Strategic digital overhaul of a top-tier private school through project-based consulting
01
Objective
The task was to rethink and redesign the digital environment of one of St. Petersburg’s premier private schools, aligned with international curricula. At the start, the school’s internal digital infrastructure was fragile: fragmented communication channels, no central platform for students or families, low digital literacy among teachers, and a complete lack of analytics in educational or administrative processes.
Ensure full transparency and oversight for all stakeholders:
- School leadership
- Teachers and staff
- Parents
- Students across all levels
The goal was to embed a seamless digital ecosystem — not imposed, but integrated into the everyday rhythm and culture of the school.
02
Methods and Tools
- Surveys and interviews with four user groups
- Customer Journey Mapping (CJM) for each group
- Audit of digital tools and processes at project start
- Deployment of GSuite for Education, integrated with Moodle, Trello, Google Classroom, Zoom and analytics modules
- Digital access matrix by role — from administrator to Year 1 parent
- Structured feedback system (anonymous and named)
- Digital skills training for staff and administration
- Process management redesigned using Agile and Kanban principles
- Continuous testing, adaptation, iteration, and planning of digital growth
03
Timeline (2018–2020)
Analysis and design:
1,5 months
Pilot launch:
2 months
Training and adaptation:
3 months
Full operational maturity:
6–7 months
Project duration:
9 months total
04
Focus of Change
- Entire school structure (admin, teaching, support staff)
- Teaching and assessment processes (all subjects and grades)
- Family engagement and communications
- Digital student dashboard: schedule, assignments, performance tracking, behavioural analytics, tutor communications
05
Estimated Budget
Consulting, design, staff training:
₽1.2 million.
(≈13 000 €)
(≈13 000 €)
Licences, hosting, IT support, integration:
₽800,000
(≈8 700 €)
Total budget:
~ ₽2 million
(≈22 000 €)
(≈22 000 €)
06
Scope
- 350+ students and 60+ teachers
- 6 platforms and 20+ administrative/educational modules implemented
- 100 % of parents connected to digital family accounts
- 400+ individual user scenarios defined and deployed
- Organisational digital maturity improved from ad-hoc to repeatable (per digital transformation models)
07
Impact
- Homework collection and review time halved
- Parental engagement in education increased by over 60 %
- Digital tools became the primary interaction layer — not a burden
- School leadership gained real-time KPI visibility
- Teachers received flexible tools; students gained a usable, intuitive environment
- Digital systems became part of the school’s competitive positioning in the private education sector
Conclusion:
This digital transformation became both a development driver and a cultural shift. Thanks to a flexible rollout, broad stakeholder participation, and thoughtful training, the school transitioned into a digital phase — not as a “remote substitute”, but as an intelligent, embedded system. Today, the digital ecosystem is seen not as a cost, but as a strategic asset — making the school a model of adaptable, forward-thinking private education in the 21st century.
