OneNote can be used to create and organise digital learning content for students – that can be shared in a centralised area. Teachers can create a mini-website/digital topic notebook for each topic that can then be shared via a link or in Teams.
Important: This is not a tutorial on creating Class Notebooks. For more information about Class Notebooks see this guide.
In this guide, learn how to:
- Create a new OneNote file.
- Add and edit pages and sections.
- Edit the colour coding of your OneNote.
- Break sections into subsections.
- Add and format text in OneNote.
- Insert images, tables, links and other resources to a OneNote page.
- Change the appearance of a OneNote file.

Create a new OneNote file.
- Head to the student resource folder in which you want to create your new OneNote notebook.
- Select New and then OneNote Notebook.
- Add a name for your new OneNote notebook and select Create.
Note: You can edit your OneNote in the browser view, but some features may not be supported. Access the full range of features by selecting Open in the desktop app.
Add and edit sections/pages in OneNote.
A OneNote notebook consists of sections and pages, just like a traditional ring binder folder.
- Rename a page/section by right-clicking and selecting Rename Section/Page.
- Add a new page by selecting Add Page at the bottom of the page list.
- Add a new section by selecting Add Section at the bottom of the page list.
Edit the colour coding of your sections in OneNote.
- Alter the colour coding on your sections in OneNote; simply right-click the section and select Section colour.
- Choose which colour you wish to set for the section.
Break OneNote sections into subsections.
Sections can be broken down into subsections, which is excellent when you need to split up chunkier topics and make them more digestible for students.
- Right-click on Add Section and select New Section Group.
- Name your new section group.
- Add sections into your section group by selecting your section group and Add Section.
Add and format text in OneNote.
- Tap the place you want the text on your OneNote page and start typing to add text.
- Format the text – change the size, colour, font etc. – with the text toolbox at the top of the screen.
Insert images, tables, links and other resources into a OneNote page.
The Insert tab – found on the top navigation bar – allows you to insert a range of resources to a page, including:
- Tables
- Pictures
- Links
- Video
- Audio
- Files
- And more!
Change the appearance of a OneNote file.
The View tab – found on the top navigation bar – allows you to alter the appearance of your OneNote file. From here, you can:
- Set a page colour.
- Insert rule lines.
- Check accessibility.
- Use the Translate tool.
- And more!
The final result is a fully interactive, read-only topic book for students to use and revise from. Students can use the colour-coded sections to find the information they need or use the search bar to type in keywords.
Additionally, with our Cloud Box solution, long-term learning resources like this one can be easily shared across departments and even entire schools and trusts and be reused for future academic years.
Book a demo to find out exactly how we can help your school, academy or multi-academy trust today. Give us a call on 01482 688890, or send us a message.