CASE STUDY
The International School of Bremen
“Everyone’s website looked the same — we wanted something that felt like us.”
How ISB turned compliance challenges into creative confidence with Ubiq.
School ProfileThe International School of Bremen (ISB) is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school in northern Germany, serving students aged 3 to 18. Founded in 1998 to support the city’s growing international business community, ISB offers a globally focused education that combines academic excellence with a strong sense of belonging. With over 380 students from more than 30 nationalities, the school provides an English-language curriculum leading to the IGCSE and International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Since Director Jamie Perfect joined in 2018, ISB’s enrolment has grown from 266 to 380 students, a 43 percent increase. In 2021, the school opened a boarding facility to further support its international students and ensure they feel at home within the ISB community. |
From Compliance Crisis to Creative Freedom
The Challenge
On exploring a new website partnership, ISB sought a trusted partner who could restore confidence after years of technical and compliance headaches.
Their previous platform had left the school exposed to major GDPR risks, resulting in a formal warning from Germany’s data protection agency. With no usable analytics data for nearly three years and limited support from their vendor, the school faced both regulatory and reputational strain.
“We were threatened with fines of up to one million euros because our website wasn’t compliant,” recalls ISB Director, Jamie Perfect. “When we went to our provider for help, they told us it was our problem. That’s when we knew we had to move.”
A Partner Who Listens - and Delivers
The Solution
From the very first conversation with Daryl Middleton, International Partnerships Director at Ubiq, ISB found something rare: understanding, trust, and a genuine sense of partnership.
“We were apprehensive at first. It was a big investment for a small school,” says Jamie. “But from that first call, there was mutual trust. The whole process felt collaborative from the start.”
Working closely with Rosie Paxton, Production Director at Ubiq and ISB’s dedicated project manager, and Kris Jeary, Ubiq’s Creative Director, the school set out to design a website that reflected its place, personality, and purpose.
From these initial conversations came a concept true to ISB’s vision and mission: “The city is our campus.”
ISB wanted to celebrate its connection to Bremen and shift local perceptions of private education by showing how the school contributes to the city’s cultural and academic landscape.
Ubiq’s creative team translated this vision into a website design that was unmistakably ISB, rooted in local identity yet globally minded. Subtle features like the map-inspired navigation bar based on Bremen’s River Weser, soft moving clouds, and rich photography created a site that felt both dynamic and grounded.
When I saw that first design concept, I was almost speechless. It captured everything we’d talked about, the challenges, the story, the spirit of our school.
Jamie Perfect, Director, International School of Bremen
Built for Simplicity, Speed, and SupportIn just six months from signing up, Bremen launched their bespoke website to their community. Perfect described the process as smooth and on-time despite tight deadlines, all under the immense pressure of being cut off from their former provider. Behind the design, the site’s intuitive editing tools gave ISB’s small team real autonomy. “It’s like using a word processor,” Jamie explains. “Any of our staff, regardless of their digital skills, can go in and make edits easily. If we ever need help, the support is phenomenal. It’s all part of the service, no extra costs, no waiting.” Ongoing support from Steve Cole, Ubiq’s Experience Director, has been a game-changer. Through quarterly data sessions, the ISB team now understands how families interact with the site and can adapt their strategy based on real insights. |
"When we need a new page, Steve just says, ‘Send me the content and I’ll put it up for you.’ That personal touch makes all the difference. It’s beyond a partnership, it’s almost a friendship.”
— Jamie Perfect
Results
- A Unique, Authentic Design
Light, modern, and full of life, the new ISB website perfectly reflects both the school and the city it calls home.
“It doesn’t look like a typical school website,” Jamie says. “It’s clearly ISB. Everyone else’s looks the same. Ours doesn’t.” - Seamless GDPR Compliance
With Ubiq’s infrastructure and transparent data practices, ISB regained compliance and peace of mind. This not only eliminated the risk of fines that could have reached €1 million, but also restored confidence in how the school manages digital data and parent trust. - Smarter Admissions, Real Growth
Before Ubiq, ISB had no website analytics at all. Now, they track every interaction, from social media campaigns to inquiry forms, with clarity and confidence.
Before, 60 percent of our admissions came from word of mouth. Now, 60 percent come directly from our website and digital channels.
- Jamie Perfect, Director, International School of Bremen
Since relaunching the website, ISB’s admissions pipeline has become fully measurable and more efficient. Every inquiry is tracked, helping staff personalise communication and improve conversion rates.
- Operational Efficiency
With simple editing tools and responsive support, ISB can now run its marketing operations without a large internal team, freeing staff to focus on creativity and strategy rather than technical maintenance. - Recognised and Respected
The impact has reached beyond ISB. The site has become a regional benchmark for international schools in Germany, inspiring others to partner with Ubiq after seeing the results.
The head of another local school tells me all the time how jealous she is of our website. It’s been noticed, not just by families, but by other schools too.
One parent even told us after visiting the site: 'I love the concept that the city is your campus - it made me smile.
- Jamie Perfect, Director, ISB
Why UBIQ?
When ISB set out to rebuild their digital presence, they wanted a provider that would understand schools, not just websites. Ubiq stood out immediately.
“Every Ubiq site is unique. You can visit a school website from another provider and instantly see it’s a template — you can tell who made it. But with Ubiq, every site is different. That’s ISB’s site. It feels like us..”
From the start, Ubiq’s combination of design creativity, technical expertise, and data insight offered something ISB had never experienced before: true partnership.
It’s been completely transformative in design, in support, and in how we operate as a school. Ubiq delivered exactly what they promised and more.
- Jamie Perfect, Director, International School of Bremen
Looking Ahead
ISB’s digital journey doesn’t stop here. The school continues to work closely with Ubiq through quarterly data reviews, persona tracking, and campaign optimisation.
As ISB grows its boarding and international programmes, the website has become an essential part of its communications and admissions strategy.
We finally have a website that’s as international, dynamic, and forward-thinking as our school, and a partner who’s with us every step of the way.
From compliance challenges to creative confidence, ISB’s partnership with Ubiq has reshaped how the school connects with families, presents its identity, and measures success online.
- Jamie Perfect, Director, International School of Bremen
It’s been completely transformative. In design, in support, and in how we operate as a school.
— Jamie Perfect, Director, International School of Bremen
