Asking what must a UK school website include? Beyond good design, schools have a list of information they are expected to publish online. This 2026 checklist walks through the essentials — in plain English.
What must a UK school website include? The essentials
Think of this as the non-negotiable core. Every item below is something parents, inspectors or regulators expect to find on a UK school website. This is a general guide, not legal advice — always check current official guidance for the definitive requirements.
Who you are and how to reach you
School name, address, phone number and a contact email, plus the name of your SENCO and who handles day-to-day queries. Parents should reach the right person first time, not bounce between inboxes.
Safeguarding front and centre
Your child protection and safeguarding policy, your designated safeguarding lead, and e-safety information. This is the section inspectors check first, so keep it prominent, plain-English and current.
Curriculum, SEND and results
What you teach and how it is organised, how you support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, your latest results, and a link to your performance tables page.
Governors, policies and money
Who your governors are and what they do, key policies including behaviour and complaints, and reports on pupil premium and sports premium spending. Transparency here builds trust with parents and inspectors alike.
Key takeaway: the answer to what must a UK school website include is really two things — the right information, kept up to date. A beautiful site with expired policies still fails the test.
Keeping your website compliant, step by step
Compliance is not a one-off project — it is a habit. Three steps keep your website on the right side of expectations all year.
Step 1: Publish the full checklist
Make sure every item above exists on your site and is reachable within a couple of clicks. Missing pages are the most common problem we see — and the easiest to fix.
Step 2: Date-stamp everything
Show published and review dates on policies and key documents. It proves to inspectors — and parents — that the information is current, not inherited from three headteachers ago.
Step 3: Make updates easy
Compliance fails when updating is hard. Your website should let office staff change a policy or date in minutes, with training to back it up. If it does not, the platform is the problem.
Is this the same for academies and maintained schools?
Largely, yes — academies publish the same core information plus trust-level details on governance and funding. The principle is identical: transparency parents can verify.
What happens if information is missing?
Inspectors notice. Missing or outdated statutory information colours their view before they even arrive. A quick audit now avoids an awkward conversation later.
How can Altus help?
We design school websites with every checklist item built into the structure, migrate your existing content, train your team, and quote a firm fixed price once we understand your project.
Ready to grow?
Still wondering what must a UK school website include for your school specifically? Book your free consultation and we will audit your site against the checklist — free.
