The verdict in three sentences
For a school group with 3 campuses and 2,400 pupils, a website with online enrolment and a parent portal costs between 5,300 and 10,700 EUR in 2026 (3.5 to 7 million FCFA in our West and Central African projects), depending on how deeply it connects to the school management system. The return comes first from admissions office time saved during the intake season and from applications that are complete on first submission. Since 65% of parents browse on smartphones, a form designed for mobile and slow connections is worth more than a spectacular homepage.
What a school group website must include
The site serves three audiences: families discovering the school, parents of enrolled pupils and the management team handling application flows. Each expects one precise function. A prospective family wants to compare levels, tuition fees and the educational approach in under two minutes. An enrolled parent wants campus news, the calendar and documents (circulars, supply lists). Management wants complete applications, sorted by campus and grade, with no re-keying.
The enrolment form is the centrepiece. It collects the pupil's and guardians' details, the requested grade, the preferred campus and attachments: birth certificate, reports from the last two years, ID photo, transfer certificate where relevant. Automatic compression of phone photos prevents 5 MB files that fail on weak connections.
| Site level | Main features | 2026 budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group showcase | 3 campus pages, news, contact | 2,750 to 3,800 EUR | 4 weeks |
| Enrolment | + multi-step form, attachments, admissions dashboard | 5,300 to 6,900 EUR | 7 weeks |
| Enrolment + parent portal | + parent account, documents, calendar per class | 6,900 to 8,850 EUR | 9 weeks |
| Full platform | + online application fee payment, SMS notifications | 8,850 to 10,700 EUR | 11 weeks |
| Annual maintenance | Hosting, updates, intake season support | 900 to 1,850 EUR/year | Ongoing |
The mobile journey, where applications are won
Most applications arrive in the evening, from a phone, often on a limited data plan. A single-page form with 25 fields loses one family in three. A 4-step form with automatic draft saving and a resume link sent by SMS or WhatsApp halves that abandonment rate.
| Indicator | Paper application | Unoptimised online form | Mobile step-by-step form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete on first submission | 55% | 60% | 85% |
| Form abandonment rate | Not applicable | 35% | 15% |
| Processing time per application | 25 min | 15 min | 6 min |
| Parent visits to the office | 2 to 3 | 1 to 2 | 0 to 1 |
| Average attachment size | Not applicable | 4 MB | 600 KB after compression |
| Response time to the family | 10 days | 6 days | 48 h |
These are 2026 ballpark figures observed on private schools we have worked with. They depend heavily on the quality of the guidance displayed at each step.
The parent portal: useful only if it is fed
A parent portal that is still empty three months after launch destroys trust. Before ordering one, check who will publish circulars and the calendar on each campus. One hour a week per campus is enough if the back office is simple: drop a PDF, pick the classes concerned, publish. Parents get a notification and no longer come in to collect a circular.
On the data side, the group collects information about minors. It needs secure hosting, named staff accounts, deletion of unsuccessful applications after the intake and a clear privacy notice for families, in line with local data protection law (the PDPA in Singapore).
Mini case study
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Mrs Tan, managing director of a private school group with 3 campuses in Singapore, handled about 900 enrolment applications a year. At 25 minutes per paper file, her admissions office spent 375 hours on them. With a mobile step-by-step form and a tracking dashboard, processing fell to 6 minutes, or 90 hours: 285 hours freed during the busiest period of the year. The group invested about 7,300 EUR in the "enrolment + parent portal" level. With an application fee of 23 EUR now collected online from 85% of families instead of 60%, the collection gain reaches 225 applications x 23 EUR, so about 5,175 EUR in the first intake, before counting the time saved.
FAQ
Can we open online enrolment for one campus first?
Yes, the form is configured per campus. Many groups launch on their most requested campus, then extend to the other two the following season, which cuts the initial budget by about 20%.
Can parents without a computer upload their documents?
Yes, the form accepts phone photos and compresses them automatically to around 600 KB. A kiosk or desk at reception remains useful for 5 to 10% of families.
Can application fees be paid online?
Yes, through cards and local wallets, with a fee of roughly 1 to 3% depending on the provider. The receipt is generated automatically and attached to the application.
How long does it take to be ready before the intake?
Allow 7 to 11 weeks depending on the level chosen. For an intake that opens in May, the project should start by early March at the latest.
Can the site connect to our school management software?
Often yes, via CSV export or an API if the software provides one. The connector adds 750 to 1,850 EUR depending on complexity.
Let's scope your project. We define your enrolment form, parent portal and per-campus budget, with a schedule aligned on 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.
