If you can't find the information you need on this page or have more specific questions, then please feel free to get in touch.
Clicking on the question will take you to the answer.
1. How long will it take to build our site?
2. What do we need to provide?
3. Do I have to resize the images?
4. We already have a school logo. Can it be incorporated in a site made with the template solution?
5. Can we use images of our pupils?
6. Will our site look good on Apple Macs as well as PCs?
7. As a school we're a non-profit making organisation - are we still bound by copyright laws?
9. Can we have different headings in the main navigation menu of the template solution?
11. What if there are errors on the site?
12. Can I edit the site from home?
13. Why is accessibility important?
18. Do I need to buy a domain name and if so, how much is it and how long will it be ours?
20. Will our site be listed on Google?
1. How long will it take to build our site?
Typically, the template solution will take 14 days and a custom-built site 28 days.
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2. What do we need to provide?
You will need to supply all text, images & movies etc. We can create PDF documents from your orginal files if necessary. All text should be delivered as Word documents (or similar) and all images be made available in a digital format such as jpegs or tiffs. A nominal fee will be charged if we need to scan actual artwork or printed photographs.
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3. Do I have to resize the images?
No. We'll resize and optimise all images for web use.
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4. We already have a school logo. Can it be incorporated in a site made with the template solution?
Yes. Any graphic device you may wish to use can be incorporated in the design.
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5. Can we use images of our pupils?
Yes, provided you have written consent from parents.
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6. Will our site look good on Apple Macs as well as PCs?
Yes. We check your site in all the popular browsers on both PCs and Apple Macs.
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7. As a school we're a non-profit making organisation - are we still bound by copyright laws?
Yes. You automatically own the copyright for any work we provide or which you produce yourselves but the copyright for any image or text you obtain from the internet (say) remains with the original author(s) and permission for its use should be sought from them.
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8. We need far more pages than are specified in the standard package but the cost of extra pages is too high. Is there a cheaper option?
Yes. Depending on the size of the site, we'll offer up to 50% off the extra page/section rate.
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9. Can we have different headings in the main navigation menu of the template solution?
Yes, we will make the headings relevant to your site
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10. In time we envisage our site will grow and that we'll need to extend the main naigation menu. Can we do this oursleves?
Yes, we can unlock the menu for you to edit - but it's not advisable. This can be a lengthy and complicated process and you could find yourselves doing it on every page. If you need changes of this nature made then we suggest you contact us first.
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11. What if there are errors on the site?
We will do our utmost to prevent typographic errors creeping in (and of course we'll correct our mistakes without question at any stage) but overall responsibility for the accuracy of the actual content relies solely with the school.
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12. Can I edit the site from home?
Yes. The single-user licence for Contribute allows for a copy to be installed on one school computer and one staff member's computer, provided they are not used simultaneously.
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13. Why is accessibility important?
The RNIB website states the following:
"Broadly speaking, the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) makes it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people in the way in which you recruit and employ people; provide services; or provide education. Discrimination can take place in two ways - by treating a disabled person less favourably; and/or by failing to make "reasonable adjustments' so that disabled people can participate in employment and education or make use of a service."
We therefore make sure that your website will comply with at least the minimum standards set.
More information can be found at the RNIB website.
Furthermore, an accessible site is also more easily read by search engines and increases your chances of a higher ranking.
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14. Why are you so committed to following web standards? Plenty of sites that I visit don't meet these requirements but I can still see them well enough on my computer.
Making sure your site conforms to web standards means that it will be more visible to search engines, more easily interpreted by more browsers, more readily comply with accessibility requirements and easier to maintain.
More information can be found here at the the Web Standards Project site
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15. Why aren't you more specific in the pricing of template solutions for secondary schools and colleges/universities?
The requirements of these establishments can vary widely due to the wide range of courses, clubs etc. We therefore give a basic price which, after consultation, can be updated accordingly.
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16. When I visit other school websites I often see advertising or sponsor banners and popups. Will our site have these?
No. More often than not these sites are hosted free of charge by companies who support their businesses by advertising. Since your site will be hosted by your local authority, no such advertising will appear.
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Yes. It is provided by your local authority. If for some reason you wish to move away from their services then we can offer a reasonably-priced hosting charged at an annual rate.
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18. Do I need to buy a domain name and if so, how much is it and how long will it be ours?
No, you don't have to buy a new name: you'll already have an address c/o your local authority which will probably look similar to this: http://www.yourlocalauthority.org/yourschool.
If you do want to buy a more relevant domain name/address then we can arrange this for you, (subject to availablity). Costs depend on the suffix (eg, .co.uk or .com) and are renewable on an yearly or twice-yearly basis at around £10/annum.
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19. Other companies offer a "content management system" (CMS) to edit sites with. Why do you use Macromedia Contribute instead?
Because we feel that Contribute is the most straightforward and relevant method for people with no web editing experience to edit a school site.
There are many excellent CMS solutions offered by other companies but we think that these can be daunting to the unitiated and thus hinder learning rather than assist it.
And because you won't be paying an annual fee for the use of a CMS, Contibute can work out considerably cheaper in the long term.
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20. Will our site be listed on Google?
Your site will be submitted to all the major search engines and we will make sure that your site is readable by all search engine spiders. We will also submit your address to Relevant directories such as the School Web Directory directories which will significantly increase your rating in Google.
We do not, however, offer a specific search engine optimisation service.
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