social media posts integrated throughout the internal pages keep the content dynamic and fresh.

Altogether, the site's design and functionality invite users to explore, engage, and connect with the school, ensuring that every visitor has a comprehensive understanding of what Canterbury has to offer. Nicely done!

Saint Bernard School

One of the standout features of Saint Bernard’s new website is its subtle animations within its homepage's design. When paired with the consistent branding of the Saint Bernard red, they give the site a cohesive look and feel that's welcoming and engaging.

The branding extends to colored buttons and calls-to-action (CTAs), making interactive elements pop. Color panels and section headers help break up content blocks, making the information more digestible and the site easier to navigate, too.

The interior pages are organized with information from academic departments and structured into panels, allowing for easy access and readability. Photo slideshows, particularly in the athletics section, showcase the school’s vibrant community and extracurricular activities.

Its integration with Blackbaud powers the faculty and staff directory, student calendar, and more, and the site also offers extensive information about admissions, catering to both transfer and international students, along with resources on affording Saint Bernard.

Look for the school seal, which appears in panels and the footer—a subtle strategy that adds a sophisticated touch to the overall design.

Fort Bend Christian Academy

Fort Bend Christian Academy's design elements, branding, and user-centric features come together to create an engaging and informative experience. The website opens with a strong emphasis on the values that define its school: excellence, learning, students, traditions, community, champions, and faith.

The design elements are seamlessly integrated, with panels and text subtly dissolving into full-width image backgrounds to create a dynamic visual experience that draws users in and encourages them to explore different areas of the school's values. Using different shades of green supports the school's branding and adds a cohesive aesthetic throughout the site.

Fast facts highlighting student success give quick insights into the school's achievements, and recent news stories are prominently featured, keeping the content fresh and engaging. The homepage wraps up with clear calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage visitors to discover more, visit, or apply.

The site's interior pages are rich with enhancements that improve user experience, like custom tab sliders, image button sliders, and circle graphics with callouts that provide interactive elements to keep users engaged.

The site also features a custom constituent directory and student profile spotlight, which highlight the people who make up the Fort Bend Christian Academy community. The news section is robust, offering users the ability to search archives by keyword and date range or filter by department. Amazing job!

Marian High School

Marian High School's new website is a standout example of effective school web design, combining vibrant branding, engaging content, and user-friendly functionality. The site not only captures the spirit of the school but also the benefits of strong branding. 

The italic fonts and flame graphics add a unique character, breaking up the geometric structure of the site and infusing it with personality. Branded graphics, including stars and the Mustang, reinforce the school's identity, and Marian's branded blue, complemented by touches of pink, green, and yellow, brings a lively and cohesive visual appeal to the pages, too.

The website features several video panels showcasing student voices, which adds life and authenticity to the page. Another standout section is the "Five Things That Make Marian, Marian," which highlights the school's key differentiators, such as the strong sense of sisterhood and the emphasis on intellectual curiosity.

The site is rich with imagery and information about student life, covering co-curricular activities, student wellness, and traditions. And, if users get turned around, a search bar on key pages lets users quickly find the information they need by searching by keyword.

American Community School Beirut

The American Community School of Beirut (ACS)’s new website captures the school's spirit and mission. It begins with a highlight reel showcasing a range of student experiences, such as skiing on mountainsides, theater productions, student artwork, athletic games, and even a student presence at the United Nations.

The homepage effectively communicates ACS’s mission to empower students to solve problems creatively and with integrity. Branded colored panels that highlight the school's focus on learning, engagement, and community add visual interest and help delineate different sections of the site.

The site provides quick access to fast facts about the school’s history, learning environment, and alumni profiles, offering visitors a snapshot of what makes ACS unique while highlighting the different entry points that comprise the ACS journey. The navigation is intuitive, guiding users to in-depth pages about the school, academics, student life, admissions, alumni, and opportunities to give.

Altogether, the site effectively supports ACS’s mission and continues to promote the amazing work being done at the school.

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.