Earlier this year we designed and built a new website for Bishop Stopford School in Kettering and, although we love working on all of our school websites, we were especially excited about this one. One of our senior team went to Bishop Stopford, so it was lovely to have the chance to work with a school we already had a connection to!
The school wanted a more modern site that did a better job of showing why families speak so highly of it. There was plenty to work with, from strong exam results to the things students were doing in sport, clubs and around the school. The old website made some of that easy to miss. So when we started putting ideas together, we thought about what a family would pick up in their first few minutes on the site, especially if they’d never set foot in the school.
Bringing school achievements to the homepage
We used our extensive school website design experience and started with what a family sees when they land on the homepage. A dynamic and striking school video gives visitors a first look at the school, and a section for key figures puts some of the things Bishop Stopford is proudest of in plain sight. Alongside figures on academic progress and university offers, there’s room for the things families want to know about day-to-day life. The school’s autumn 2025 survey, for example, found that 97% of students were proud to attend.
We also gave news a prominent spot in a section called ‘Best of Bishop’. It’s a place for the school to celebrate their sucesses - things like GCSE and A level results days, its School Games Mark Gold Award and flag upcoming events. Putting those stories on the homepage gives families a sense of what’s happening at the school as they browse.
We wanted to put students at the centre of the new site and wanted families to hear from students themselves, so we added profiles from across the school. Students talk about finding a sport they love, getting support with their GCSEs and deciding what to do after sixth form. We also added a house points counter so students and families can see how the eight houses are doing - it’s a small detail that feels very specific to Bishop Stopford.
See the Bishop Stopford School homepage
A homepage of its own for the sixth form
With more than 400 students, strong results and a dedicated sixth form centre, we felt Bishop Stopford’s sixth form deserved a mini-site of its own. We gave it a separate homepage and menu within the main school website, so it could have its own identity while still feeling part of the main school.
With around 40% of sixth form students joining from other schools - it is important that the 6th form was given space to shine as it's own entity. For a Year 11 student visiting the site for the first time, having everything in one place means they can go straight to the subjects on offer, find out what sixth form life is like and see how to apply without having to work their way through information for the main school.
Having its own space also gives the sixth form a more grown-up feel, which reflects the step students are taking when they move into Year 12. For parents, the clear link back to the main site shows that the sixth form is still part of the wider school community and shares in the success Bishop Stopford is known for.
Explore Bishop Stopford’s sixth form
How the new website supports recruitment
A parent choosing a secondary school, a Year 11 student weighing up their sixth form options and a teacher considering the school before deciding whether to take the next step.What they have in common is that they want to get a feel for Bishop Stopford before deciding whether to take the next step.
For families looking at Year 7, the homepage brings together the things they might want to see before booking a visit. The video gives them a first look around, while student stories, school news and results help them build a picture of what their child’s time at the school could be like.
For sixth form applicants, especially those coming from other schools, the dedicated 6th form homepage gives them a clear place to start. They can see which subjects are on offer, find out what support is available and check how to apply. It also gives the school a page to share when promoting its sixth form open evenings.
Prospective staff can get a sense of the school in much the same way. Hearing from students and seeing what the school chooses to celebrate gives candidates a glimpse of the community they could be joining. When they’re ready to look for a role, they can go straight to ‘Work for Us’ to see the current vacancies.
If you’d like to talk about a new website for your school or a dedicated area for your sixth form, give us a call on 01933 303520. You can also take a look at our sixth form website design work or get in touch with the FSE Design team.