Private or international school website cost in Bath: local agencies vs Kolonell (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

In Bath, a private or international school website built by a local agency costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, between 5 000 and 20 000 GBP, and a freelancer from the region can come in under 4 000 GBP. Kolonell builds the admissions, bursary and boarding pages and integrates your admissions tool at a fixed price: 2 300, 3 900 or 6 900 GBP, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth. Since fees started carrying VAT, families compare harder: the site must explain fees, bursaries and the school's value plainly, and quotes are decided on the three-year total cost.

What do Bath agencies, freelancers and Kolonell charge?

Cautious orders of magnitude, not official rates: they come from public price pages of Bath and Bristol agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles, hourly rates published by agencies in the South West of England and rates visible on Upwork or PeoplePerHour.

To be honest: in Bath, a capable freelancer competes head-on with Kolonell on price. The difference lies in a written fixed-price scope, copywriting included and a project manager reachable at your hour, with Google Meet calls and a weekly written update. The team is based in Senegal (GMT): the same time as Bath in winter, one hour apart in summer. Payment by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff, 50 % on delivery. All packages are on our international website offer.

What do Bath families look for on a school website?

Bath draws families leaving London, about an hour and a half away by train, university academics and expatriate families returning to the UK. Competition between schools is strong in the city, in Bristol and in Wiltshire, and the 20 % VAT on school fees, in force since 1 January 2025, has made parents more careful. The site has to answer:

• What it really costs: termly fees including VAT if you publish them, plus lunches, boarding and activities.
• Bursaries and discounts (means-tested bursaries, academic, sport or music scholarships): criteria, calendar, process, without promising amounts.
• Flexi-boarding: day, weekly boarding or occasional nights, and what that means for a London family.
• School transport from surrounding villages and towns, with map and times.
• Open days and private tours, bookable online, plus a virtual tour.
• The programmes actually offered (GCSE, A-Levels, IB or other depending on the school), and accreditations only if the school holds them.

On compliance, the facts. Family and pupil data fall under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018; photos of identifiable pupils in practice rely on written parental consent. In England, the Independent School Standards require certain information to be available to parents, including the safeguarding policy published on the website. Many Bath schools are registered charities and display their registration number; your adviser will tell you what is required in your case. The Equality Act 2010 and WCAG 2.2 AA serve as accessibility benchmarks. This is not legal advice.

What does each Kolonell package cover for a senior school?

What does three years cost with an agency, a freelancer or Kolonell?

Kolonell maintenance after the support period is quoted on request, so the table applies the same maintenance assumption to all three options.

The gap between freelancer and Kolonell is small: weigh timeline, written scope and continuity of follow-up.

Which questions should you ask before signing?

• Can we edit fees and bursary dates ourselves every year?
• Do we keep our admissions tool, with enquiries landing in it directly?
• How are photo consents tracked when a pupil leaves the school?
• Who holds the domain, hosting and analytics accounts?
• Does the proposal promise a number of enrolments? No serious supplier guarantees that.

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Charlotte W., head of marketing and admissions at a 600-pupil co-educational senior school (ages 11 to 18) with flexi-boarding near Bath, wants a site that speaks to London families. A local agency quotes 22 500 GBP, film included. Kolonell offers Premium at 6 900 GBP; Charlotte books a local videographer for 3 000 GBP and a photographer for 1 200 GBP, 11 100 GBP in total.

With the same maintenance assumption (110 GBP a month for 30 months, 3 300 GBP on each side), the three-year total reaches 25 800 GBP for the agency and 14 400 GBP for Kolonell, an 11 400 GBP gap, which the school redirects to its bursary fund.

FAQ

How much does a private school website cost in Bath in 2026?

As an order of magnitude, 5 000 to 20 000 GBP with a local agency and 1 500 to 5 000 GBP with a freelancer. Kolonell offers 2 300, 3 900 or 6 900 GBP at a fixed price.

Do we need a dedicated bursary page?

Yes, it is often among the most read pages since 20 % VAT was introduced on fees. Growth at 3 900 GBP includes fees, bursary and calendar pages.

Does Kolonell film the school?

No, Kolonell does not shoot on site. A local videographer often costs 1 500 to 3 500 GBP for a showcase film, as an order of magnitude.

Wouldn't a freelancer be cheaper?

Sometimes, yes: the build can cost 1 500 to 5 000 GBP. Over three years, our comparison gives 9 075 GBP for the freelancer and 8 755 GBP for Kolonell, copywriting included.

When should we start for open days?

Starter and Growth are delivered in 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually in 4 to 6 weeks. Allow 6 weeks before your first open day to keep a margin.

Let's scope your project. Send us your entry points, your fee schedule and the photos you are cleared to use, and we will reply with a fixed-price package and delivery in 3 to 4 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.