Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle
Address
Main Campus: 35 Cromwell Road London , SW7 2DG United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°29′43″N 0°10′37″W / 51.49530°N 0.17682°W / 51.49530; -0.17682
Information
Type	Independent school Primary School Secondary School
Established	1915
Department for Education URN	100547 Tables
Head of School	Catherine Bellus-Ferreira
Gender	Mixed
Age	3 to 19
Enrollment	3,500
Grades	Baccalauréat Brevet des collèges GCSE A-Levels
Website	http://www.lyceefrancais.org.uk

82% of the Lycée's pupils are French.

The Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle is a French school in London, often called the Lycée or the French Lycée. It's a school for both boys and girls, from primary to secondary levels. It's located in South Kensington, a part of London. The school follows the French education system and is managed by a French agency.

The Lycée also has a special 'British Section' for students who speak English. These students prepare for British exams like GCSEs and A-levels. Some of the primary school classes moved to a site in Fulham in 2008, which is now called the "Marie d'Orliac" school. There are also three other primary schools in London that feed into the Lycée: the André Malraux school in Ealing and Wix School in Clapham.

School Location

The Marie d'Orliac school in Fulham.

The main Lycée school is on Cromwell Road in London. It's right across from the famous Natural History Museum. The school buildings have been updated several times, including in 2008 and 2011.

Part of the primary school moved to the former Peterborough School site in Fulham. This move helped make more space for older students at the main school building.

School History

The Maurois building, home to the British Section.

How the School Started

The school began in 1915 as the French School of London. It was created by Marie d'Orliac to help French-speaking refugees during World War I. These families wanted their children to keep getting a French education. The first school was near London's Victoria station and taught about 120 students.

In 1920, the school changed its name to the Lycée Français de Londres and moved to Cromwell Gardens. Later, in the late 1930s, it moved again to a new building next to the French Institute. This building had a special entrance in Queensberry Mews.

During World War II

During Second World War, students and teachers from the Lycée were moved to Cumberland for safety. The school buildings in London were then used by General de Gaulle and his Free French government. Sadly, some buildings near the Lycée were destroyed by bombs during the war.

After the War

After World War II, the school grew a lot. More classes were opened in a place called "The Boltons" in 1947. In 1952, the "English Section" was created for British students, which is now called the "British Section".

The French government bought the bombed-out areas across from the Natural History Museum. New school buildings were built there between 1955 and 1957. These new buildings had modern science labs and classrooms. Over time, more buildings were added as the school kept growing.

The 1960s and Beyond

In 1962, President de Gaulle visited the Lycée one last time. The whole school came out to greet him. The school started to focus more on arts, science, sports, and travel. Students went on trips to Paris and even the Soviet Union. They also put on plays and art shows.

The Lycée offered many languages, including Ancient Greek, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. Students were also very good at sports like handball, rugby, basketball, and swimming. Many students went on to study at top universities.

In 1980, the school was renamed the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle. This was to honor the late French President who had used the school buildings during the war. As the school continued to grow, it opened "feeder" primary schools in Clapham and Ealing in the 1990s. The Ealing school was named École André Malraux.

The Lycée Today

The Lycée celebrated its 100th birthday in 2015. It shows how strong the friendship and cooperation between France and Britain are. The school is near the French Institute, the Ciné Lumiére, the Alliance Française, and the French Embassy.

Today, the Lycée teaches about 3,500 students aged 3 to 19. It's a very important place for London's large French-speaking community. It's also one of the most successful French schools outside of France. About 9% of the students are English-speaking or British. They attend the school because their parents want them to have a bilingual education. The school has students from over 50 different countries!

The school charges fees, but the French government helps French students with these costs. Most teaching at the Lycée is in French, following the French curriculum. However, when students reach the troisième form (like Year Ten), they can choose. They can stay in the French system and study for the Brevet and the Baccalauréat. Or, they can join the English stream (about 64 students per year) and work towards GCSEs and A-levels. The "British Section" usually gets great exam results. This helps students get into top universities in the UK and other countries.

Winter sports uniform (left) and summer sports uniform (right).

The Lycée loves sports and competes with British schools, especially in basketball and rugby. The school also encourages artistic talent. It has a very active art department and a school orchestra.

In March 2020, the Lycée closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was similar to what happened in France, even though most British schools stayed open a bit longer.

Voting Station

The Lycée building in South Kensington is often used as a place for French citizens living abroad to vote in French elections.

Academic Results

The entire school is checked by British Ofsted inspections. These inspections look at how well the school is doing, how it is run, and how students are developing. The latest inspection in November 2022 found the school to be "inadequate."

French Baccalauréat Results

The Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle is known for its excellent results in the French Baccalauréat exam. Here are the results from 2021:

• Over 64% of students received the highest honors, "Mention Très Bien."
• About 26.5% of students received "Mention Bien."
• About 7.7% of students received "Mention Assez Bien."
• Overall, 98.7% of students received some form of honors.

British Section Results

The English Section of the Lycée has also achieved high rankings. In 2008, it was ranked 15th in the Financial Times schools league table and 16th in The Times schools league table.

Here are the A Level results from 2021:

• 100% of students passed their A-levels.
• 78.3% of students got A* or A grades (the national average was 44.3%).
• 13.2% of students got a B grade.
• 8.5% of students got a C or E grade.

Heads of the British Section

• Anthony Morgan (1958–1979)
• Alan Harrison (1979–1994)
• Rachide Bennamar (1994–2000)
• Rosalind Nichol (2000–2010)
• Kelvin Zane (2010–2016)
• Simon McNaught (2016–current)

Alumni Association

There is a group for former students called "Les Anciens du Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres." This group organizes events throughout the year. In 2012, they celebrated the 60th anniversary of the "British Section" with important guests like the British Secretary of State for Education and the French Ambassador.

Famous Former Students and Teachers