The verdict in three sentences
A language school with 2,200 learners does not lose money in the classroom, it loses it between the placement test and the first lesson, when a prospect waits three weeks for a class to open. Custom school software that chains an online CEFR test, automatic class allocation and payment cuts that delay to a few days. On the corporate side, attendance-based invoicing with automatic certificates secures contracts worth 3,000 to 40,000 EUR.
The learner journey, where enrolments leak
In Dublin, demand comes from international students on Stamp 2 visas, EU professionals and local companies training multinational staff. The school sells general English, exam preparation (IELTS, Cambridge) and business English, in person and online. The director sees that 30% of people who take the placement test never enrol.
The reasons are familiar: paper test marked by hand, result sent 48 hours later, no class open yet, payment only at reception.
| Step | Current process | With dedicated software |
|---|---|---|
| Placement test | Paper, on site, marked in 48 h | Online, CEFR A1 to C1, instant result |
| Class offer | Call from reception, 3 to 10 days | Available slots shown after the test |
| Opening a class | Minimum of 8 checked by hand | Waiting list, opens automatically at 8 |
| Payment | Reception only | Online card payment, instalments |
| Test to enrolment rate | 70% | 82 to 85% targeted |
| Attendance | Paper registers | Tablet roll call, alert after 2 absences |
These are 2026 orders of magnitude seen in comparable schools. For visa students, attendance tracking also matters because immigration rules require minimum attendance levels.
Corporate training, a different business in the same tool
Corporate contracts often account for 35 to 45% of revenue at a school this size. They follow their own rules: purchase orders, in-company groups, on-site lessons, progress reports for HR, named certificates.
| Item | Individual learner | Corporate contract |
|---|---|---|
| Typical amount | 250 to 900 EUR per course | 3,000 to 40,000 EUR per contract |
| Group size | 8 to 15 | 4 to 12, sometimes one-to-one |
| Billing | Payment at enrolment | Monthly, based on actual attendance |
| Reporting | End-of-course report | Monthly HR report, attendance rate |
| Documents | Level certificate | Named certificates, signed registers |
| Payment terms | Immediate | 30 to 60 days |
Software that handles only one model forces staff into double entry. The data model must separate the paying client (individual or company) from the learner.
One design point deserves attention early: the same person can be a self-funded learner in spring and a corporate trainee in autumn. Keeping a single learner record with several paying clients avoids duplicate profiles, preserves CEFR progress across courses and lets the school show a company the real starting level of each employee. In practice this reduces placement retesting by around 20% and gives sales a clean history when renewing a 15,000 EUR contract.
Scope and budget
Modules to plan: adaptive placement test with a question bank, class and room management, scheduling for 60 teachers, attendance, learner portal, corporate HR space, invoicing and reminders.
Kolonell prices custom applications in three bands: simple 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR), medium 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), complex 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR). A first release with online testing, classes and payment fits the medium band. With the corporate space, attendance-based billing and teacher scheduling, the project moves into the complex band. Accounting integrations are quoted separately.
For comparison, language school management SaaS tools cost, as a 2026 order of magnitude, 150 to 600 EUR per month at this volume, but rarely handle attendance-based corporate billing well.
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Mini case study
Aoife, director of an English school in Dublin, receives 3,000 placement tests a year. At 70% conversion she enrols 2,100 learners at an average of 620 EUR, 1,302,000 EUR. If online testing and instant allocation lift conversion to 80%, she gains 300 enrolments, 186,000 EUR of extra revenue a year.
Corporate contracts bring in 480,000 EUR a year. Monthly attendance-based invoices with an HR report attached cut average payment time from 60 to 40 days, freeing around 26,000 EUR of cash. For a complex build around 12,000 EUR, the conversion gain alone covers the investment within the first intake.
FAQ
Is an online placement test reliable?
An adaptive test of 40 to 60 questions with a short video speaking check gives a reliable CEFR level for allocation. Speaking can stay on site for B2 and above.
Can we run several sites and online classes?
Yes, each class has a location (room, client site or virtual classroom). Scheduling prevents room and teacher clashes across all sites.
Do companies get their own access?
The HR manager sees enrolled staff, attendance rates and invoices. Named certificates download in one click at the end of each module.
How long until the first release?
Allow 8 to 10 weeks for online testing, classes and payment. The corporate and billing release follows in 6 to 8 weeks, ideally before the September intake.
What maintenance should we budget?
Kolonell maintenance is 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) depending on service level. A school this size usually picks Standard at 114 EUR.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your learner volumes, courses and the share of corporate contracts, and we will propose two releases delivered before your next intake. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
