Modular Construction

The CMS used by Simply School Websites is very powerful yet it remains easy to manage by using a modular approach.  Most content pages will be created using a page editor with very similar tools to a word processor, allowing you to add and format text, insert images, tables etc.

Its additional features are all provided by separate modules.  When you want to add some extra functionality to a page - create it as a news item for example, you will use a module.  Currently available modules are:

• Advertisments - to allow parents to advertise items for sale or to swop, for example - school uniform.  All adverts can be approved before being published.
• Photo Album - to create multiple photo galleries
• Calendar - to create a school or PTA diary.  Again, you can have multiple calendars.
• Chat - real time chat for pupils and/or staff.  All chats are logged so that they can be monitored.  Requires login using a pupil or teacher account.
• E-Mail - Create email enquiry forms.  Can create any number of recipients for the sender to choose from, e.g. Scjool Office, Headteacher, Chair of Governors
• Formsbuilder - Create forms to collect information from users - change of address / contact, book school trips etc
• Forum - Create discussion areas for teachers, pupils or parents
• Guestbook - Encourage your visitors to leave comments about the website.  All comments can be approved by a designated user before being published.
• Links - create links to other websites.  Great for home learning!
• Messages - Create a message page.  Set them to start displaying on a date in the future and how long they will be displayed for.  Excellent for reminders such as to bring a comb on school photographer day!
• News - Can have multiple 'news' pages to make longer announcements, e.g. Latest School News, Pupil of the Week ..... even a Headteacher's Blog!
• Newsletter - Publish the school newsletter,  Enable parents and others to subscribe to receive copies via email as soon as an edition is published.
• Class pages - Create teacher and pupil pages.  Create Projects for children to work on collaboratively
• Poll - Conduct mini surveys with visitors, parents and pupils
• Portal - Configure a page to display all the latest updates to various parts of the site
• Search - Coes exactly what it says on the tin!
• Sitemap - Creates a list of all pages currently published on the website
• Template editor - Create your own theme to change the look of your website.
• TV Module - Send selected pages to display at optimum resolution on a monitor in the school foyer
• Up/download - Create an area for important school documents to be downloaded by visitors
• Video - We do not currently recommend using this module due its limitations with certain browsers / operating systems.  Instead we have made it really simple to upload a video to our sister site, Simply School Videos, and have it display in any page on your site when viewed in all current browsers, whether on Windows, Mac or Linux