Your school website is a window into the daily life and spirit of your school. One of the best ways to bring your website to life is by including photo galleries. Good quality, regularly updated photos can make a huge difference in engaging parents, students, and the wider community. Here’s why photo galleries are an essential feature for your school’s website.

1. Showcasing School Life
A photo gallery lets you visually share the unique culture of your school. Whether it’s a sports carnival, a classroom activity, or a special event, pictures capture moments that words alone can’t. They help parents and the community feel more connected to what’s happening at school.

2. Engaging Parents and Families
Many parents love seeing what their children are up to during the school day. By regularly updating your gallery with photos from excursions, assemblies, and classroom projects, you create a sense of inclusion and excitement for families who may not always be able to attend in person.

3. Attracting New Families
When prospective parents visit your website, they’re looking for a glimpse into school life. A vibrant photo gallery filled with happy, engaged students makes a great impression and helps show why your school is a great choice.

4. Celebrating Achievements
From sports victories to art showcases, a photo gallery is a perfect way to celebrate student achievements. Recognising these moments not only boosts student morale but also highlights the great work your school is doing.

5. Making the Website More Inviting
Let’s be honest—nobody enjoys a website that’s just a wall of text. Photos break up the content, make pages more visually appealing, and encourage visitors to explore further.

Working with Photo Galleries Cheat Sheet




Sinead Bannon
Operations Manager

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Choosing the Right Display Style for Your School Website

Your school website is a hub of information, and the way you present your recent news articles can make all the difference. Whether you want to highlight important updates or create a visually engaging experience, our website themes 5 - 9 give you full control over how your news appears. Here’s why you might want to change things up—and how each option can work for you!

With or Without Pictures?

Some schools love using images to bring their news to life, while others prefer a clean and text-focused approach. If you have engaging photos from events, adding pictures can make your news more eye-catching. If you just want a simple, no-fuss look, turning off images keeps everything streamlined and professional.

Choosing the Best Layout for Your News

Beyond pictures, the way your articles are arranged can impact readability and emphasis. Here’s a breakdown of your options:

• 1 Article Per Line: Perfect for schools that want each article to have its own space. This is great if your updates are longer or if you want to emphasise each piece of news equally.
  
  

• 2 Articles Per Line: A balanced layout that keeps things neat while allowing for a more compact design. Ideal if you have frequent updates but still want some breathing room.
  
  

• 3 Articles Per Line: A great choice for busy schools with lots of news! This layout keeps your homepage looking dynamic without overwhelming visitors.
  
  

• 1 Hero Article plus 2 Articles Per Line: Got an important announcement? This style lets you feature a major story at the top, with secondary articles neatly below. Great for highlighting major events like sports wins or principal updates.
  
  

• 1 Hero Article plus 3 Articles Per Line: Similar to the previous style, but with a more compact design for the secondary stories. Perfect if you want a strong visual impact while keeping things tidy.
  
  

Which One Should You Choose?

Think about how often you update your news, how much space you want each article to have, and whether photos play a big role in your updates. The beauty of these options is that you can switch things up anytime to keep your website fresh and engaging!

Need help deciding? Give it a try and see which style best fits your school’s vibe!

Working with Articles - Theme 5 & 6

Working with Articles - Theme 7

Working with Articles - Theme 8 & 9

Sinead Bannon
Operations Manager

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All PD's are free.  All you need to do is register to the PD you wish to attend and login on the day with a cup of tea/coffee to sit back and learn some new tricks, or see some new features.

BEGINNER BASICS
This session will run you through the basics of maintaining your website including - loading pdfs, images, creating new pages and adding dates to your calendar.   Suitable for users that have attended the initial sponsor-ed training but need a refresher.
Running time: Approx 45 minutes

Tuesday 29th April at 11.30am (9.30am WST)
Register here



INTRODUCTION TO eNEWS
Time to start thinking about trialling the Updat-ed eNews system. Create visually stunning newsletters with ease, from inside your website.  Suitable for school's who have not yet used the eNews system.
Running time: Approx 45 minutes

Thursday 1st May at 12pm (10am WST)
Register here


MASTERING eNEWS
You are already using the Updat-ed eNews and would like some tips & tricks.  Meet with us for a session on mastering the eNews - from creating custom eNews headers, adding your calendar & photo galleries to your articles, working with videos and archiving explained. Always time for a Q&A at the end.
Running time: Approx 45 minutes

Wednesday 7th May at 11.30am (9.30am WST)
Register here



Sinead Bannon
Operations Manager

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Take the stress out of managing your website with our dedicated helpdesk! You might be surprised with our offerings.

• Speedy troubleshooting 
• Creating custom graphics for your school - homepage gallery or recent news articles
• Uploading documents
• Need personalised training? Just ask
• Covering for your website manager when they’re unavailable and you don't know what to do

Our team is here to help. You can reach us by email or phone, and if needed, we can arrange a Zoom or Webex meeting to provide more personalised support.

We’re committed to going above and beyond, offering suggestions to enhance your site and optimise content display. Let us handle the details so you can focus on what matters most - the students!

Ph: 1300 755 010
E: helpdesk@updat-ed.com.au


Sinead Bannon
Operations Manager

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