Websites for education and training: courses, bookings, and student journeys

Why this matters

Education sites serve students, parents, and staff. They need to be accessible, clear, and easy to use. Most fail on accessibility, mobile speed, or confusing navigation.

For more on education websites, see web design for education & training.

1) Accessibility first

Education sites must be accessible. Students, parents, and staff need to be able to use your site regardless of how they access it [1]Source 1 .

What to include

• Keyboard navigation: All functionality must work with keyboard only.
• Screen reader support: Content must be readable by screen readers.
• Alt text for images: All images must have descriptive alt text.
• Clear headings: Proper heading structure (H1, H2, H3) for navigation and understanding.
• Colour contrast: Text must have sufficient contrast against backgrounds.
• Form labels: All form fields must have clear, associated labels.

For more on accessibility, see accessibility matters (even if you think it does not) and accessibility services.

What to avoid

• Content that only works with a mouse.
• Images without alt text.
• Poor colour contrast that makes text hard to read.
• Forms without proper labels.

2) Clear course information

People need to find course information quickly. If course details are hard to find or poorly structured, people give up.

What to include

• Course listings: Clear pages listing all courses with key information (title, duration, level, start date).
• Course detail pages: Dedicated pages for each course with full information (description, requirements, outcomes, fees, how to apply).
• Search and filtering: Ability to search and filter courses by subject, level, duration, start date.
• Clear structure: Logical organisation of courses by subject, level, or type.

What to avoid

• Course information buried in long pages.
• Vague course descriptions that do not explain what students will learn.
• No way to search or filter courses.

3) Booking systems that work

If you offer courses that require booking, the booking system must work. Broken or confusing booking systems lose enrolments.

What to include

• Simple booking forms: Forms that ask for essential information only.
• Mobile-friendly: Booking forms that work on mobile devices.
• Clear confirmation: Confirmation messages and emails after booking.
• Availability display: Show course availability and dates clearly.
• Accessible forms: Forms that work with screen readers and keyboard navigation.

What to avoid

• Complex booking forms that ask for too much information.
• Forms that do not work on mobile.
• No confirmation after booking.

4) Student journeys

Think about how students and parents move through your site. Common journeys: finding a course, booking a place, accessing resources, contacting you.

What to include

• Clear navigation: Navigation that helps people find what they need quickly.
• Student portal: If you have a student portal, make it easy to find and access.
• Resource pages: Clear pages for resources, downloads, and materials.
• Contact information: Easy ways to get in touch (phone, email, contact form).

What to avoid

• Confusing navigation that makes it hard to find information.
• Student portals that are hard to access or use.
• Contact information buried or hard to find.

5) Fast pages, especially during traffic spikes

Education sites get traffic spikes at key times (term start, enrolment periods, exam results). Pages must load fast even under heavy traffic [2]Source 2 .

What to include

• Optimised images: Compress images properly, use modern formats.
• Fast hosting: Reliable hosting that can handle traffic spikes.
• Performance budgets: Set and maintain performance budgets to keep pages fast.
• Mobile speed: Pages that load quickly on mobile networks.

For more on performance, see fast websites: what fast means in 2026 and performance services.

What to avoid

• Heavy images that slow down pages.
• Hosting that cannot handle traffic spikes.
• Pages that are slow on mobile.

6) Keep content up to date

Outdated course information, term dates, or contact details damage trust and waste people's time.

What to include

• Current course information: Keep course details, dates, and fees up to date.
• Term dates: Clear, current term dates and holidays.
• Contact information: Current phone numbers, email addresses, and office locations.
• Regular reviews: Review and update content regularly.

What to avoid

• Outdated course information from previous years.
• Old term dates or contact information.
• Content that is never reviewed or updated.

7) Clear information architecture

Education sites often have lots of content. Clear structure helps people find what they need.

What to include

• Logical sections: Organise content into clear sections (courses, about, contact, resources).
• Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumb navigation to show where people are.
• Search functionality: Site search to help people find specific information.
• Clear headings: Use headings to structure content clearly [3]Source 3 .

For more on site structure, see website structure: organising pages for users and search.

Summary

Education websites need: accessibility first (keyboard navigation, screen reader support, alt text, clear headings, colour contrast), clear course information (course listings, detail pages, search and filtering), booking systems that work (simple forms, mobile-friendly, clear confirmation), clear student journeys (clear navigation, student portals, resource pages), fast pages (optimised images, fast hosting, performance budgets), up-to-date content (current course information, term dates, contact details), and clear information architecture (logical sections, breadcrumbs, search functionality).

For more on education websites, see web design for education & training. For help with accessibility, see accessibility services. For help with performance, see performance services. You can also get in touch to discuss your education website needs.