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Contact Information
What Schools Need to Publish Online

The rules for what must be published vary slightly depending on your school's designation. Here’s a simple breakdown of the DfE’s guidance.

For Maintained Schools

The guidance is very direct. You must publish the following information on your website:

  • Your postal address.

  • Your telephone number.

  • The name of the member of staff who handles queries from parents, carers, and the public.

  • The name and contact details of your Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). This is a mandatory requirement for mainstream schools.

For Academies and FE Colleges

The guidance for academies and FE colleges uses the term "should publish" for most contact details, but these are still considered essential for compliance and best practice. The list is slightly more extensive:

  • Your postal address.

  • Your telephone number.

  • The name of the staff member who deals with public and parental queries.

  • The name of your headteacher or principal.

  • The name and contact details for the chair of your governing body, if you have one.

  • If you're part of a trust, the contact details of your academy trust and a link to its website.

Crucially, like maintained schools, there is a mandatory requirement for mainstream academies to publish the name and contact details of the SENCO. The guidance specifies that this information should be included in your SEN Information Report.

Stay Compliant with Confidence

Ensuring all required contact details are present, accurate, and easy to find can be a challenge. An out-of-date name or a missing detail could be flagged during an inspection and creates a barrier for parents who need to contact you.

How can you be sure you haven't missed anything?

Acuity AI for Education provides an instant, automated audit of your school's website. Our AI-powered tool scans your site against every current DfE requirement, checking for missing contact information, outdated policies, and other compliance risks. You'll receive a clear, actionable report in minutes, giving you the peace of mind that your website is fully compliant.

Ready to see if your contact details are up to standard? Get your free, no-obligation website audit today at https://acuity.education.