Ages 
Un, deux, trois…bilingual, bicultural, family feel. L’Ecole de Battersea offers a rigorous primary education leading to a choice of future pathways and delivered in a warm, family environment. Thrilled parents say: ‘We want our children to speak, write and understand French culture, but we also want them rooted in the country they live in. This is a school that does both.’
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Overview
- Student numbers
- 260
- Curricula
- British
- French
- SEN provision
- Mainstream with SEN support
- Pre school provision (up to 4)
- Yes
- Religion
- Non-denominational
- Fees
- £17,220 - £20,250
- Ownership
- Globeducate
Head of school
Principal
Laurent Balerdi
Since 2024, Laurent Balerdi. Arrived in London 23 years ago, first teaching at L’Ecole des Petits (the bilingual pre-prep school in Fulham) before helping to start up its sister school, L’Ecole des Battersea. ‘It was a life choice, an unexpected
Entrance
School follows the French system, with year groups drawn from the year of birth (January to December, not September to August as in the UK system). Children accepted from age 3, including rising 3s (those turning 3 between September and December of
Exit
Vast majority stay through to CM2/year 6. Many would happily stay longer: ‘We wish they’d open a collège’ is a common refrain.
Around three-quarters of leavers choose to stay within the French system, many heading to the Lycée Charles de Gaulle,
Latest results
There are no results to show for this school.
Teaching & learning
A bilingual, bicultural French-English education which offers the ‘best of both’, enabling children to master skills in both languages and preparing them for today’s multicultural world.
The school is organised into Maternelle/pre-prep (ages 3 to
- Curricula & qualifications
- British - National Curriculum for England
- French - French National Curriculum
- British - Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
- Bilingual programmes
- French/English
Learning support & SEN
School can support children with mild to moderate needs including dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and autism. In-class strategies, small group work and one-to-one pull-out sessions help children focus on reading comprehension, spelling, organisation and
Arts & extracurricular
The arts are taken seriously, with art history a distinctive feature. From CE2/year 4, children learn about the historical and cultural context of art, thanks to the support of a specialist English-speaking art teacher. Not that wielding a paintbrush
Sport
Even sport takes on the feel of a refined art here. From year 3, every child joins weekly fencing lessons, taught via a longstanding partnership with a fencing academy and delivered by both French and British professionals, including former British
Ethos & heritage
L’Ecole de Battersea grew out of L’Ecole des Petits, which was founded in 1977 as an ecole maternelle in South Kensington. After a move to Fulham in 1991, it became increasingly bilingual and now caters for up to 130 early years children. In 1995, it
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
A family feel pervades. Children are encouraged to practice kindness and friendship. Corridors are lined with simple, practical reminders – ‘You can be friendly and you can be kind, remember this rhyme to keep it in mind.’ The headmistress holds
Classroom & community
A remarkably international yet close-knit community. Most children speak two, three or even four languages. ‘There’s all this culture around them because of their classmates,’ says one mother. ‘It captures everything you’d want from an international
- School year
- September to July, with three terms
- School hours
- 08:30 – 16:00 – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Early years finish at 15:15. Afterschool clubs and care until 18:00. 08:30 – 12:00 for all on Wednesdays, with after school clubs until 15:00.
- Student nationalities - total
- 30
- Uniform requirements
- Yes
Money matters
Fees in line with other bilingual primaries in central London. Families value what school offers and have no complaints.
- Annual fee range
- £17,220 - £20,250
- Fee information
- PS (nursery) - £5,470/term (VAT exempt), from MS (Reception) to CM2 (Y6) - £6750/term (inc. VAT).
Fees include dance, art and sports. Optional after-school clubs are extra. Lunch is extra. 15% reduction allocated on fees for a 3rd child and 20% for 4th.
The last word
Un, deux, trois…bilingual, bicultural, family feel. L’Ecole de Battersea offers a rigorous primary education leading to a choice of future pathways and delivered in a warm, family environment. Thrilled parents say: ‘We want our children to speak,
Accreditations, inspections & memberships
- Accreditations/Inspections
- AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad)
Ofsted- Memberships
- AEFE, Globeducate, ISA
