The verdict in three sentences
For a private school group in London, a website with online admissions costs between £12,000 and £25,000 (about 14,000 to 29,000 EUR) depending on automation, delivered in 6 to 8 weeks. The return comes mostly from admissions staff hours saved and complete applications received before the deadline. What makes the difference is not the visual design but the mobile journey, since around 65 % of parents browse school websites on their phone.
What the site must do for 1,200 pupils
A school group running nursery, prep and senior sections typically handles 300 to 450 registration requests per year. Without a proper tool, these arrive by email, PDF forms and phone calls, with missing documents in roughly one case out of two. The website must centralise the request, check uploads (birth certificate, school reports, passport photo, previous school reference) and collect the registration fee.
The features expected in 2026 are clear: one form per section with conditional fields, automatic compression of uploaded files, card and Apple Pay payment of the registration fee, an admissions dashboard with a status for every application, photo galleries, news and the term calendar.
| Feature | Essential | Complete | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showcase pages (sections, curriculum, school life) | 8 pages | 15 pages | 25 pages, multi-campus |
| Registration form | Single form | Per section, conditional fields | Per campus and section |
| Document uploads | 3 files, 5 MB max | 6 files, auto compression | Unlimited, manual review |
| Registration fee payment | No | Card + Apple Pay / Google Pay | Card + wallets + Direct Debit |
| Admissions dashboard | Email export | Statuses and email reminders | Roles per campus, analytics |
| Galleries and news | Yes | Yes + calendar | Yes + parent portal |
| Indicative 2026 budget | £12,000 | £18,000 | £25,000 |
Detailed budget and running costs
The price covers design, development, payment integration and staff training. Running costs stay moderate but should be budgeted from day one, especially document storage, which grows with every admissions round.
| Item | 2026 ballpark | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile UX design and mock-ups | £2,500 to £4,500 | Journey tested on real parents' devices |
| Showcase build and CMS | £3,500 to £7,500 | News managed by the marketing team |
| Admissions module | £3,500 to £8,000 | Conditions per section, uploads |
| Payment integration (Stripe) | £1,000 to £2,500 | About 1.5 % + 20p per UK card payment |
| Managed hosting and storage | £60 to £180/month | Daily backups, UK or EU hosting |
| Maintenance and support | £250 to £600/month | Updates, opening admissions rounds |
| Accessibility audit (WCAG 2.2 AA) | £1,500 to £3,000 | Recommended for independent schools |
Allow 6 to 8 weeks: one week of scoping with the bursar and registrar, two weeks of mock-ups and copy, two to three weeks of development and one week of testing with 10 to 15 volunteer parents. Launching two months before admissions open avoids last-minute fixes.
Pitfalls to avoid
The first pitfall is demanding heavy files: a parent on a mobile connection will give up on a 12 MB upload. Compression on the device and the ability to resume an application later cut abandonment sharply. The second is the lack of confirmation: every application must generate a reference number and a tracking email. The third concerns children's data under UK GDPR and the ICO Children's Code: role-based access, secure hosting and a defined retention period.
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Emma, bursar of a 1,200-pupil school group in south-west London, processes 380 registrations a year. Her admissions team spends about 45 minutes per application on data entry, chasing missing documents and taking payment, i.e. 285 hours. With the Complete package at £18,000, time drops to 15 minutes per application: 190 hours saved per round. At a loaded cost of £28 per hour, the direct saving is £5,320 a year, plus £150 registration fees collected instantly (£57,000 secured earlier in the cycle) and fewer withdrawals. Payback runs over three to four admissions rounds, before counting the image of a modern school for prospective parents.
FAQ
How much does a school group website with online admissions cost in London?
In 2026, budget £12,000 for an essential version and up to £25,000 for a multi-campus group with a parent portal. The admissions module accounts for 25 to 30 % of the budget.
Can parents pay the registration fee online?
Yes, by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe, at around 1.5 % plus 20p per UK card payment. The payment is automatically linked to the pupil's application.
How long does it take to go live?
Six to eight weeks for the Complete package, from the scoping meeting to parent testing. Keep two months of margin before admissions open.
Does the site work well on mobile?
It has to, since about 65 % of visits come from phones. We target load times under 2.5 seconds and pages under 1 MB.
Who manages news and galleries after launch?
Your team, through a simple CMS and a 2-hour training session included. Maintenance from £250 a month covers technical updates.
Let's scope your project. Send us your pupil numbers, sections and admissions calendar, and we will price a scope between £12,000 and £25,000 with a 6 to 8 week plan. 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.
