Website redesign for a private or international school in Bath: budget, timeline and risks (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For an international school in Bath, a redesign is won or lost on SEO migration more than on design: admissions, curriculum, fees and open day pages bring expatriate families in from Google, and a careless switch-over can make them vanish for weeks. On Kolonell's fixed grid, budget £3,900 on Growth or £6,900 on Premium, against a 2026 ballpark of £12,000 to £35,000 at local agencies, with the admissions portal and MIS on quote. With a URL inventory, a complete 301 map and 6 weeks of Search Console monitoring, the risk becomes manageable.

Which signs make a redesign necessary?

From the city centre to Combe Down, Lansdown and the surrounding villages, local and boarding families compare schools online long before visiting. Expatriate families, often relocating for work, search from abroad with very precise queries: curriculum, year groups, fees, boarding, transport.

Typical signs: more than 150 URLs, half of them old news, duplicate curriculum pages for each phase (early years, primary, secondary), an open day calendar still dated last year, and a menu nobody uses on mobile.

SEO migration, step by step

This is the core of the redesign. Here is an extract of a redirect map, with illustrative addresses.

The rules: no page that gets clicks is removed without a redirect; titles and opening lines of admissions pages stay close to the current ones; the sitemap is submitted on launch day; Search Console is reviewed weekly for 6 weeks (coverage, 404 errors, clicks on admissions queries).

What budget in Bath in 2026?

A 2026 ballpark from public local agency rate pages and typical quotes, not a survey.

Included: a project manager in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, 3 months of support. SEO work beyond the migration is on quote. Also on quote, as separate lines: admissions portal, fee payment, MIS, parent app and calendar feeds, kept and linked. See the international offer.

Timeline and other risks

Week 1: export of every URL and 12 months of Search Console data, 301 map. Week 2: structure and copy. Week 3: build, links to the portal and MIS. Week 4: 301 tests, WCAG 2.2 AA, cookie consent that works with admissions tags, school sign-off, switch-over. Go-live happens in the summer holidays or a quiet half-term, never during open days, exams or the admissions peak.

Other risks to cover:

• Building access: some listed buildings limit physical accessibility. The access page states the facts (step-free entrances, lifts, areas not accessible) without promises. The website itself targets WCAG 2.2 AA under the Equality Act 2010.
• Children's data: UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, the ICO. The enquiry form collects no health, SEN, school reports, passports or custody details; documents go through a secure portal, on quote.
• School documents: safeguarding, policies and the inspection report published as they are. Independent schools in England are registered with the DfE and inspected by ISI or Ofsted: quote only what is published.
• VAT on fees: applicable since January 2025, wording approved by the school, no invented figures.

This is not legal advice.

Questions to ask: who builds the 301 map, how many URLs does it cover, who reads Search Console after launch?

When is a Bath agency the better choice?

If the school wants a monthly content strategy, regular on-site shoots and someone physically at governors' meetings, a local agency offers a service the fixed grid does not cover. For a clean migration with content ready, a scoped redesign is enough.

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Avonmere International School, a fictional school of about 600 students from early years to grade 12, with a large expatriate community near Bath. Sophie, head of marketing, counts 180 indexed URLs for 60 useful pages.

• Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote): £6,900
• Native review of the second language by a freelance translator (third-party cost, market assumption): £600
• One-off total: £7,500

All 180 URLs get a destination: 60 pages kept, 120 redirected. Against an agency quote of £22,000, the difference is £14,500. Maintenance after the 3 included months is on quote.

FAQ

How much does an international school website redesign cost in Bath?

£12,000 to £35,000 with a local agency as a 2026 ballpark. At Kolonell, £3,900 on Growth or £6,900 on Premium.

Will we lose traffic after switch-over?

A small fluctuation for 2 to 4 weeks is common. A complete 301 map and 6 weeks of Search Console monitoring limit the damage.

Should we keep old news?

Items that still get clicks are kept or redirected. The rest, often over 50% of the total, are consolidated.

Does the admissions portal change address?

No, it is kept and linked. Any deeper integration is a line on quote.

How do we describe access to a listed building?

By stating the facts: number of step-free entrances, lifts, restricted areas. No promises are made.

Let's scope your project. A redesign from £3,900 to £6,900 with a complete 301 map, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks during the holidays. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.