When some people talk about a school SharePoint intranet, it’s easy to get lost in all the tech terms, permissions, metadata and site collections.
But, if you ask staff what they actually want from an intranet, the answer is usually far simpler:
“Just make it easy to find what I need”
We’ve put together this guide to help you create a SharePoint intranet that your staff, and pupils, will love to use.
What you should include in a school SharePoint intranet
Based on over a decade of experience working with schools to build school intranets, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide on what you should include in your school SharePoint intranet and how you can get started.
One place to find everything
“Where’s that school policy again?”
Staff want a single, central hub where they can:
- Quickly access school policies, safeguarding forms, templates and key documents.
- Book rooms or report absences without hunting through email threads.
- See what’s happening today, this week and next.
Tips to get started:
- Set up an intuitive homepage with quick links, alerts and a live calendar.
- Don’t bury the important stuff three clicks deep; make it available at their fingertips.
- See our guide on School Homepages in SharePoint.
Exactly what you need, when you need it
Use the CDB Promoted Links Web Part to surface the most important resources on your homepage – dynamic, flexible and easy to manage.
An up-to-date news feed
“I missed that staff update, again!”
Email fatigue is real.
Your school SharePoint intranet should help combat this by being a place where everyone knows to look for the latest announcements.
It should be a single source of truth for:
- SLT updates
- Whole-school news
- CPD opportunities
Tips to get started:
- Embed a news feed or use alerts to surface updates.
- Make sure all updates go into SharePoint first, not last.
Never miss an update again
Add the CDB Staff Briefing Web Part to display the latest document or weekly update in one prominent place. Combine it with the CDB News Ticker in the Mega Menu to make sure no one misses key info.
Navigation that makes sense
“I’m not an IT person. I just want to get my job done”
Teachers need a site structure that reflects the way they work. If it’s not intuitive, some staff members may struggle to get on board with the new intranet and your investment in time and money could be wasted.
Tips to get started:
Don’t leave staff guessing and searching for files. Your navigation should:
- Be clear, clean and consistent.
- Reflect how your staff actually work – group items logically.
- Show links and shortcuts personalised to their role or preferences.
Save huge amounts of teacher time
The CDB Mega Menu comes with custom headings, colour schemes, a “My Links” section for personal shortcuts, and role-based content — so everyone only sees what they need.
Spaces for real collaboration
“Can we all work from one place?”
School staff are tired of version chaos and lost attachments.
Create places in your intranet where they can plan lessons together and share resources. You could even start building a library of long-term, reusable resources to be used year after year, with oversight to review and drive-up quality.
Tips to get started:
- Create department-specific SharePoint sites.
- Link Teams channels directly to SharePoint department sites.
- Create and store lesson plan templates and resources.
Get working and learning, together
Use the CDB Subject Sites template to give each subject or phase a professional, collaborative space that’s ready to go.
Content that reflects your school community
“Where can I find out what’s going on in the school?”
Intranets don’t have to be boring. Adding a personal touch to your school hub makes staff (and students) feel seen and valued and unites your entire school community.
Tips to get started:
- Use your school branding throughout the intranet.
- Highlight achievements and events in news sections.
- Add a note from the Head Teacher each term.
- Create and share content that relates to the wider school community and its ethos.
Bring your school culture to life
Use the CDB Birthdays and Anniversaries web part on staff-only sites to show upcoming staff birthdays. Meanwhile, the CDB Highlight Employee can focus on an achievement or interesting fact about a member of staff. Lastly, add a bit of fun with interesting words to boost engagement using the CDB Word of the Day web part.
A space that’s accessible from anywhere
“Can I access it on my phone?”
Whether staff are in the classroom, on cover, in the lunch queue or checking something from home, your intranet must be accessible.
Tips to get started:
- Optimise your school SharePoint intranet for mobile use.
- Integrate with Microsoft Teams so staff can communicate on the go.
Stay connected, wherever you are
We fully support Viva Connections integration, adding your SharePoint intranet as a tab in Teams, accessible from the mobile app in just two taps.
How to get started building a better school SharePoint intranet
At Cloud Design Box, we specialise in SharePoint, Teams and Microsoft 365 for education, and we know exactly what schools and trusts need from an intranet.
We offer:
- Fully branded intranet hubs for schools and MATs
- A scalable digital workspace with permissions that ensure everyone has the right level of access to content
- Exclusive SharePoint web parts designed for education
- Support and training to help your staff get the most out of the technology
With Cloud Design Box, you get much more than a standard intranet, you get a smart, connected digital workspace that saves time, drives engagement and helps your school thrive. Contact Cloud Design Box to book a demo and see for yourself.
