The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is a trade union and professional association for school leaders, primarily serving head teachers, deputy and assistant head teachers, but also has a growing remit to encompass other leaders within the educational arena.
NAHT offers its members support, advice and guidance on a full range of educational issues, as well as being a trade union. This dual focus approach demands a level of involvement beyond that of other similar but single-focus organisations.
Website
Following a rigorous tender exercise which included the testing of shortlisted systems, NAHT chose EasySite as the content management system to power their website.
“We selected EIBS to be our web site development company for this new project after a detailed and rigorous process involving many of the leading companies in the field.
We were attracted by EIBS’ open and willing approach to developing or adapting tools and features specifically for our needs, a real partnership”,
Julie Cully, NAHT
EasySite provided a total solution that included:
Utilising focus groups to define user personas; developing a content categorisation taxonomy and creating wireframes for key content types.
Working with the NAHT to create a new look and feel for the site in keeping with the NAHT branding guidelines.
Providing new functionality for EasySite to meet NAHT’s web objectives.
Integration with Integra to allow NAHT members to access ‘members’ only content and features; as well as allow new members to join via the website and automatically be entered into the CRM system.
The new site is hosted within EIBS’ secure managed service hosting environment.
Web 2.0
NAHT wanted to embrace key Web 2.0 technologies such as:
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Blogging
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Podcasting
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RSS
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Discussion forums
With a combination of bespoke development and the rich functionality already available with EasySite’s plug-in modules these vital requirements were met.
campaigns, both time-based and click-through based, with full reporting on campaign success.
Future
Managing Content
Providing a wealth of information on educational issues, up-to-date content is imperative for NAHT. EasySite enables authors to update their content whenever needed. In addition using EasySite’s Blogging module non-technical authors can instantly
publish RSS enabled blog content at any time, such as at NAHT conferences, helping to keep members abreast of vital information.
With the EasySite Banner management module, NAHT are able to manage paid-for advertising campaigns, both time-based and click-through based, with full reporting on campaign success.
Future Development
Further progression of the site will include enhancements to benefit both members and NAHT administrators.
Deeper integration with the Integra Membership Management system will help to manage the many events that NAHT run across the country. In addition the system will be rolled out to over 100 local branches so that each is able to update their own areas of the site whilst NAHT maintain overall control centrally.
Meanwhile NAHT members will see increased personalisation options helping to deliver relevant content.
“We were very impressed with the EasySite software, particularly its drag and drop features for template and page building, and this has proved to be a very flexible and adaptable tool.
NAHT are very pleased with the relationship that has been built between ourselves and EIBS and we are looking forward to entering into phase 2 of the project in the knowledge that there will be a successful outcome.”
Julie Cully, NAHT
