Schools
An integrated communication strategy for School Websites
IRIS Christelijke Kindcentra (IRIS Christian Child Centers) manages 14 Integrated Child Centers (ICC) in the municipality of Kampen. These centers combine childcare and education under one roof, providing parents and children with a seamless and integrated environment. Recently, IRIS decided to change its name from schools to Integrated Child Centers to highlight this unique approach more prominently.
Challenge and Solution
With the transition to ICC, IRIS faced the challenge of renewing its online presence. Previously, each of the 14 locations had a separate website, leading to inconsistent information and inefficient management. The organization aimed to create a uniform and recognizable online identity that reflects the new vision and structure.
In this Dutch video (English subtitles available), Henk ter Wee (Chairman of the Executive Board) and Simone van Dijk (Director of IKC Marnix) reflect on the decision to choose Plate and share their experiences with the daily use of the multisite CMS.
After a careful selection process, the Multi Site platform by Plate was chosen as the foundation to achieve this digital transformation. With Plate Multi Site, IRIS Christelijke Kindcentra centrally manages all websites, saving both time and resources. Since IRIS aims to address two different target groups (parents for childcare and parents for education) in an integrated environment, it is crucial that the websites are both easy to manage and flexible in sharing communication and content across sites.
"The website is designed so that we can adjust both education and childcare information with the push of a button, all from a single environment. This perfectly aligns with our integrated approach of the ICC."
Simone van Dijk
Director of IKC Marnix
The process: one unified solution for 14 schools
Creating a design system, including the design for the Multi Site project, was a challenge because various elements had to be balanced:
- Consistent brand experience: All 14 sites must have the same look and feel.
- Room for individual style: Schools need to develop and easily manage their own recognizable communication style within the set framework.
- Appeal to dual audience: The website must be attractive to both parents looking for childcare and those looking for education.
To ensure this process went smoothly, Plate collaborated intensively with the individual schools, the management, and the external communication and design agency throughout the project. Ultimately, everything comes together in a smartly designed Multi Site solution from Plate that meets all goals:
- Easy to edit: Schools should be able to easily modify the website, 'as easy as PowerPoint or Facebook'.
- Integrated approach and branding: IRIS wants a uniform approach and style, with centralized assurance of security and development.
- Attractive and convincing websites: Individual schools want an impressive website that convinces.
By combining these elements, we have realized a Multi Site solution that fulfills both the collective and individual needs of IRIS.
Security of School Websites
During a conversation with Henk ter Wee, Chairman of the Executive Board, the importance of a secure website solution was clearly emphasized. Thanks to Plate, IRIS has chosen a platform that offers optimal protection. A few months after going live, all IRIS Schools are ranked among the top 20 most secure Primary Schools in the Netherlands.
For upper school IT specialists, website security is an increasingly challenging task. With the rise in cyber threats, security is high on the agenda. The board also places great value on a uniform policy for data processing. However, schools in umbrella organizations are often given the freedom to choose their own website. Is this desirable for the security of the organization?
With Plate Multi Site, IRIS ensures a consistent and secure website environment that meets all security requirements, ensuring that both individual schools and the organization as a whole are well protected.
Want to know more about basic security for education?"Plate is a great partner for us to work with because we consistently dealt with the same people from the initial tender to development. This allowed us to rely on the agreements made and avoid repetitive discussions, ensuring we always worked efficiently. The agreements were always followed up promptly, making us view Plate as a reliable partner."
Henk ter Wee
Chairman of the Executive Board IRIS Kampen