A bespoke native mobile application suite providing international students with real-time access to daily class schedules, social activities, and educational resources.
What we did
- Full-cycle native iOS and Android application development
- Custom UI/UX design tailored for an international student demographic
- Development of a central ExpressionEngine CMS for content administration
- Automated data synchronisation between web-based systems and mobile apps
- Implementation of a dynamic daily schedule distribution engine
- Ongoing technical maintenance and performance optimisation
About the project
The Kent School of English (KSE) is one of the UK’s premier English language centres, welcoming thousands of international students to the coast of Kent every year. With a bustling curriculum that extends beyond the classroom into a wide array of local activities and excursions, the school manages an incredibly complex logistical operation. Providing each student with the correct information at the right time is critical to ensuring a safe and enriching educational experience.
Tinderhouse was commissioned to move the school’s student communication from traditional paper-based methods to a sophisticated digital ecosystem. Our primary objective was to build a pair of high-performance mobile applications that would serve as a personal digital assistant for every student. By focusing on a high-quality native app development strategy, we ensured that the apps were fast, reliable, and capable of operating smoothly on a vast range of international hardware.
To ensure the solution was effective for both the school and the students, we initially adopted a minimum viable product strategy. This allowed us to launch the core scheduling and activity features first, providing immediate value during the peak summer season while gathering essential feedback for later feature sets. This phased approach ensured that the final product was perfectly aligned with the unique needs of an international language school, eventually becoming an indispensable part of the KSE student experience.
The Challenge
Managing a high volume of short-term international students presents unique communication hurdles. KSE identified several critical pain points that were impacting operational efficiency:
- Overcoming language barriers with students whose first language is not English, making complex verbal instructions difficult to follow.
- The logistical nightmare of distributing personalised daily schedules to hundreds of different student groups arriving at different times.
- Heavy reliance on physical noticeboards and printed hand-outs which were difficult to update once distributed.
- Ensuring students remained informed about changes to social activities or meeting points in real-time.
- A lack of a centralised digital resource hub where students could access educational materials outside of the classroom.
- The need for a system that school administrators could update easily without requiring technical expertise.
Our Solution
Native Performance for a Global Audience
We chose a native development approach to ensure maximum compatibility and performance. By building specifically for the iOS and Android platforms, we guaranteed that the app would be responsive and intuitive, regardless of the student’s home country or device type. This iOS app development and Android-focused work allowed us to leverage platform-specific features like push notifications, which are vital for alerting students to sudden changes in their schedules or activity locations.
Centralised Content Management and Sync
To power the apps, we developed a robust backend using ExpressionEngine. This acts as the "brain" of the operation, allowing KSE staff to enter class data, activity details, and school news in one place. We engineered a custom synchronisation engine that pushes this data directly to the students' handsets. As specialist Expression Engine developers, we tailored the administrative interface so that even the least technical staff members could manage the school’s digital output with confidence, ensuring the information remains accurate and up-to-date.
Dynamic Scheduling and Resource Hub
The heart of the app is the dynamic schedule. Each student group sees a personalised view of their day, from morning English lessons to evening social events. We integrated an educational resource section where teachers can share materials and students can find helpful guides about their stay in Kent. This web development integration ensures that the app is more than just a calendar; it is a comprehensive tool for learning and integration into British culture.
Strategic Deployment via MVP
To meet the school's tight seasonal deadlines, we used a MVP approach. We focused our initial development on the most critical communication tools: the schedule and the activity feed. This allowed KSE to move away from paper schedules immediately. Once the core system proved successful in the field, we expanded the app to include more complex features like maps, emergency contact details, and deeper educational resources. This strategy ensured the project remained on track and delivered an immediate return on investment.
The Results
Since its launch in 2020, the KSE app has fundamentally changed how the school interacts with its students, moving them into the forefront of digital education.
Seamless Information Flow: Students now have instant access to their schedules, virtually eliminating confusion regarding class times and locations.
Significant Reduction in Paper Waste: The transition to digital schedules has drastically reduced the school’s environmental impact and printing costs.
Improved Student Safety: Real-time notifications and easy access to school information have enhanced the school's duty of care for visiting minors.
Enhanced Engagement: Students are more active in the social programme thanks to the engaging, image-rich activity feed within the app.
Staff Efficiency: Administration teams save hours every week by updating a single digital portal rather than coordinating hundreds of physical notices.
Positive Brand Perception: KSE has strengthened its reputation as a modern, tech-forward institution that prioritises the student experience.
Technical Highlights
iOS Development: Native Swift implementation for high-speed performance on Apple devices.
Android Development: Native Kotlin build ensuring compatibility across a wide range of manufacturers.
CMS: Custom ExpressionEngine backend for secure, structured content management.
Data Integration: Automated API for real-time synchronisation between the CMS and mobile handsets.
Push Notifications: Integrated Firebase cloud messaging for instant student alerts.
UI/UX: Accessibility-focused design intended for users with varying levels of English proficiency.
Ready to Modernise Your Education Platform?
Whether you need a native application for your students or a minimum viable product strategy to test a new educational tool, our Kent-based team has the expertise to deliver. We specialise in building apps that solve complex communication challenges. Enquire about your project today