Posted Aug 26th 2025
What is a 360-degree virtual school tour?
A 360-degree virtual tour is an interactive experience that lets visitors navigate your site digitally. Using panoramic imagery and clickable hotspots, families can move through corridors, step into classrooms, and discoverspecialist spaces such as labs, studios, and sports facilities. Tours can include embedded video, captions, and links to related content so you can add context and tell your story with clarity.
Benefits for schools
Stronger first impressions: A tour shows your environment clearly, which is especially helpful for out-of-area or international families who cannot visit in person. It sets expectations and builds trust, since familiescan see the real spaces pupils use every day.
Better storytelling: You can curate a path through your campus that reflects your ethos and priorities, whether that is pastoral care, STEM, performing arts, or community partnerships.
Always on: Your tour is available 24/7, so parents can explore at their own pace on any device. That reduces pressure on staff and gives families more time to engage with your content.
Measurable engagement: With the right setup, you can track what areas viewers explore most. These insights can shape your open day plan, prospectus content, and facility upgrades.
Accessibility and inclusion: Families with mobility challenges, caring responsibilities, or long travel times can still gain a thorough understanding of your site.
If you are planning a website refresh, a virtual tour integrates neatly with modern educational web design. It sits comfortably alongside galleries, news, and calendars to deliver a cohesive digital experience.
How virtual tours deepen parent and student engagement
A thoughtful tour does more than show rooms. It invites interaction and answers questions before they are asked.
Contextual hotspots: Add notes about curriculum, enrichment, or safeguarding to key spaces. For instance, a hotspot in the library can highlight reading schemes and intervention support.
Human moments: Short videos from pupils or staff inside the tour add warmth and authenticity, helping families connect emotionally with your community.
Calls to action: Place signposts to book a visit, apply, or view your prospectus at relevant points. This keeps families moving from interest to action without friction.
Multi language support: Captions or subtitles can ensure EAL families are supported while exploring your school.
You can pair a tour with a digital prospectus for a joined up journey, giving families a clear, interactive route from discovery to decision.
Supporting open days and admissions
Virtual tours complement, not replace, in person events. Here is how they strengthen your admissions activity:
Pre event orientation: Share the tour with registrants so they arrive informed and ready with deeper questions. That makes live tours more focused and rewarding.
Overflow capacity: If your open day fills, invite additional families to explore the tour and book a smaller follow up visit. No one misses out.
Out of hours continuity: Keep momentum after the event by emailing the tour link and key highlights. Parents can revisit spaces they loved and share them with decision makers at home.
Fair representation: On busy days, some families only see a snapshot of your site. A tour ensures everyone sees your specialist areas, even if timings slip.
To encourage action, integrate the tour with your admissions pages and enquiry forms. Keep the steps simple and clear: explore, book, apply.
Best practice for an engaging tour
Plan the route: Choose a clear starting point, such as reception or your central hall, then guide visitors through academic, creative, and pastoral spaces.
Prioritise lighting and layout: Well lit, tidy rooms feel welcoming on camera. Dress key spaces with pupil work and clear signage to reflect your identity.
Keep it fast and mobile friendly: Optimise media so it loads quickly on phones and tablets. Many families research on mobile, often in the evening.
Add layered content: Use hotspots for curriculum notes, uniform guidance, transport options, and SEND support. Keep copy concise and friendly.
Maintain accuracy: Update the tour when you add new facilities or branding so the experience stays current and trustworthy.
Where should the tour live on your site?
Place the tour where families expect it. A prominent link on your homepage and admissions area works well. It is also effective in subject pages and sixth form sections, where you can showcase specialist facilities. If youare exploring new websites for schools, plan the tour placement early so navigation and calls to action feel natural.
Measuring success
Decide your goals before launch. You might track tour visits, average time on page, hotspot clicks, and the number of admissions enquiries that follow. Compare engagement before and after launch to understand impact.Qualitative feedback matters too, so ask visiting families whether the tour helped them prepare and decide.
Bringing your culture into view
The strongest tours are honest and human. They reflect the rhythm of school life, not a showroom. Include everyday details such as student artwork, garden areas, or the breakfast club space. A short welcome from theheadteacher and pupil voice clips can show your values in action.
If you are investing in video, consider adding short sequences to your tour for extra depth. Teams experienced in video production for schools can help you script, film, and edit clips that slot neatly into the experience.
Getting started with expert support
Creating a tour involves planning, high quality capture, editing, and careful integration with your website. Working with a partner who specialises in Education ensures the result is accessible, fast, and aligned with yourbrand and Ofsted expectations. If you are exploring schools 360, or considering an interactive prospectus to sit alongside your tour, we are here to help you plan a cohesive, engaging journey for families.
Summary and next steps
A 360-degree virtual tour helps you make a powerful first impression, deepen engagement with pupils and parents, and support open days and admissions throughout the year. It brings your environment and culture intoclear view, offers round the clock access, and guides families from curiosity to commitment. If you would like to explore the right approach for your school, talk to us about planning, producing, and hosting a tour thatreflects your ethos and inspires confident decisions.
