WebSite Story: Shaw Primary School
'This is a huge step forward in celebrating the children's learning experience at Shaw, and a far more interactive and fun way of doing so. Our staff are managing pages easily on a day-to-day basis, and we've laid the foundations for the children blogging and contributing as we move on.'
Dave Borrie, Headteacher
Shaw Primary's previous website was typical of most primary sites in the UK - a technically outdated build that failed to communicate the school's many strengths as a successful, child-centric, learning family.
Paperhorse's initial brief was for a makeover - however, it was clear that without a creative strategy in place to articulate those strengths, a new site would only replicate the problem, not move the school forward.
Getting to the Core of Shaw
Shaw was a hidden gem in many ways. Most noticable on our first visit was the sheer size of the site that went unseen from the road - small entrances in a hedge-lined perimeter belied the expanse of quality green space and the facilities that were on offer beyond. Like the Tardis, Shaw was bigger on the inside! Moreover, we found that this was the usual visitor experience. So, in reality, our brief was to use the website as a tool to unveil the school.
We needed a core message that would inform future marketing and make a key proposition to both physical and online visitors in a split second. The strapline, 'More to Explore', succinctly summed up the visitor experience, highlighted the fact that many opportunities were available for children at the school, and alluded to the pupil's overall learning journey as he or she progressed through the school. 'More to Explore at Shaw' is also an effective mnemonic rhyming string that helps even the youngest children understand the school's USP.
When Illustration is Communication
It's easy to use illustration and animation to 'gild the lily' on a website, with no actual purpose or value. When Paperhorse illustrate, animate or design characters, however, it is always strategic and helps tell a story.
The school had commissioned a Viking Longboat for the grounds and our illustration and animation carried this concept on and reinforced the 'More to Explore' theme. The children also came up with similies to explain the presence of this theme and demonstrate what they understood to be important in the school.
Like all our sites, www.shawprimary.com allows staff to update pages in seconds, works on all mobile and tablet platforms, and the basic framework has been created for children to contribute as the site develops. Overall, Paperhorse has brought a depth of insight that focused upon what the school really needed - and created a solid foundation for the school to build on in the coming years.
