Sunningwell School of Art (SSoA) case study
Client:
Sunningwell School of Art (SSoA)
A long-established and much-loved art school at the heart of its local community. SSoA offers a wide range of creative courses for students of all levels and prides itself on a welcoming, personal approach to arts education.
Brief:
The school had outgrown its basic management system and, supported by grant funding, sought a digital transformation to modernise operations. The new platform needed to manage students, tutors, models, suppliers, courses, and payments — while preserving SSoA’s uniquely personal way of welcoming and onboarding new students.
The objectives were clear:
- Improve productivity and efficiency
- Simplify course booking procedures
- Increase sales and profitability
- Enhance marketing capabilities
- Provide stronger reporting and insight
Skills:
- Listening, questioning and systems analysis
- Course booking and scheduling system design
- Stripe online payment integration
- Secure data import from a legacy system with no export function
- Automation of transactional emails and communication workflows
- Customisation of open-source software (CiviCRM and WordPress)
- Integrated hosting, maintenance, and training
Challenge:
SSoA’s existing website allowed browsing of courses but relied on email or phone bookings, creating administrative bottlenecks and inconsistent record-keeping. The school needed a single, integrated system to handle bookings, payments, and communications, but with the flexibility to match its personalised approach to student management.
They also required future-proof technology and a partner capable of providing long-term hosting, support, and training — all within the limits of a fixed grant budget.
Solution:
Akriga developed a new website and CRM system built on WordPress and CiviCRM, designed specifically to meet the school’s operational and creative needs.
The project delivered:
- A mobile-friendly, easy-to-manage website with clear navigation and attractive design
- A fully integrated CRM to manage courses, students, tutors, and bookings
- A bespoke course booking interface allowing students to browse availability, enrol, and pay securely via Stripe
- Automated communication workflows for confirmations, reminders, and follow-ups
- Future integration with accounting software
- Managed hosting, ongoing support, and six hours of on-site administrator training
The result was a cohesive, end-to-end system that replaced fragmented manual processes with a streamlined digital experience for both staff and students.
Outcomes:
The new system has now been running smoothly for over a year, transforming how SSoA operates day to day.
- Productivity has increased significantly
- Hundreds of students have booked courses online
- Cash flow and profitability have improved dramatically
- The need for manual processing has been almost eliminated
- Staff have access to powerful reporting and segmentation tools
- Around a dozen custom admin screens now support the school’s unique workflow
Sunningwell School of Art now enjoys a modern, sustainable platform that supports its community-focused mission and provides a strong foundation for continued growth.