The British International School of Jeddah (BISJ) is a thriving private school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with over 1300 students from more than 60 countries. With a commitment to excellence in education, the school offers a comprehensive learning journey for children from years K-13 and holds prestigious authorisations from the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). It is a centre for Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and a member school of British Schools in the Middle East (BSME).

The challenge

Streamlining school data management and parent communication

As BISJ continued to expand, it faced challenges in managing its growing volumes of data and establishing effective communication channels with parents and students. The school’s existing manual reporting system was time-consuming and lacked flexibility, hindering the smooth functioning of critical school operations.

BISJ recognised the pressing need to address these challenges head-on. The school required an innovative solution that could streamline data management processes and facilitate seamless communication between all stakeholders. The objective was to find a comprehensive management information system (MIS) to empower the school’s growth and align with its vision for delivering an exceptional learning experience.

To enhance school efficiency and parent-student engagement, the British International School of Jeddah embarked on a journey to find the right solution for its school.

There weren’t many systems that could offer what we wanted, suitable for the region, with appropriate support. Having seen the Engage demonstrations we felt our questions were answered.

Information Systems Manager
British International School of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The solution

Adopting Engage MIS as a flexible school management system

To address the growing complexities of data management and enhance school communication, the school’s Information Systems Manager, explored options for a new management information system (MIS). Initially seeking a virtual learning environment (VLE), they realised that their core requirements, such as parent and student communication, homework assignments and lesson planning, could be met through an MIS with the necessary features. After evaluating various options and finding Engage to be the most suitable and regionally supported solution, it was decided to implement it as their central system for managing school data.

The implementation of Engage commenced in the summer of 2013 and proved to be remarkably smooth. BISJ highlighted the seamless transition to the new system and the speed at which it was running. The intuitive interface and flexibility to customise data presentation eliminated the need for numerous manual reports from the previous system, streamlining the school’s data management processes.

How our school data is presented is quite unique, on the Engage portal – it’s so easy, it wiped out the need for the many reports we had to run manually in our previous system. You can re-arrange columns, show data and hide data – it’s so flexible that it was a leader by far compared to the other options that we considered.

Information Systems Manager
British International School of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The results

Transformation in school data management and improved school community engagement

The adoption of Engage brought about transformative results for the British International School of Jeddah. Teachers, who had previously relied on paper registers for attendance, quickly embraced the electronic attendance marking through the Engage portal. With just one hour of training during an inset day, 95% of primary staff began marking attendance electronically, showcasing the system’s user-friendly nature and quick adoption by the school’s educators.

The IT Manager, expressed his satisfaction with Engage’s reporting system, citing its user-friendly interface and the ability to run personalised queries and extract specific data. The Support Team behind Engage also played a crucial role in the successful implementation. They promptly addressed any issues and were receptive to new ideas, contributing to the system’s continual improvement and optimisation for the school’s unique needs.

The British International School of Jeddah’s decision to adopt Engage as its comprehensive MIS revolutionised data management and strengthened communication channels with parents and students, contributing to an enhanced learning environment and administrative efficiency.

The reporting system is fantastic. I like the fact that I can run my own query on it and get any data out. The Support Team have been great – if I’ve had a problem and logged it they’ve addressed it straight away and they are very responsive and receptive to new ideas that I’ve had.

Information Systems Manager
British International School of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Why choose Engage

Engage instantly makes working together easier, more efficient and more effective.

  • One system to manage all your school data
  • Excellent user experience with intuitive design and navigation
  • Responsive for smartphones and tablets
  • Safe, secure and accessible in the cloud
  • One system that creates connected teams and streamlined communications
  • Easily creates, access, share and update essential school information
  • Highly flexible and customisable