As a new academic year fast approaches, it’s time to open your doors and welcome people to your community, bringing new opportunities to showcase all the things that make your school great.
Make the best first impression to new students by showcasing what makes your school special. For returning students and staff, it’s about making them feel at home again and highlighting what’s in store for the year ahead.
In this blog we’ll look at what you can do with your signage to create welcoming and informative content to set the stage for a successful year.
Warm welcomes
Embarking on a new school year in an unfamiliar environment can be both exciting and a little scary. Your digital signage can be the tool that starts the year off with a bang and gives people the information they need, when they need it most.
While a simple ‘hello 👋🏻’ is a great way to start, why not upload a Slideshow featuring memories from the previous year to re-engage returning students? Remind them of the fun they’ve had so far while showing those just starting out what lies ahead.
First day questions are often awkward to ask; FAQ content can provide answers to the most common questions. Think about the information students need most, that they might be a little too nervous to ask. What time is lunch 🥪? Where are the toilets 🚾? Who can I ask for help🙋♀️? Maybe you have a student team ready to answer questions – you could create something like the example below to introduce them.
For those new students, a who’s who slide will help them to learn names and faces of who they can go to for help should they need some support in those busy first few weeks. TrilbyTV has your back with making quick and easy content with our Smart Content Staff Board. This ready-to-go content allows you to easily introduce your team using photos, names and titles.
After school clubs
Promote after school clubs that students might want to get involved in. You never know if you might find the next chess grandmaster, thespian or football star.
Let your school spirit shine ✨
Show off the community spirit by sharing positive contributions. Celebrate festivals and events that bring both staff and students closer. You could even add photos of a recent event showcasing collaborations between students!
Celebrate achievements
Show off the latest wins in sports, exams and other academic accomplishments. Celebrating success can encourage students to be a part of the community. If it’s newsworthy enough to be showcased in the school’s newsletter or emails to parents, it’ll look even better on your signage.
Highlight memorable moments
Be sure to take memorable moments from the first few weeks back at school and turn them into TrilbyTV content items – which house currently has the most house points, who got star of the week in class? Any photos taken during orientation events can quickly be uploaded onto TrilbyTV and be shared the same day!
Students, staff and beyond
Students aren’t the only newcomers to your community. Your digital signage is a great tool to guide new staff, parents and guardians to the right people and places. Strategically placed displays signpost people to where they need to be, when they need to be there.
Adding a Calendar can be another great way to keep newcomers updated on what’s coming up, giving you a simple way to share current school or public events around your school. You can even add multiple calendars – perhaps one for after school clubs, or events specific to parents and guardians.
Keep it clear, colourful and engaging
Don’t forget to make your signage stand out! Keep your messages short and easy to read, use bright and engaging graphics to draw people in. A bright screen with a positive message on the first day will set the right atmosphere for those crucial first few weeks of term.
Where will your signage take you?
You undoubtedly already have some great ideas of content you want to display. Consider existing content from your website too – Calendars, photos, Instagram feeds or Ofsted reports can be easily recycled into digital signage content.
If you need more inspiration, check out our top tips for educating your audience and creating eye catching content or reach out to our Support Team who are happy to discuss your ideas and help bring them to life.
If you’re not using TrilbyTV yet and you’d like to find out how we can help you to engage your school community, why not book a demo? If you’d like to try out our digital signage platform made for education, you can also sign up for a 30-day free trial.