SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
The International School of Brussels
Some school communities measure time in school years, but the International School of Brussels can measure it in milestones.
Opening in 1951 with just 27 students, the school has steadily grown into Belgium’s oldest international school, now serving more than 1,300 students from 60 nationalities and 55 languages across campus.
Another milestone is ISB’s 20+-year partnership with Finalsite, spanning six website redesign projects. This latest redesign followed a full rebrand and focused on bringing ISB’s new identity to life online through easier navigation, faster updates, and a more welcoming experience for prospective families worldwide.
At a Glance
With a rich history dating back 75 years, the International School of Brussels is home to 1350 students from 60 countries. Its mission is to develop independent learners and international citizens in an environment where all students are included, challenged, and successful.
Bringing a refreshed brand online
After ISB completed a school-wide rebrand, the team turned to the next priority: a website that matched the school’s new look, while making it easier for families to get answers quickly. Fanny Chan, Director of Advancement, helped guide the project with a focus on brand clarity and a stronger digital experience for current and prospective families.
The website needed to match that same energy to clearly communicate the school’s vision for its next exciting chapter.
As Fanny shared, the redesign was the final step in a broader effort to give ISB a new, vibrant, and colorful identity.
“This truly was a whole-school project, and we love how it brought our community closer together. Our partnership with our website consultant and the Finalsite team has been a wonderful experience (as always).”
FANNY CHAN
DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
“We wanted a website with a modern, sleek, and user-friendly look that better portrays the spirit of our school, our educational philosophy, and the achievements of our students.”
Along with the refreshed look, ISB set new benchmarks for enrolment and day-to-day family needs. The team wanted a clearer structure so visitors could find information quickly on any device.
“The goal of this new website is to introduce our refreshed brand assets and enhance the overall family digital experience,” Fanny shared.
“Ultimately, the website will serve as a key platform to attract new families and support increased enrolment. We have streamlined the content to ensure a clear, logical flow of information, making it easy for families to browse and quickly find what they need anytime, anywhere.”
6th
Redesign
with Finalsite
20+
Years
as a Finalsite client
76%
Increase
in new website visitors
A structured redesign process
ISB treated content as a core part of the build. The team planned in advance for both writing and visuals, so the site could launch with fresh photography and messaging.
“We started preparing both the written content and the visual material well in advance,” Fanny said, adding that the team organised school-wide photoshoots for a fresh portrayal of its community and educational activities.
ISB worked closely with Finalsite’s Professional Services team, staying organized and allowing enough time for refinement.
“The design process was very straightforward,” Fanny said. “From the kickoff to the launch, the team has consistently ensured we are ahead of the deadlines, allowing time for feedback and fine-tuning to achieve the perfect result. Technical support was always available and quick to react when needed.”
In addition to Finalsite Composer, ISB also relies on several modules within the Finalsite platform to support both the public-facing website and ongoing communication across the school community:
- Portals and Messages for school-wide communications to students, parents, employees, and emails to its alumni base
- Posts are used to update the homepage news feed and the bi-weekly all-school updates on the site and the mobile app
- Forms play an important part in updating personal data for families, event sign-ups, and workflows
Community feedback and stronger engagement
As the school shared on the day of the site going live, “We’re happy to announce the launch of our new website! Brighter, more vibrant, and easier to use, our new website brings a smoother digital experience, more stunning photos of our students in action, and a design that makes it simple to find what you need.”
Post launch, ISB saw an immediate response from the community—one tied to both the site’s look and the spirit it sparked.
“The new website has been very well received by the entire community,” Fanny shared. “Its vibrant look and feel have been widely appreciated by faculty, staff, students, and parents, fostering a strong sense of pride in being part of the ISB community.”
Fanny also called out the homepage as a highlight, helping visitors quickly grasp ISB’s programs and identity at a glance. New user acquisition has grown exceptionally by 76.6%, while engagement quality has seen a significant uplift, with a 44.7% increase in average engagement time.
“The homepage design and functionality are very catchy, comprehensively summarising our educational programmes and conveying ISB's identity,” she said.
Top-performing Pages
The strongest-performing pages demonstrate particularly notable year-on-year gains in active users:
- Homepage: (+6.1%)
- Open Day Sign Up: 11K active users
- School Calendar: (+6.2%)
- Tuition & Fees (+17.3%)
- Event count: (+24.8%)
- Login Portal: (+23.3%)
- Discover ISB Now: (+65.7%)
On the data side, ISB saw a meaningful shift in visitor behavior within the first six months of launch.
“Following the website redesign, we experienced a significant increase in new users,” Fanny said. “The feedback so far has been very positive, and we’ve encouraged them to keep sharing ideas and suggestions so we can continue improving. This helps reinforce that it’s a community project, not just a MarComm initiative.
For Fanny, the project stands out as a strong partnership and another milestone, as ISB’s new brand elements come to life in a way the community can see and experience.
“Overall, the journey was amazing,” she said. “This truly was a whole-school project, and we love how it brought our community closer together. Our partnership with our website consultant and the Finalsite team has been a wonderful experience (as always).”
“Seeing the website bring our new brand elements to life makes us incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far.”
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