A school website should be the first place parents go when they need information—but too often, schools assume that parents just won’t use it. Instead, the office phone keeps ringing with questions about term dates, absence reporting, and school policies—questions that should already be answered online.

Here’s the truth: If parents aren’t using your website, it’s not because they don’t want to, it’s because they can’t!

It’s time to stop underestimating your school website’s potential and start making it a tool that truly works for your school community. Here’s why parents aren’t using your website—and how to fix it.

1. Identify Why Parents Aren’t Using the Website

Before improving your school website, you should understand why parents aren’t using the website.

Here are some of the most common reasons your parents aren’t visiting your school website:

  • The homepage is cluttered, and they can’t find what they need.
  • The site isn’t mobile-friendly, making it hard to navigate on a phone.
  • Key information is outdated or missing.
  • They don’t know the website has the answers they need.

Tip: Ask your office staff what questions they get most often—then ensure those answers are front and center on the website!

2. The Information Parents Need Isn’t Easy to Find

If a parent can’t find term dates, absence reporting, or school policies within a few seconds, they’re going to call the office instead.

Here’s how to fix it:

  • Make key information instantly accessible on the homepage.
  • Use clear menu labels (e.g., “Term Dates” instead of “Academic Calendar”).
  • Add a search bar so parents can find what they need quickly.

Test it out: Can you find term dates on your website in under 10 seconds? If not, your parents can’t either!

3. Parents Don’t Trust It’s Up to Date

Many school websites haven’t been updated in months (or years!), so parents give up on checking it and default to calling the school office instead.

Here’s how to fix it:

Assign someone to update the website weekly.
Post announcements, term dates, and newsletters in a timely manner.
Ensure old event pages and expired policies are removed or archived.

If parents don’t see fresh content, they’ll assume the website is outdated and unreliable.

4. It’s Not Mobile-Friendly (many of your parents use their phones to access the website)

If your website is difficult to navigate on a mobile phone, parents won’t bother using it—they’ll just call instead.

Here’s how to fix it:

Test your website on both iPhone & Android to check usability.
Use large buttons & readable fonts for easy navigation.
Avoid large PDFs that require zooming—use clickable, mobile-friendly content instead.

If parents can’t easily use your website on their phone, it’s time for an update

5. Staff & School Communications Aren’t Promoting the Website

If your school website is an afterthought in emails, newsletters, and conversations, parents won’t think to check it first.

Here’s how to fix it:

  • Include the website link in every school email, social post and text message.
  • Train office staff to redirect parent calls to the website instead of answering FAQs over the phone.
  • Use QR codes on printed materials to take parents directly to key pages.
Here is an example communication you could send to parents to promote your website

Email example:

Visit our School Website: The First Place to Check for Updates!

Dear Parents and carers,

We’re making it easier than ever to stay updated with everything happening at [School Name]! Instead of calling the school office, check our NEW & IMPROVED website first:

[INSERT WEBSITE LINK]

On our school website, you’ll find:

  • Term dates & key policies
  • School newsletters & upcoming events
  • Absence reporting forms & contact details

And much, much more.

You can even save our school website to your home screen for quick access.

Thank you for your support,

Mrs Robot
Robot Primary School

Social Media Post Example

📢 Did you know? You don’t need to call the school office for basic info! 🙌

Visit [INSERT WEBSITE LINK] and find:
✅ Term dates 📅
✅ School policies 📜
✅ Newsletters & event updates 🏫

💡 TIP: Save the website to your phone’s home screen for quick access! 📲

#SchoolWebsite #StayUpdated #NoNeedToCall

5. Your Website Isn’t Designed to Reduce Phone Calls

A school website should work for you, not just exist as an online brochure. If parents are still calling, your website isn’t doing its job properly.

Here’s how to fix it:

  • Add online forms for absence reporting & permission slips.
  • Make sure contact details & FAQs are easy to find.
  • Ensure every piece of information is clear, structured, and accessible.

Your website should act as your digital front desk—always available, always organised.

A well-structured school website can save hours of admin time, improve parent communication, and make life easier for your staff.

If your school website isn’t working for you, let’s change that! Book a free demo or and let’s have a chat about how we can:

Save your school office time by reducing unnecessary phone calls.
Improve communication with parents by making key info easy to find.
Deliver a website that truly works for your school—not against it!