Author: Tim Longhurst
Version 1.0
Date: November, 2006

This is a tried and tested 7 step process that we have developed with clients across NSW.
The process can be completed in as little as four weeks.

Getting the most out of this process

• Specific, realistic deadlines will help the process progress quickly

Choosing a Project Team

It is important early in the process to determine who will be part of the website Project Team. Your team may be your:

• Principal alone
• Principal and Assistant/Deputy Principals
• Principal, Assistant/Deputy Principals and the Technology Co-Ordinator, or,
• a completely different group.

We have found Project Teams work best when they are made up of three or less senior staff - other staff can be ‘brought in’ as required.
Whilst it is possible to form a website Project Team without the Principal, we’ve never done this and don’t recommend it!

STEP 1: Planning: Audience and Content

At the completion of this step, you will have documented your vision for the site in both general and specific terms.

The Requirements Definition should be a single-page brief that outlines the website's audiences and the content the school aims to present at the website.

This page will be useful because it will help guide priorities through further steps of the website.

Audiences

Primary Audiences are the audiences the site will be prepared for. They may include parents of prospective students, parents of current students, current students, past students and members of the local community.
Secondary Audiences are audiences who are likely to visit the site, despite the site not being specifically prepared for them. They may include journalists and members of the media, beauraucrats and members of the education deparment, people interested in hiring school facilities and teachers applying for work at the school.

Content

This will ultimately vary depending on the school's website budget and level of proficiency with online technologies. It is worth visiting other school websites to get a sense of what information they are providing.
Some examples of content would include:

• About the School
• School History
• School Newsletters
• Student Work
• Photo Albums of School Events
• Enrolment Information
• School Calendar
• Excursion details
• Permission notes
• School policy information
• School rules
• Website links recommended for students

STEP 2: Choosing a Construction Method

Content Management Systems (CMS)

These are by far the easiest way to manage a school website. Although they are tricky to setup - you will almost certainly need professional assistance - an increasing number of schools are opting for CMS's to make life easier. To update a CMS, staff usually log-in to the site and make changes via their web browser (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox).

There are two types of CMS: Open Source (free) and Proprietary (fee).

Content Management Systems - Open Source (free)
(Including Drupal, Mambo, Joomla, Xoops, Plone and others)
Open Source Software is made by teams of developers that share ideas and collaborate, usually via the web. The Software and updates are made available via the internet for free.
Features vary from product to product, but many Open Source CMS's offer features such as photo-uploads, Search Engine .

Pros:

• Very easy to update
• All staff can be given permission to edit the site
• Can be updated using a web-browser from any location (no special software required)
• Software is free
• Can be customised to meet your needs

Cons:

• Usually requires an outside expert to set up
• Will require a website host that can provide 'database hosting'

Proprietary Content Management System (fee)
Proprietary CMS's are usually made by small teams of developers. A benefit of Proprietary CMS's is that they are sometimes made specifically for an industry. There are, for example Proprietary CMS's designed especially for schools.
A disadvantage of Proprietary CMS's is that you are often 'locked in' to one provider - if you choose to move your site to a new web developer, you may not be able to take your website software with you.

Pros:

• Very easy to update
• Usually several staff are given access to edit the website
• Can be updated using a web-browser from any location (no special software required)
• Often customised to be industry specific

Cons:

• Always requires an outside expert to set up
• Will require a website host that can provide 'database hosting'
• Often 'locks you in' to a single provider, as they own the copyright on the software

Adobe Dreamweaver / Microsoft Frontpage
Adobe Dreamweaver is one of the world's most popular HTML development applications. It requires a significant degree of knowledge to build a website, although this can be achieved with training.
Microsoft Frontpage is a web development program that is often made available to schools as part of a statewide license, which means schools can use it for no additional cost.

Pros:

• If you have a access to a talented website developer, very professional sites can be developed using this software.

Cons:

• Only people who know how to use the software can maintain the school's website.