The verdict in three sentences
For a private or international school in Bristol, the website carries the admissions journey: enquiry, visit booking, application. A local agency makes sense if you need frequent on-site filming during school days, with the safeguarding coordination that involves. If photos already exist or can be produced by a local photographer used to working in schools, a remote studio at a fixed price delivers a clear admissions journey in 3 to 4 weeks.
What does a Bristol school website need in 2026?
Your families include local parents, but also families relocating to Bristol for aerospace, university or tech roles, some of them French-speaking or international. They compare three or four schools online before booking a visit.
- Admissions journey: enquiry, visit or open day booking, online application or a link to your admissions platform.
- Transparent fees page: since 1 January 2025, private school fees in the UK have been subject to 20% VAT. Show VAT-inclusive amounts, registration fees and bursaries clearly.
- Curriculum pages: British curriculum, IB or bilingual pathway depending on your offer, with destinations and results presented honestly.
- Inspection references: depending on your status, ISI or Ofsted inspects the school in England; publish the latest report with a link to the official source.
- News and events managed in a CMS by the communications team.
- Pages in French or other languages for relocating families, at least the home page, admissions and fees.
Which criteria should you compare between a local agency and a remote studio?
| Criterion | Local or schools specialist agency | Remote studio (e.g. Kolonell) | Importance for a school |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filming during school days | On site, used to protocols | You commission a DBS-checked local photographer | High |
| Time zone and meetings | Same, meetings at school | Project manager reachable on UK hours, video calls | Medium |
| Native copywriting | British English | Native English or French copywriting included | High |
| Platform | Often a proprietary platform on an annual licence | Site delivered with code and access in the school's name | Critical |
| Build price | £8,000 to £30,000 | £3,900 to £6,900, fixed price | High |
| Recurring cost | Licence or retainer of £1,000 to £3,500 a year | 3 months of support included, then on quote | Medium |
| Timeline | 10 to 20 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | Medium |
These ranges are a 2026 ballpark drawn from typical quotes and published rates of UK agencies and schools specialist providers. The Kolonell grid is detailed on the international offer page: Starter £2,300, Growth £3,900, Premium £6,900.
When the local agency is clearly better: if you want a showcase film shot over several school days, a pupil recruitment campaign with local outdoor advertising, or a supplier already familiar with your safeguarding policy and able to manage consents on the day of the shoot. A schools specialist agency can also help if you want a parent portal built into its own tool.
When a remote studio is enough: the brand guidelines exist, you have an image library with up-to-date consents, and the need is about structure, copy, the admissions journey and mobile performance.
What does each option cost over three years?
| Cost line | Schools specialist agency | Generalist Bristol agency | Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website build | £8,000 to £20,000 | £12,000 to £30,000 | £6,900 |
| Photography on a school day | £900 to £2,000 | £900 to £2,000 | £900 to £2,000 (local photographer) |
| Licence or maintenance over 3 years | £3,000 to £10,500 | £6,600 to £16,500 | Assumption £180 a month over 33 months: £5,940 |
| Pages in French or another language | £1,500 to £4,000 | £2,000 to £5,000 | Native French copywriting included |
| Three-year total | £13,400 to £36,500 | £21,500 to £53,500 | £13,740 to £14,840 |
The Kolonell maintenance line is a budget assumption: beyond the 3 included months, maintenance is on quote, as are custom integrations with a school management system.
What should the contract require?
- Ownership: domain, hosting and code in the school's name; full content export if you leave the provider.
- Pupil and parent data: forms compliant with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, a signed processing agreement, cookies compliant with PECR. Only collect on the site what admissions actually needs.
- Pupil images: parental consent on record, no full name next to a photo, a 48-hour takedown rule. Align with your safeguarding policy and the principles of Keeping Children Safe in Education.
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA target, an accessibility statement, accessible PDF documents. The Equality Act 2010 also applies to schools.
- Children online: if some pages speak directly to pupils, check the ICO Children's code.
This is not legal advice.
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Illustrative example: Rachel Owen, head of admissions and marketing at a 420-pupil independent school in Bristol, compares a schools specialist provider at £18,000 plus a £2,200 annual licence with Kolonell Premium at £6,900.
- Specialist provider over 3 years: 18,000 + (2,200 × 3) = £24,600.
- Remote studio: 6,900 + (180 × 33 as an assumption) = £12,840.
- Difference: £11,760.
As an assumption, with fees of £18,000 a year including VAT, a single extra enrolment that stays 5 years represents £90,000 of income, about 7 times the three-year cost of the site.
FAQ
Should we publish fees online?
Yes: families compare, and a clear fees page cuts qualification calls. Show VAT-inclusive amounts since 20% VAT started applying in January 2025.
How long does it take to launch the admissions journey?
With a remote studio, 3 to 4 weeks if copy and photos are signed off in the first 10 days. Plan to go live before the autumn open days.
Can we publish photos from the last sports day?
Only of pupils whose parental consent is up to date, with no full names. Sorting 200 photos takes about 2 hours with a well kept consent list.
Do we need to translate the whole site?
No: 5 to 8 pages in French or another key language are enough for relocating families. Kolonell includes native English or French copywriting.
Can we keep our current admissions platform?
Yes, the site links to it or embeds its form if the platform allows. A deeper integration is quoted separately.
To price your admissions journey, request a free quote.
Let's scope your project. A school website with an admissions journey, a clear fees page and multilingual pages, from £3,900 to £6,900, live in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.