{
  "title": "The State of School Websites 2026",
  "edition": "2026-Q4",
  "period": "Q4 2026",
  "sample": false,
  "source": "corpus",
  "note": "Aggregates computed from automated scans. No individual site is identified.",
  "url": "https://clikiti.com/research/education/2026-q4",
  "scannedAt": "2026-10-13T04:30:55.797Z",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-12T18:09:38.740Z",
  "modifiedAt": "2026-10-13T04:31:12.263Z",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Free to use and cite under CC BY 4.0. Credit Clikiti with a link.",
  "citation": "Clikiti. (2026, October 12). The state of school websites 2026 (Q4 2026) [Report]. https://clikiti.com/research/education/2026-q4",
  "audience": "Web agencies and freelancers selling to private schools and tutoring centres",
  "sampleSize": 114,
  "marginOfErrorPts": 9.2,
  "medianScore": 74,
  "meanScore": 75,
  "meanQuestionsAnswered": 2.9,
  "questionCount": 6,
  "findings": [
    "Only 68% of the 114 private school and tutoring websites we scanned show what the school costs without the parent having to ask.",
    "A typical site answers three of the six questions parents ask before choosing (mean 2.9).",
    "The median overall score is 74 out of 100 (mean 75).",
    "The least-answered questions are \"Can I reach a person?\" (9%), \"Is it recognised?\" (27%) and \"When are the holidays?\" (46%).",
    "The best-answered are \"Can we afford it?\" (76%) and \"What does it cost?\" (68%).",
    "Tutoring and learning centres have the highest median score (78), against 75 for small private schools and 73 for independent schools.",
    "80% fail \"Text contrast passes 4.5:1\" (WCAG 1.4.3).",
    "57% fail \"Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone\" (Core Web Vitals · LCP).",
    "17% fail \"Images have text descriptions\" (WCAG 1.1.1)."
  ],
  "questions": [
    {
      "id": "contact",
      "question": "Can I reach a person?",
      "label": "Phone and email tappable, hours stated",
      "standard": "Parent question 10",
      "passPct": 9
    },
    {
      "id": "accr",
      "question": "Is it recognised?",
      "label": "Accreditation shown",
      "standard": "Parent question 5",
      "passPct": 27
    },
    {
      "id": "cal",
      "question": "When are the holidays?",
      "label": "Term dates published as a page",
      "standard": "Parent question 8",
      "passPct": 46
    },
    {
      "id": "tour",
      "question": "Can we visit?",
      "label": "A tour or open day can be booked online",
      "standard": "Parent question 3",
      "passPct": 59
    },
    {
      "id": "cost",
      "question": "What does it cost?",
      "label": "Tuition or fees shown without asking",
      "standard": "Parent question 1",
      "passPct": 68
    },
    {
      "id": "aid",
      "question": "Can we afford it?",
      "label": "Financial aid or payment plans explained",
      "standard": "Parent question 6",
      "passPct": 76
    }
  ],
  "technical": [
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 80
    },
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 57
    },
    {
      "id": "alt",
      "label": "Images have text descriptions",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.1.1",
      "failPct": 17
    }
  ],
  "segments": [
    {
      "id": "ind",
      "name": "Independent schools",
      "sites": 58,
      "median": 73,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "small",
      "name": "Small private schools",
      "sites": 31,
      "median": 75,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "tut",
      "name": "Tutoring and learning centres",
      "sites": 25,
      "median": 78,
      "weakPct": 4
    }
  ],
  "agencyProblems": [
    {
      "id": "contact",
      "label": "Phone and email tappable, hours stated",
      "standard": "Parent question 10",
      "failPct": 91,
      "question": "Can I reach a person?",
      "fix": "Tappable phone and email in the header, with office hours.",
      "pitch": "On a phone, reaching a person takes more than one tap.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 80,
      "fix": "Raise text contrast to at least 4.5:1 in the theme.",
      "pitch": "Parts of the site are hard to read, and it is a WCAG failure.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "accr",
      "label": "Accreditation shown",
      "standard": "Parent question 5",
      "failPct": 73,
      "question": "Is it recognised?",
      "fix": "Show accreditation clearly, with the accrediting body named and linked.",
      "pitch": "Your best proof of quality is invisible on the site.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 57,
      "fix": "Resize and compress the hero image, defer scripts, aim for under 2.5 s on a phone.",
      "pitch": "Your home page takes several seconds to appear on a parent's phone.",
      "effort": "Build"
    },
    {
      "id": "cal",
      "label": "Term dates published as a page",
      "standard": "Parent question 8",
      "failPct": 54,
      "question": "When are the holidays?",
      "fix": "Term dates as a web page, not a scanned PDF.",
      "pitch": "Current families hunt for term dates every holiday.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    }
  ]
}