Bristol Post 16 Case Study: Careers, Events and News Listing Pages
Creating Clearer Pathways to Careers, Events and News. Xelium Ltd worked with Bristol Post 16 to redesign the way careers, events and news content was presented across the website. Previously, Bristol Post 16 used a combined “Careers and Events” listing page. As the amount of content grew, this made it increasingly difficult for visitors to find the information most relevant to them.
Careers opportunities, upcoming events and general news were all grouped together, creating a cluttered experience and reducing the visibility of important posts. To solve this, Xelium designed and developed three dedicated listing pages:
- Careers
- Events
- News
These pages were linked directly from the main navigation and created clear, separate pathways for the different types of content. The project also included:
- Streamlining 67 existing post categories into three clear top-level categories
- Adding automatic post expiry for time-sensitive opportunities
- Integrating the Bristol Post 16 Instagram feed
- Adding multilingual support with automatic page translation
The completed development provides a much clearer experience for students, school leavers and young people using the site.
1. Careers Page
Link: https://www.bristolesl.com/bristolpost16/careers/
The Careers page was created to provide a dedicated space for job opportunities, training opportunities and careers-related posts.
A More Focused Careers Experience
The page opens with a large hero image and introductory section explaining what visitors can expect to find. A short supporting statement and motivational quote help reinforce the page’s purpose and encourage young people to explore the opportunities available. This immediately gives the page a much stronger identity than the previous mixed-content approach.
Dedicated Careers Listings
Below the introduction, the page features a dedicated listing of the latest Careers posts. This allows Bristol Post 16 to publish careers opportunities in one clear location, making them easier for visitors to find. The page displays the most recent careers posts and can easily be expanded as new content is added.
The improved structure means that:
- Careers posts are no longer hidden among unrelated content
- Visitors can quickly scan current opportunities
- The page is easier to manage and update
Instagram Feed Integration
A key feature of the Careers page is the integration of the Bristol Post 16 Instagram feed. Xelium installed and configured an Instagram feed section to display the latest posts directly on the page. Depending on the available layout space, this feed can appear either:
- As a full-width section
- Within a sidebar alongside the careers listings
The Instagram integration helps create a stronger connection between the website and Bristol Post 16’s social media activity. It also provides several benefits:
- Encourages website visitors to follow the Instagram account
- Brings social media content directly into the website
- Keeps the page feeling more active and regularly updated
- Provides another way to highlight careers opportunities and success stories
Automatic Expiry for Careers Posts
Many careers posts include application deadlines. To avoid showing outdated opportunities, Xelium implemented an automatic expiry system. This allows Bristol Post 16 to set an end date for a careers post. Once the deadline has passed, the post automatically changes from Published to Draft status. This means:
- Expired opportunities are removed automatically
- Visitors only see relevant and current posts
- Staff spend less time manually managing older content
This small feature significantly improves the quality and reliability of the Careers page.
2. Events Page
Link: https://www.bristolesl.com/bristolpost16/events/
The Events page was designed to create a dedicated space for Bristol Post 16 events and activities. Previously, event information was mixed in with other content, making it harder for users to identify what was happening and when.
Hero Section and Strong Introduction
The page begins with a hero image and short introduction explaining the purpose of the page. A supporting statement and quote help make the page feel more engaging and audience-focused. The visual design follows the same layout and colour palette as the rest of the Bristol Post 16 website, maintaining a consistent corporate identity.
Featured Latest Event
One of the most useful features of the Events page is the dedicated “Latest Event” section. This section highlights the most recent or most important event in a larger, more prominent format. This ensures that key events do not get lost within the wider listing. The latest event can easily be controlled by adjusting the published date of the relevant post. This gives the Bristol Post 16 team a simple and flexible way to decide which event should receive the most visibility.
Event Listing and Pagination
Below the featured event, the page includes a listing of the latest Events posts. The page displays the most recent event posts in a clear, easy-to-read format. Pagination was added so visitors can continue to browse older event posts without overwhelming the page with too much content at once. This provides:
- A cleaner page layout
- Better performance
- Easier browsing for visitors
The Events page therefore acts as both a current events page and an archive of previous activities.
Expiring Old Events Automatically
Just as with the Careers page, the Events page includes automatic post expiry. This is especially important for events because many of them are time-sensitive. Once an event date has passed, the associated post can automatically be moved to Draft. This helps ensure the page always reflects current and relevant information.
3. News Page
Link: https://www.bristolesl.com/bristolpost16/news/
The News page was added as a completely new content area to give Bristol Post 16 a dedicated place to publish updates, announcements and success stories.
A New Space for News and Updates
The page opens with a hero image and introductory section explaining the type of content visitors will find. The design mirrors the Careers and Events pages so that all three sections feel connected.This consistency is important because it helps users move between sections of the website more easily.
Featured Latest News Story
As with the Events page, the News page includes a prominent “Latest News” section. This gives Bristol Post 16 the ability to showcase an important update, success story or announcement at the top of the page. Featuring the latest story in a larger format helps draw attention to important content and keeps the page looking fresh.
News Listing and Archive
The main part of the page consists of a listing of recent News posts. This allows Bristol Post 16 to regularly publish:
- News updates
- Student success stories
- Partnership announcements
- Information about new opportunities
Pagination is included to support a growing archive of content. As more posts are added, the page remains easy to browse and manage. The creation of a separate News page also improves search visibility because Bristol Post 16 can now build up a stronger body of relevant content under a single dedicated section.
Multilingual Support
A major additional feature of this project was the introduction of multilingual support across the Bristol Post 16 website. Xelium selected, installed and configured a translation tool that allows visitors to automatically translate the website into a range of languages.
This was an important improvement because Bristol Post 16 supports a diverse audience, including students and families whose first language may not be English. The multilingual feature:
- Improves accessibility
- Makes the site more inclusive
- Helps more visitors access the information they need
The translation service works automatically across the newly created Careers, Events and News pages, as well as the wider website.
Maintaining a Consistent Corporate Identity
Although three new sections were added, it was important that they still felt like part of the wider Bristol Post 16 website. Xelium therefore designed each page to follow the existing:
- Layout
- Colour palette
- Typography
- Navigation style
This ensured that the new pages maintained a unified look and feel and strengthened the overall Bristol Post 16 brand. The project successfully balanced improved functionality with visual consistency.
Key Benefits Delivered
The completed development delivered a number of important improvements for Bristol Post 16:
- Clearer navigation from the main menu
- Better visibility for careers, events and news posts
- Easier content management for staff
- Reduced clutter through simplified top-level categories
- Automatic removal of outdated content
- Improved engagement through Instagram integration
- Greater accessibility through multilingual support
- A stronger, more professional user experience
The result is a more organised and user-friendly website that better supports young people looking for opportunities, events and information.
Xelium Ltd Delivered
- Three new listing pages for Careers, Events and News
- Streamlined content categories
- Hero sections and supporting page introductions
- Featured latest post sections for Events and News
- Dedicated careers listing with Instagram integration
- Automatic post expiry functionality
- Multilingual translation support
- Pagination and improved content visibility
- Consistent design in line with Bristol Post 16 corporate identity
Project completed in approximately one week, including design, development, application configuration and accessibility testing. Here is a look at the Post 16 Home Page.
