Trott Street, Battersea, London, SW11 3DS
Fees: £5625 per term
Age: 3-11
L’Ecole de Battersea (lecoledebattersea.co.uk)
Of all the French schools in London, L’Ecole de Battersea feels the most like a really good English primary or prep school and is very convincing in its mission to take the best of both the French and English systems. It was opened in 2005 and was accredited with ‘Ecole Homologuee’ status from the French Ministry of Education two years later. There are approx. 265 pupils taught in an attractive building in Battersea with a nice playground. In the Pre Prep (3-6 years), children are taught in English and French by two different teachers. The two systems have very different approaches to learning to read and write and the school has adapted the French curriculum’s oral approach in Reception and Year 1 to take into account that the English start phonics much earlier. From Year 2 onwards pupils have between 7-10 hours of English teaching a week and the school also provide an English Preparatory Course to pupils who want to switch to the English system at the end of Year 6. This programme consolidates students understanding of maths in the English curriculum (the French curriculum teaches topics such as fractions much later) and teaches them the skills they need for the English part of the 11+. It is an impressive offering from a French school, as the majority of others assume that any child joining them will be staying in the French system until 18 and provide no formal assistance for the 11+. In addition to this, L’Ecole du Battersea is exceptional amongst it’s peers in the amount of art, dance, music and sport that it offers its students. Walls are also covered in photos of exciting day trips taken around London and the written work that they inspired.
Joining involves sending in an application and being added to the waiting list which operates on a priority system of siblings, pupils from L’Ecole des Petits (a sister school in Fulham which runs from 3-6), siblings of former pupils, children of former pupils. Following this all new children are listed by registration dates. In terms of leavers’ destinations, those following the French system will have priority to enter AEFE secondary schools anywhere in the world but most pupils go to Lycee Charles de Gaulle in South Kensininton, Lycee Winston Churchill in Wembley or the College Francais Bilingue de Londres. Those taking the 11+ go onto an impressive array of names such as St Paul’s, King’s Wimbledon, City of London, Godolphin & Latymer and Latymer Upper.
In 2024, fees were £5625 per term excluding VAT which is more expensive than the subsidised French schools nearby such as Marie d’Orliac and Ecole de Wix.
