22,000 Lines of Code. Zero Support Tickets.
An accessible, CMS-driven website for an alternative education provider — built with AI pair programming and senior oversight in weeks, not months.
C&G Education
C&G Education is a specialist alternative education provider working with young people aged 15–25 who have SEND or SEMH needs. They deliver practical, hands-on learning through community-based programmes, work experience placements, and direct teaching.
"To equip students with the skills, confidence and experience they need to move forward — through practical learning of professional skills that prepares them not just for work, but for life."
Project Overview
- Industry
- Alternative Education / SEND
- Project Type
- Website Redesign & CMS
- Platform
- Laravel 12 + Statamic v5
- Hosting
- Laravel Cloud + Cloudflare R2
- Services
- Full-Stack, DevOps, Training
The Challenge
Outdated Website
The existing site lacked modernity and failed to communicate C&G's professional approach to alternative education.
Accessibility Gaps
No WCAG compliance — a critical issue for an organisation serving young people with additional needs.
Manual Workflows
Referrals and recruitment handled through email and manual processes, creating administrative overhead.
Developer Dependency
Every content update required developer intervention, slowing down communications and increasing costs.
AI as a Pair Programming Partner
Rather than fully automated code generation, we used AI as a pair programming partner — combining human expertise in client relationships, design direction, and business requirements with AI capabilities in code generation, debugging, and technical implementation.
Project Architecture
Generated complete Statamic CMS configuration, collection schemas, blueprints, and content structures.
13 YAML SchemasFrontend Development
25+ page and block templates with responsive layouts, mobile-first approach, and consistent design patterns.
~2,000 Lines CSSSecurity & Forms
Secure form handling with CSRF protection, input validation, file uploads, and GDPR-compliant data processing.
Security-firstAccessibility
Built all UI components to WCAG 2.2 AA standards with skip links, ARIA labels, and keyboard navigation.
WCAG 2.2 AAFeature Implementation
Full-text site search, cookie consent, dropdown navigation, case studies collection, and insights system.
Complex FeaturesDevOps & Deployment
Laravel Cloud configuration, Cloudflare R2 storage integration, automated deploy hooks, and GitHub content-sync so production content edits are versioned without triggering redeploys.
Production ReadyHuman Review at Every Stage
Every AI-generated output was reviewed by senior digital leaders for security, performance, and maintainability. AI accelerates the work — humans ensure the quality. This hybrid approach delivered enterprise-grade code at startup speed.
Codebase Statistics
The project has continued to grow post-launch with additional pages and features.
Key Features
User-Friendly CMS
- Statamic control panel with intuitive interface
- Flexible Bard content blocks (hero, text, images, CTAs)
- Role-based permissions for different team members
- Job listings, insights, and case studies collections
- Join our Team and Careers Advice pages; Resources hub (case studies and blog); Accessibility Statement; Privacy and Terms
Integrated Form System
- Referral forms with document upload support
- Recruitment application system and live job listings (e.g. Job Coach roles) with Join our Talent Pool CTA
- Automated email notifications to team inboxes
- GDPR-compliant data handling with cloud storage
Full Accessibility
- WCAG 2.2 AA compliant throughout
- Full keyboard navigation support
- Screen reader optimised with ARIA labels
- Contrast ratios ≥ 4.5:1 for all text
Performance & Security
- Page loads under 3 seconds
- Optimised images with lazy loading
- SSL encryption and security headers
- Laravel Cloud + Cloudflare R2 storage
Lessons Learned
What AI Excelled At
Consistent Code Generation
Maintained design patterns across 25+ templates, applied accessibility attributes consistently, generated well-structured code.
Rapid Iteration
Quick implementation of client feedback, multiple feature additions in single sessions, immediate bug fixes and refinements.
Technical Problem Solving
Diagnosed production 500 errors from logs, identified syntax issues, proposed and implemented workarounds.
Where Human Expertise Was Essential
Client Communication
Understanding nuanced requirements, interpreting feedback like "navigation looks crowded", managing expectations and priorities.
Design Direction
Overall aesthetic decisions, brand interpretation, visual hierarchy choices that reflect the organisation's mission.
Quality Assurance
Visual review of generated designs, testing user flows, verifying production behaviour, security validation.
Technology Stack
The Results
40-50 hrs vs. 80-120 hrs typical
Full accessibility compliance
Zero dev dependency; client manages careers and content independently
Optimised performance
In Their Words
What the directors at C&G Education had to say about the project.
We approached Hare & Tortoise to build a website that showcased our brand and mission while remaining accessible and informative. Initially we were apprehensive about AI, but their approach quickly reassured us. By using AI to handle much of the heavy lifting, the team had more time to truly understand our organisation and adapt quickly as the project evolved. They've found the perfect balance between human collaboration and AI-powered delivery.
For years I relied on website builders because I was worried about losing control if I hired a designer. Hare & Tortoise completely changed that perception. They created a bespoke platform that gives us a unique website while still allowing us to easily make the updates that matter. The process was smooth, collaborative, and the end result is a website we're genuinely proud of.
The Takeaway
AI-assisted development isn't about replacing developers — it's about amplifying their capabilities. Human expertise in design direction and quality assurance, combined with AI's speed and consistency, delivered a professional, accessible website in a fraction of the traditional timeline.
C&G Education now has a strong digital presence that connects vulnerable young people with support. Post-launch, the client manages careers content, job listings, and resources independently — zero developer dependency.
Want results like these?
Whether you're in education, healthcare, or any sector that needs accessibility and quality — we'll help you launch faster.