Site architecture for UK schools
Designing Navigation for UK Schools: Clear IA, Accessible Menus & SEO Wins
Published by SEO for Schools • Author: Paul Delaney
Navigation is the contract between your school and busy parents. It must make tasks obvious on mobile, support assistive technology, and give search engines clean paths to crawl. This guide shows exactly how to build a clear, logical navigation with GOV. UK-style labels, hub-and-spoke IA, accessible menus, breadcrumbs and footers that reinforce your priorities. You’ll also get printable checklists and measurement steps in Search Console and analytics.
Principles for school navigation
| Principle | What it means | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Task-first | Expose top tasks (Term Dates, Absence, Admissions, Uniform, Contact) | Parents complete actions quickly; higher CTR for key pages |
| Plain English | Short labels per GOV. UK style (no jargon) | Better comprehension on mobile and screen readers |
| Consistent | Same labels and order across pages and schools | Meets WCAG “consistent navigation” and reduces confusion |
| Crawlable | Use real <a href> links (not JS only) | Google can find and understand your pages |
| Two paths | Expose tasks in nav and within body copy | Improves UX and strengthens internal linking signals |
References: Google — SEO Starter Guide • Google — Make your links crawlable • GOV. UK — Content design • WCAG 2.2 — 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation.
Information architecture blueprint
Top-level hubs
Use a hub-and-spoke model. Each hub has one “home” page in the menu and links to its spokes:
| Hub | Examples of spokes |
|---|---|
| Parents | Term Dates, Absence, Uniform, Payments, Clubs |
| Admissions | How to apply, Key dates, In-year, Appeals, Sixth Form |
| About | Safeguarding, Policies, Ofsted, Ethos |
| News | Latest news, Events, News categories |
| Contact | Office hours, How to find us, Staff contacts |
Depth & order
| Rule | Implementation |
|---|---|
| ≤ 2 levels deep | Avoid third-level flyouts; use hub pages to route further |
| Prioritise tasks | Order menu items by parent need, not internal departments |
| One canonical page | Don’t duplicate “Term Dates” under multiple sections |
| Breadcrumbs | Display on all non-home pages; mark up with BreadcrumbList |
Menu labels (plain English)
Labels must be self-explanatory. Avoid internal terminology (“Pupil Premium Strategy 23/24”) in the menu; place it under the relevant hub.
| Area | Preferred label | Alternatives (OK) | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term dates | Term dates | Calendar | Key stage schedule |
| Absence | Report an absence | Attendance & absence | Unauthorised absence policy |
| Admissions | Admissions | Apply for a place | Enrolment centre |
| Uniform | Uniform | Uniform & PE kit | Appearance expectations |
| Safeguarding | Safeguarding | Keeping children safe | Pastoral care portal |
| Contact | Contact | How to find us | Communications |
References: GOV. UK — Words to use and avoid • MDN — <nav> element.
Main menu patterns: desktop & mobile
Desktop pattern
Use a simple <nav> with HTML anchors. If you use a mega-menu, limit it to 2 columns and 8–12 total links—link to the hub, don’t list every spoke.
<nav aria-label="Primary"> <ul class="menu"> <li><a href="/parents/">Parents</a></li> <li><a href="/admissions/">Admissions</a></li> <li><a href="/news/">News</a></li> <li><a href="/about/">About</a></li> <li><a href="/contact/">Contact</a></li> </ul></nav>Mobile pattern
Prioritise top tasks above the fold: Term dates, Report an absence, Admissions. Use an accessible “skip to content” and ensure focus states are visible.
<a class="skip" href="#main">Skip to content</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="menu">Menu</button><nav id="menu" aria-label="Primary">...anchors as above...</nav>References: WCAG — 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks.
Place a short text intro on the homepage containing contextual links to Term dates, Absence and Admissions. Contextual links help users and strengthen internal linking for SEO. Reference: Google — Crawlable links.
Breadcrumbs & section headers
Breadcrumbs show location and offer a reliable secondary navigation path. They also help Google understand hierarchy when marked up as BreadcrumbList.
<nav aria-label="Breadcrumb"> <ol> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/parents/">Parents</a></li> <li aria-current="page">Report an absence</li> </ol></nav>Reference: Google — Breadcrumb structured data.
Footer navigation (what belongs there)
Do include
| Term dates (text link) |
| Report an absence |
| Contact / How to find us |
| Safeguarding |
| Policies |
| Accessibility statement |
Avoid
| Duplicating the entire site map |
| Icon-only links without text |
| Endless external links |
References: MDN — Link accessibility.
Accessibility essentials
| Requirement | What to do | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Consistent navigation | Use the same menu structure across pages | WCAG 3.2.3 |
| Skip link | Add a “Skip to content” before the menu | WCAG 2.4.1 |
| Link purpose clear | Text labels like “Report an absence” (not “Click here”) | WCAG 2.4.4 |
| Crawlable links | Use <a href> elements, not JS-only clicks |
Governance across a MAT
| Area | Policy | Owner | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu order | Home, Parents, Admissions, News, About, Contact | Central SEO/Comms | Annual review |
| Label library | Shared wording for Term dates, Absence, etc. | Editors | Pre-publish |
| Hub pattern | One canonical “home” per task; spokes link back | Web team | Build + quarterly |
| Accessibility | Skip link, focus states, keyboardable menus | Dev/CMS | At build |
Measuring success
Google Search Console
Track impressions, clicks and CTR for task hubs (e.g., /term-dates/) before and after menu changes; compare matched calendar periods. Check Links → Internal links to confirm hubs receive links from key sections.
Reference: GSC — Performance report.
Analytics (behaviour)
Monitor menu link click-throughs (event tracking), homepage scroll depth, and task completion rates (reaching Absence, Term dates, Admissions). Shorter journeys and higher CTR indicate clearer navigation.
Print-screen cards & templates
IA Blueprint (copy & adapt)
Screenshot or print this card| Level | Items |
|---|---|
| Top menu | Parents • Admissions • News • About • Contact |
| Parents hub | Term dates • Report an absence • Uniform • Payments • Clubs |
| Admissions hub | How to apply • Key dates • In-year • Appeals • Sixth Form |
| About hub | Safeguarding • Policies • Ofsted • Governance |
Menu Label Library
Screenshot or print this card| Label | Use for |
|---|---|
| Term dates | Calendar & INSET |
| Report an absence | Attendance page |
| Admissions | Entry information |
| Uniform | Kit list & prices |
| Safeguarding | DSL contacts & policy |
| Contact | Office hours & map |
Navigation QA — 15 Checks
Screenshot or print this card| 1. | Top tasks visible in menu on desktop & mobile. |
| 2. | Labels in plain English (GOV. UK style). |
| 3. | Menu depth ≤ 2 levels; mega-menu trimmed. |
| 4. | One canonical hub per task; no duplicates. |
| 5. | Breadcrumbs shown and marked up. |
| 6. | Skip link present; focus styles visible. |
| 7. | All navigation links are real <a href> elements. |
| 8. | Footer includes Term dates, Absence, Contact and Safeguarding. |
| 9. | Contextual links appear in homepage intro. |
| 10. | No orphan pages in hubs or spokes. |
| 11. | Consistent menu order across schools. |
| 12. | Analytics tracks menu click events. |
| 13. | GSC shows increased impressions/CTR for hubs. |
| 14. | Keyboard navigation reaches all items. |
| 15. | Mobile menu exposes top tasks without scrolling. |
FAQs
Should we list every page in a mega-menu?
No. Link to the hub and let the hub route to spokes. Short menus are easier to scan and pass clearer signals.
Do breadcrumbs replace the main menu?
No. Use both. Breadcrumbs give location and extra links; the main menu offers global navigation.
Can we hide “Term dates” behind a calendar icon?
Avoid icon-only controls—add a text label. It’s better for accessibility and SEO.
Need practical SEO support?
Speak With Paul Delaney
Paul Delaney helps schools turn complex SEO into simple, effective actions. As a guest writer for SEO for Schools, Paul shares step-by-step playbooks and evidence-based guidance that busy teams can apply immediately. With three decades’ experience working with UK and international institutions, he understands the challenges school teams face and is well positioned to offer support and guidance.
For our readers, Paul offers free 30-minute sessions for institutions exploring how to raise visibility, strengthen brand trust and streamline admissions. Sessions are practical, jargon-free and free from sales pressure. You can contact him using the buttons below—please mention SEOforSchools.co.uk.
