St Michael School

St Michael School is a Catholic secondary school in St Venera, Malta, run by the Society of Christian Doctrine, M.U.S.E.U.M., for boys aged 11 to 16. M7Alpha designed and built the school’s website in English and Maltese, worked on its branding and logo, and hosts and maintains the site. This case study looks at how a school website can serve parents, students and the wider school community while staying true to the school’s character.

Who is a school website really for?

A school website serves several audiences at once, and each arrives with a different question. Prospective parents want to understand the school’s values before they apply. Current parents want practical things: dates, news, policies and a quick way to reach the school. Students look for activities and photos, and past students and the wider community want to stay connected to a school with a long history.

Our job was to give each of them a clear way in without turning the homepage into a noticeboard. The site needed to feel calm and dignified, reflect the school’s Catholic ethos, and still be quick to use on a phone at the school gate.

How does the design put the school’s values first?

The homepage leads with purpose before news. It opens with words from St George Preca, founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine, on the value of good instruction, followed by the school’s mission statement in plain language.

A parent comparing schools learns within seconds what kind of school this is: Catholic, inclusive and focused on forming the whole person as well as teaching subjects. News and events follow underneath, so the everyday life of the school is never far away.

Alongside the website, M7Alpha worked on the school’s branding and logo, so St Michael School presents one consistent identity online, from the header to the footer.

Why build the site in English and Maltese?

Families in Malta read in both languages, so the site offers a Maltese version alongside English, with a language switch in the header.

The Maltese version follows the same structure, from the mission statement to the school’s vision, ethos, policies and Parents page. A family can read the information that matters most in the language they are most comfortable with, and the school is easier to find for people who search in Maltese.

Where do parents find the information they need?

Almost everything a parent looks for sits under one menu item, The School, so nothing important is buried.

Giving each policy its own page in the menu makes it easy to find and easy to read on a phone. It also helps search engines and AI assistants understand the school’s approach when a parent asks about bullying or behaviour at a secondary school in Malta.

How does the website make everyday contact easier?

The contact page uses one form that lets the sender choose who the message goes to, including members of the school’s leadership team and the web administrator.

One option on the list is Report Absenteeism, so a parent can report an absence online in a minute instead of phoning during the morning rush. A short note on the page explains that technical questions should go to the web administrator. The header also carries quick links to the school’s MySpot and MySchool logins, so the website works as the front door to the school’s online services.

The footer repeats the address, phone number and email on every page, together with links to the latest news, the diary and the school’s social media.

Behind all of this, M7Alpha hosts and maintains the site, which is built on WordPress. The school can add news, diary dates and gallery photos itself, while we look after the technical side.

What can other schools learn from this project?

The lesson is to design around the questions families actually ask, in the order they ask them:

1. Say who you are and what you believe on the first screen.
2. Publish in both English and Maltese, with the same structure in each.
3. Group policies under one clear menu so parents can find them quickly.
4. Make routine tasks, such as reporting an absence, possible online.
5. Keep logins, news and the diary one click from the homepage.
6. Leave hosting and maintenance to people who do it every day.

How M7Alpha helps schools and education providers

M7Alpha designs and builds websites for schools and education providers in Malta, including STC Higher Education, Newark School and Oxford House, with all design and development done in-house in Żurrieq. If your school needs a clearer website or a refreshed identity, see our web design and development service and brand building and consultancy, or talk to us about your school.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the St Michael School website?

M7Alpha Creative Studios, a web design, development and branding agency in Żurrieq, Malta, designed and built the St Michael School website in English and Maltese and worked on the school’s branding and logo. M7Alpha also hosts and maintains the site.

Should a school website in Malta be in English and Maltese?

In most cases, yes. Families read in both languages, and a Maltese version helps parents who are more comfortable in Maltese and people who search in Maltese. Keeping the same structure in both languages makes the site easier to manage and to use.

What pages should a secondary school website include?

At minimum: the school’s mission, vision and ethos, its key policies such as anti-bullying and behaviour, a page for parents, news and a diary of events, activities and a gallery, and clear contact details. Quick links to any online portals used by students and parents also help.

Can parents report an absence through a school website?

Yes. A contact form with a dedicated absence option, like the Report Absenteeism choice on the St Michael School contact page, lets parents tell the school quickly and sends the message to the right person. Keep the form short and handle the details in line with data protection rules.