Local agency or remote studio for a private or international school website in Dublin: how to choose (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For a private or international school in Dublin, a local agency is the right call when the website is part of a campus film, open day campaign and on-site photography of pupils that only a team in Dublin can produce. A remote studio like Kolonell fits when you already have consented images and need a clear admissions journey, curriculum pages and a fees page at a fixed 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 EUR. In both cases, what parents check first is clarity on admissions, fees and safeguarding, and what the board should check is who owns the domain and the data.

How do Dublin agencies, freelancers and a remote studio compare?

These are prudent 2026 ballparks, not official figures. They draw on public rate cards of Dublin agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co, hourly rates commonly published by Irish studios (often 80 to 150 EUR per hour) and rates visible on Upwork and Malt.

The Kolonell team works from Senegal on GMT, so office hours overlap with Dublin almost entirely. Full details are on our international website offer.

When is a Dublin agency the better choice?

Say it clearly: for some schools, local wins.

• You are launching a new campus or a rebrand and the website is one piece of a campaign with print, signage, open day events and video.
• Your images do not exist yet. Photographing pupils requires consent management, scheduling around the timetable and someone on the ground; Kolonell does not shoot on site.
• You need an integrated parent portal, online applications with payments, or a link to your school management system. That is an application, quoted on request at Kolonell, and some boards prefer a supplier they can meet.
• Your procurement rules require an Irish or EU supplier with a local presence.

When does a remote studio fit a school?

A remote studio suits a school of 150 to 800 pupils that has a clear offer and existing materials (prospectus, curriculum overview, fees schedule, consented photos):

• An admissions journey in plain steps: enquiry, tour or open day, application, assessment, offer.
• Curriculum pages that explain the programme you actually run (Irish curriculum, IB, a national curriculum from abroad) without vague claims.
• A fees page, displayed or replaced by a request form, depending on your policy.
• A fixed price in writing, paid by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery.

What do Dublin parents expect, and which rules apply?

Dublin's international school families include staff of the technology and pharmaceutical multinationals around the Docklands and the M50 corridor, diplomats and returning Irish families. Many search from abroad before relocating, so the site must answer remotely: which curriculum, which year groups, how admissions work mid-year, what fees cover, how to book a visit. Some families look for French, Spanish or German programmes; pages in those languages are supplied by the school or quoted separately (French is included natively, bilingual EN/FR from Premium).

On compliance, the facts only:

• Data protection. The GDPR and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018 apply, supervised by the Data Protection Commission, which has published guidance on processing children's data. Enquiry forms should collect only what is needed; application documents go through a secure tool, not email.
• Pupil images. Use photos only with documented consent, and avoid naming children in captions.
• Safeguarding. Many schools publish their Child Safeguarding Statement under the Children First Act 2015 on their website; check what applies to your school.
• Accessibility. WCAG 2.1 AA is the usual technical reference; the European Accessibility Act, applicable since 28 June 2025, may concern some online services such as payments, so check your case.

This is not legal advice.

Which questions should you ask, and what are the red flags?

• Who writes the admissions and curriculum pages, and who signs them off?
• Is the tour booking a third-party tool the school controls?
• Where do enquiry forms store parents' and children's data?
• Who owns the domain, hosting, analytics and design files?
• What does a change cost after the support period?

Red flags: stock photos of pupils, a fees page the school cannot edit, forms asking for a child's date of birth and medical details at first contact, and a domain registered in the agency's name.

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Aoife M., head of admissions at a 420-pupil international school in south Dublin, receives a local agency quote of 22 000 EUR. She chooses Kolonell Premium at 8 200 EUR for a bilingual EN/FR site and books a local photographer and videographer for two days at 3 000 EUR, a cost she would also have paid with the agency. Same maintenance assumption on both sides: 120 EUR per month over 30 months, or 3 600 EUR. Three-year total: about 28 600 EUR with the agency versus about 14 800 EUR with Kolonell. The board's question becomes whether in-person workshops justify about 13 800 EUR.

FAQ

Should we show our fees online? It depends on your admissions policy; many international schools do, others use a request form. Both options are included from Growth at 4 500 EUR.

Can parents book a tour from the site? Yes, through a third-party booking tool embedded from Growth. A custom booking system linked to your school software is quoted on request.

Can Kolonell photograph our pupils? No. Kolonell does not shoot on site; you supply consented images or book a local photographer, often 1 200 to 1 800 EUR per day in Dublin.

How long does it take? 3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth; Premium has a written schedule at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks. Plan around open days and term dates.

Who owns the site? The domain is registered in the school's name and all access is handed over, with 3 months of support (6 on Premium).

Let's scope your project. Send us your prospectus, your admissions steps and your fees policy, and you will receive a fixed-price proposal delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.