Case Study: Streamlining Curriculum Materials for a Growing Academies Trust
The challenge
Dixons Academies Trust, a multi-academy trust in the north of England, faced a challenge as it embarked on an ambitious expansion plan. With 17 schools serving around 14,000 students and a goal to grow to 20,000 students by 2025, the Trust needed a seamless process for creating and delivering curriculum workbooks across multiple subjects and academies.
The solution
In Spring 2022, Dixons appointed CDS after a competitive tender for the design, layout, and printing of curriculum workbooks. The CDS in-house design studio took on the task, creating new page and cover styles for 19 subjects across three cycles of print orders aligned with Dixons' term schedule.
The initial requirement for cycle one was substantial, with 33,000 booklets for four academies across seven subjects. However, as the project unfolded, the demands increased to 70,000 booklets for six academies across nineteen subjects. CDS navigated the complexity of the project, accommodating new copy, new cover artwork, and handling over 10,000 pages for styling.
The result
Despite the expanded scope, CDS successfully delivered the full-colour booklets to all six academies within the original eight-week timeframe over the summer. This ensured that the new booklets were ready for teachers and students at the beginning of the new term in September 2022.
The new booklets, featuring CDS' fresh cover artwork and internal layout, received positive feedback, marking a significant improvement over previous versions. The collaboration didn't stop there. Following the successful delivery, CDS continued to work closely with Dixons to refine the end-to-end process from content creation to printing and the account team at CDS continues to actively partner with Dixons to identify and address additional print requirements.
The partnership between Dixons Academies Trust and CDS showcases the power of flexibility, collaboration, and expertise in finding solutions for non-core activities, overcoming challenges and delivering exceptional results.
At a glance...
Sector
- Education
Challenge
- Provide curriculum booklets for over 14,000 students at 17 schools.
- Create an efficient process for creating and delivering curriculum materials.
Solution
- CDS was contracted for the design, layout, and printing of curriculum workbooks.
- CDS's in-house Design Studio created new styles for 19 subjects, adapting to changing requirements, including adjustments in copy and cover artwork.
Results
- The initial requirement of 33,000 booklets expanded to 70,000 booklets for six academies across nineteen subjects.
- CDS successfully delivered the full-colour booklets within the original eight-week timeframe.
- The new booklets received positive feedback and were considered a significant improvement over the previous version.
- CDS continue to work closely with Dixons, refining the end-to-end process and identifying additional print requirements.