Key Facts
| School type | Independent day school, co-educational, French bilingual curriculum, Nursery (Petite Section) to Year 10 (3ème) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kentish Town, London (Camden) |
| Entry points | 7+, 11+, 13+, 14+ |
| Assessment | School reports and French language assessment where required; scholarship candidates sit separate tests or portfolios |
| Test provider | The school's own French language assessment, set where a file requires it; no external test provider is named on the pages read |
| Scholarships and bursaries | FECT scholarships at 6ème and 3ème; means-tested bursaries via the French Consulate and a charity |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
How do you get into Collège Français Bilingue de Londres? Families apply through the school's online Eduka form, pay a non-refundable application fee, and wait for an admissions committee to allocate places by priority category, with entry possible from Nursery (Petite Section) up to 3ème (Year 10). The school describes itself as not academically selective in the general sense, so the main assessment is a French language assessment, normally required from CE1 (Year 3) upwards for children who have not attended a French or EFE network school.
Entry points from age 7 upwards are CE1 (Year 3) and every later year group, with 6ème (Year 7) the main secondary entry and the only point at which the FECT scholarships are offered. The school ends at 3ème, so there is no sixth form and no 16+ entry.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 (CE1) | French language assessment normally required for applicants not previously at a French or EFE network school, plus review of school reports | Parent and, where appropriate, child meeting if requested | Two classes per year group from Grande Section to CM1 |
| 11+ | Year 7 (6ème) | School reports and French language assessment where required; scholarship candidates sit separate tests or portfolios | Meeting if requested; informal interviews for shortlisted sport and arts scholarship candidates | Three classes in the year group, 20 to 27 pupils each |
| 13+ | Year 9 (4ème) | School reports and French language assessment where required | Meeting if requested | Three classes in the year group, 20 to 27 pupils each |
| 14+ | Year 10 (3ème) | School reports and French language assessment where required; Bridge scholarship candidates sit a joint exam with Lycée Churchill | Meeting if requested | Three classes in the year group, 20 to 27 pupils each |
Entry points and places
The school admits children from Petite Section of nursery up to 3ème (Year 10), and its policy allows entry into any year group where a place exists, so no single age is the gateway. From age 7 upwards, a child can apply for CE1 (Year 3) and each later year, with 6ème the usual point for joining the secondary school.
Capacity is described by class numbers on the FAQ page: one class in Petite Section, two in Moyenne Section, two per year from Grande Section to CM1, three in CM2 and three in each of 6ème to 3ème. Primary classes hold up to 30 pupils and secondary classes 20 to 27. Year groups follow the French calendar-year rule, so children born between September and December who come from the British system may sit in a different cohort from the one they expect.
How the French language assessment works
The school's own French language assessment is the main test, and it is normally required of applicants from CE1 upwards who were not previously at a French school or another school in the EFE network. It may also be requested for other applicants where the written file leaves a question open, for example about the balance between spoken and written French.
The pages read do not publish its length, question types or marking, and no external test provider is named. The school may delay its decision until the assessment has taken place or make a conditional offer. If the result is not satisfactory, the school reviews the record and may admit the child with support, suggest a different year group, or decide it cannot offer a place.
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Enquire about this tutorRegistration and the admissions timeline
Registration runs in a fixed order, and applications are accepted only for the current or following school year, with no deferral to a later one. Online registration opens in early October, and the school advises applying as early as possible because the first committee has the most places.
A second round follows where places remain, and consideration then becomes rolling. The published calendar gives the second committee to primary year groups and the third to secondary year groups. A child not offered a place stays in consideration at later committees in the same school year, but the application does not carry over to the following year.
- Complete the online form on the school's Eduka site and pay the non-refundable application fee.
- The admissions committee reviews completed applications and allocates places subject to year-group availability.
- The outcome arrives by email within 4 working days.
- If a place is offered, sign the acceptance form, complete the registration form and upload documents such as passports, birth certificate or French family book, and proof of address.
- Pay the registration fee and the advance on first-term fees, both non-refundable, by the deadline in the offer letter, or the place may go to another family.
Interviews, references and priority categories
Interviews are not required for every applicant; the school may invite parents and, where appropriate, the child to a meeting to discuss the bilingual model, clarify educational history or plan the transition. It may also ask for further school reports, writing samples, exercise books or professional reports, and children moving from another EFE school must supply an exit certificate (certificat de radiation).
Where a year group is oversubscribed, places are allocated in this order of priority, and the committee then weighs factors such as access to the curriculum, language profile and balanced cohorts within a category. Families applying for more than one child at once are preferred when applicants are otherwise similarly suitable.
- Children of staff members
- Children with a sibling registered and enrolled at the proposed entry date
- Children of employees of companies or organisations named by the KT Educational Charitable Trust
- Pupils from a French Ministry-accredited school in London
- Pupils from an AEFE or Mission Laïque Française school in the UK
- Pupils from an AEFE or Mission Laïque Française school outside the UK
- Pupils from a Ministry-accredited school in France or following CNED distance teaching
- All other pupils
Scholarships and bursaries
The school offers FECT scholarships for entry into 6ème (Year 7), funded through the KT Educational Charitable Trust, in four forms: Academic, Sports, Music or Arts, and Merit. Academic scholarship candidates sit an anonymised entrance test in mathematics and French or English. Sports candidates submit a portfolio, a reference from a coach outside the family, a handwritten motivation letter and two years of reports, and top candidates are invited to an informal interview.
Music or Arts candidates submit a portfolio and a teacher reference, then complete a practical assessment. The arts portfolio holds five images and a 200-word essay, with a still-life sketch and informal interview on the day; the music portfolio holds a recording of three to ten minutes and a 200-word essay, followed by a musicality assessment. Merit awards require at least four years in the school's primary, from CE1.
A Bridge FECT scholarship supports Year 9 (4ème) pupils with high academic potential from 3ème through to the end of schooling at Lycée Churchill, awarded after a joint exam held in the autumn. FECT awards go to families paying full fees, one child per family at a time.
Means-tested bursaries come from the Consulate General of France for French nationals registered abroad and living in the UK with their family, and from the French Scholarship Foundation, which assesses families of any nationality case by case. The share of fees covered is not published.
Fees and what they include
Fees are set per level, with separate figures for Petite Section, Moyenne and Grande Section, primary and secondary, and are paid in four instalments by Eduka or bank transfer; the figures sit in the dedicated fields on this page. They include school lunches, four a week in early years and primary and five a week in secondary.
Extras cover school supplies, PE kit for most pupils, secondary textbooks, afterschool care and clubs, and the national diploma (DNB) fee for 3ème pupils. New pupils pay a one-off registration fee on top of the application fee, set at different levels for Petite Section, Moyenne Section to 4ème, and 3ème. An advance is paid at the same time and deducted from first-term fees.
Where pupils join from and move on to
The school runs its own bilingual primary from Petite Section to CM2, taught in French and English, and pupils move up to 6ème through the conseil de cycle in primary and the conseil de classe in secondary. Confirming a place for the following year does not guarantee promotion; the council decides in consultation with parents.
Applicants arrive from French Ministry-accredited schools in London, AEFE and Mission Laïque Française schools in the UK and abroad, schools in France and CNED distance learning, all of which carry higher priority than other applicants. No named feeder schools are listed. Pupils in 3ème have a guaranteed place in 2nde at Lycée International de Londres Winston Churchill and may also apply to Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle or École Jeannine Manuel.
How to prepare
Preparation centres on the French language assessment and on a complete file, since the school has published no sample papers. Where the child has not been in a French or EFE school, regular reading, speaking and writing in French before CE1 or later entry gives the assessor a clearer picture of both spoken and written levels. Keeping recent school reports and exercise books to hand helps if the school asks for them.
Applying in the first round, checking the child's cohort against the calendar-year birth table, and having the documents listed above ready for the offer deadline keep the process calm. Scholarship candidates for 6ème can build the portfolio items named in the policy well ahead: the five-image arts folder, the recorded music performance, the handwritten motivation letter, and practice with mathematics and French or English for the Academic scholarship test.
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Frequently asked questions
- How much are the fees at Collège Français Bilingue de Londres?
- Annual fees are set per level, with separate figures for Petite Section, Moyenne and Grande Section, primary and secondary, and are paid in four instalments. They include school lunches. New pupils also pay an application fee, a registration fee and an advance deducted from first-term fees. The figures are in the fees field and on the school's fees page.
- Is there an entrance exam for Collège Français Bilingue de Londres?
- There is no general entrance exam. The school's admissions policy describes it as not academically selective in the general sense, but applicants must have enough French for their year group. A French language assessment is normally required from CE1 upwards for children not previously in a French or EFE network school.
- Does the school offer scholarships?
- Yes. FECT scholarships are available for entry into 6ème (Year 7) in Academic, Sports, Music or Arts, and Merit forms, and a Bridge FECT scholarship supports able pupils moving into 3ème. Means-tested bursaries come through the Consulate General of France and the French Scholarship Foundation. The share of fees covered is not published.
- When do you register for Collège Français Bilingue de Londres?
- Online registration opens in early October for the following school year, and the school advises applying early because the first admissions committee has the most places. Applications cannot be deferred, and an unsuccessful application is not carried over to the next school year, so families reapply.
- Does the school have a sixth form?
- No. Provision ends at 3ème (Year 10). Pupils in 3ème have a guaranteed place in 2nde at Lycée International de Londres Winston Churchill, and may also apply to Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle or École Jeannine Manuel under each school's requirements.
- Is there a catchment area?
- The pages read set no catchment area. The admissions policy does say the committee may consider whether a family's present or planned location makes regular attendance and punctuality realistically sustainable, alongside priority categories such as siblings and children from accredited French schools.
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