Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle, London
Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle is an independent school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in London. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle in detail
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle are Queen's Gate School (under 0.1 miles); Glendower Preparatory School (0.1 miles, selective); Mander Portman Woodward School (0.2 miles); and St Philip's School (0.3 miles, Good, selective).
Queen's Gate SchoolGlendower Preparatory SchoolMander Portman Woodward SchoolSt Philip's School
What parents say
445 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 63% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (63%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 50 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 68% went on to university or other higher education and 4% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 370 pupils (10.8%) received SEN support and 7 (0.2%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is South Kensington Station, about 210 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
21 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Natural History Museum /Cromwell Road, 40 metres away.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's October 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school is very ambitious for all pupils and provides excellent academic support to help them achieve highly. Pupils develop deep knowledge across subjects and become confident readers quickly in both French and English. The school fosters a strong sense of community across its four sites and provides rich extra-curricular opportunities including international competitions, ensuring all pupils have equal access.
Key Strengths
- Highly ambitious curriculum that combines the French national curriculum with English content, with pupils achieving strong outcomes in national and international tests
- Outstanding early years provision with excellent start to school and careful tracking of phonics and reading in both French and English
- Wide range of extra-curricular activities including clubs, international competitions and whole-school performances with equal access for all pupils
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs working with parents, therapists and medical professionals
- Calm, purposeful classrooms where pupils are attentive and learning takes place uninterrupted
Areas for Improvement
- PSHE programme not fully implemented across all year groups including the sixth form
- Pupils in Years 7-9 receive limited careers information, creating gaps in knowledge about different career options
- Some areas of personal development provision are not securely embedded in practice
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating a secure safeguarding culture and giving high priority to pupil safety.
Extracurricular Activities
Origami, singing, street dance, international sporting competitions, whole-school performances, pupil-led clubs
Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle is a good independent school for ages 2-19 with outstanding quality of education and early years provision. The school has made effective improvements since its previous inadequate rating and now meets all independent school standards.
About
The Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, usually referred to as the Lycée or the French Lycée, is a French co-educational primary and secondary independent day school, situated in South Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. It is managed by the Agency for French Teaching Abroad, AEFE, with its curriculum accredited by the French National Ministry of...
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
445 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby all-through schools
Keep up with Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle.
- Imperial College London460m away · Not yet graded
- Super Camps - Knightsbridge620m away · Not yet graded
- Activate Camps @ Marlborough Primary School810m away · Not yet graded
- NWG Academy810m away · Not yet graded
- Aktiva Camps @ Bousfield Primary870m away · Not yet graded
- Richer Education Chelsea990m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 196
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 45
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 196 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 45 serious and 151 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 11 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
33 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Kensington and Chelsea is 204.5 (the median across 74 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
90%
Near capacity
3,420 pupils
3,805 places
385 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Kensington and Chelsea council
Places available
1,110
Applications
602
Got 1st preference
66.8%
Got preferred school
92.7%
All secondary applications across Kensington and Chelsea council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
370
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
11.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
3,420
Total Pupils
1,707
Boys
1,713
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle
What are GCSE results like at Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle's Ofsted rating?
Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024.
Does Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in October 2024, Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle?
Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle has around 3420 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle?
Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
Does Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 6 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle: Imperial College London (460m away, registered, not yet graded), Super Camps - Knightsbridge (620m away, registered, not yet graded) and Activate Camps @ Marlborough Primary School (810m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 196 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 45 serious and 151 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 11 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 33 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Kensington and Chelsea is 204.5 (the median across 74 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle?
Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle is at 35 Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2DG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)