Lycee International de Londres

Inside a Grade II-listed Art Deco former town hall in Wembley Park, a genuinely bilingual French-English school runs from nursery to the end of sixth form. Lycée International de Londres Winston Churchill opened in 2015, established by the French Education Charitable Trust and accredited by both the French Ministry of Education and the International Baccalaureate. Roughly 797 pupils and students fill its 5-acre campus, taught across a French Track leading to the French Baccalauréat and an International Track leading to IGCSEs and the IB Diploma. Mireille Rabaté leads as Founding Head of School. The sixth form is the academic headline: its A-level results place it in the top 12.1% in England and second in Brent. For internationally minded families in north-west London, this is a distinctive proposition rather than a conventional English independent.

Two curricula, two languages, one school. That duality defines almost everything here. Pupils in the French Track follow the programme of the French Ministry of Education, the same one taught in Paris or Lyon, while the International Track builds towards IGCSEs and the IB Diploma in English. The school belongs to the AEFE network of French schools abroad, which gives it a formal link to the French state system and to sister lycées worldwide.

The community is emphatically international. Families come for immersion, for continuity with a French education, or for a bilingual upbringing that keeps two languages live rather than treating one as a foreign-language lesson. The stated mission is to educate students to become responsible, creative and principled global citizens, and the six values the school names, Excellence, Creative Thinking, Integrity, Community, Respect and Global Citizenship, are woven through daily life rather than displayed and forgotten. Culture Day, a student Diversity Committee and regular language-immersion trips are not decorative extras; they follow naturally from a roll drawn from many nations.

The setting adds real character. The main school occupies the former Brent Town Hall, a late Art Deco building completed in 1937 and acquired from Brent Council in 2012. The old Council Chamber survives as a working assembly space fitted with audio-visual equipment, and the Legacy Building carries solar panels on its roof, in keeping with the school's Eco-Schools accreditation. A purpose-built Annex houses the science, arts and technology rooms alongside the canteen, and a bright, modern Web-Library gives students a shared study hub. Recognition as an Apple Distinguished School signals how far technology runs through teaching. This is a young institution, barely a decade old, but one that has already built a clear identity.

Because Lycée International de Londres teaches French and international curricula rather than the standard English national curriculum, its earlier phases do not appear in England's league tables. The primary phase follows a bilingual framework blending the French programme with English literacy, and there is no published England ranking for it, which is normal for an independent school of this type. At 16, students sit IGCSEs and the French Brevet rather than English GCSEs, so the school does not appear in England's GCSE league tables at all. Around 121 students reach the end of that stage each year, and parents comparing schools at 16 will need to weigh IGCSE and Brevet outcomes rather than a familiar GCSE figure.

The sixth form is where measurable standing appears, and it is strong. For A-level results, the school sits 311th of 2,562 schools and colleges in England, placing it in the top 12.1% (ranked against all schools in England with published A-level results, state and independent). That is above the England average. Just under half of entries, 48.7%, were graded A* or A, against an England average of 23.6%, and 80.8% reached at least a B, comfortably ahead of the England figure of 47.2%. A blended measure that combines those results with the school's inspection profile ranks it 333rd of 2,561 in England, and within Brent it is the second-highest performer for sixth-form results. These are proprietary FindMySchool rankings built from official data.

The IB Diploma, introduced to the school in 2019, tells a parallel success story. Recent cohorts have posted a 95% pass rate with an average score of 34.2 points, comfortably above the worldwide diploma average, and every recent Diploma graduate received at least one university offer. For a school running two demanding exam systems side by side, the French Baccalauréat on one track and the IB and A-levels on the other, the sixth-form outcomes hold up well against single-track competitors. The breadth is the point: students leave with qualifications recognised across Europe and North America, not just the UK.

Bilingual delivery is the organising principle, not an add-on. In the primary phase, English literacy is built through structured schemes including Read Write Inc. Phonics and the Oxford Reading Tree, while French is developed to native-speaker standard, with pupils able to sit the DELF Prim French certificate and the Trinity GESE English qualification as their pathways require. Class sizes are kept modest, and the French Ministry curriculum brings a recognisably rigorous, sequential approach to mathematics and languages.

Distinctive to the middle years is the Opening Minds Programme, a set of mandatory interdisciplinary classes for Years 7 to 10 that range across topics as varied as Chinese Calligraphy, Molecular Science and Astronomy. It is designed to stretch students beyond the two core curricula and to keep intellectual curiosity central. Technology is deeply embedded, reflected in the Apple Distinguished School status, and older students can take the Extended Project Qualification, a university-style piece of independent research culminating in a 5,000-word essay and presentation. For those preparing for high-stakes exams, Intensive Study Weeks provide four-day revision sessions during holiday breaks.

A routine ISI inspection took place in April 2026, though its full report is not yet publicly available. The last published inspection, a June 2023 regulatory compliance visit, confirmed that teaching enables good progress across the primary school and through IGCSE, French and IB results, with all the Independent School Standards met. The curriculum is documented with detailed plans and schemes of work, and behaviour management is effective and well supported. Teaching here rewards students who are willing to work across languages and traditions, and it demands a degree of resilience from children moving between two academic cultures.

Progression through the school is designed to be seamless. Children can enter at nursery from age three and move up through Reception, the primary years, the collège and the lycée without changing institution, with entry assessments applied at the main intake points rather than automatic promotion at every stage. Continuity of language and curriculum is a large part of the appeal for families settling in London for several years, and the FECT Bridge Scholarship exists specifically to support pupils moving up from a partner French primary into the secondary school.

At 18, destinations are genuinely international. Every recent IB Diploma graduate secured at least one university offer, and published destination lists name Oxford, UCL, Warwick and Edinburgh in the UK, alongside McGill, Cornell and UCLA overseas, reflecting the school's dual British and North American reach. One recent applicant won a place at Cambridge. Named alumni have gone on to Cambridge, King's College London, the Royal Veterinary College and the London College of Fashion, a spread that captures the breadth of routes students take from a bilingual, IB-and-Baccalauréat sixth form. Because the French Baccalauréat and IB are recognised across the Continent, a meaningful share of leavers also look towards European universities rather than the UK alone. Families weighing where a bilingual education can lead will find the outcomes reassuringly wide.

Entry is arranged directly with the school rather than through a local authority, so there is no catchment area or published distance cut-off, and no coordinated admissions round to navigate. The main entry points are nursery at age three, Reception, Year 1, and secondary entry at Year 7 and Year 10, with places at other year groups subject to availability. Applications run through the school's Eduka portal, and prospective families can book private tours or attend open events advertised on the school website.

Because the school teaches two curricula, admission usually involves an assessment of a child's language profile and academic readiness, so that each applicant is placed on the French Track or the International Track appropriately. Younger applicants are assessed for the bilingual environment case by case. There is no faith or sibling-based priority system of the kind state schools operate; the question for most families is fit with the bilingual model rather than proximity. Sixth-form entry follows the same direct route, with placement on the IB Diploma or the French Baccalauréat pathway depending on a student's prior curriculum and language strength.

For families comparing options across Brent and beyond, the FindMySchool map and saved-schools shortlist can help you weigh this school against nearby independents and state alternatives side by side. Since entry does not depend on distance, the practical considerations are the daily commute and which curriculum track suits your child.

Pastoral provision is visibly staffed rather than assumed. A Head of Wellbeing Services, Hannah Abrahams, oversees student welfare, supported by a Learning Support Specialist, Coralie Allen, who brings more than two decades of experience, and a school nurse, Valérie Lesage, who delivers workshops on nutrition, healthy relationships and managing stress. Safeguarding is led by Bradley Eaton alongside the Head of School.

The June 2023 ISI inspection judged safeguarding effective, with arrangements in place to promote welfare, prevent bullying as far as is reasonably practicable, and meet health and safety and fire-safety requirements. Student voice plays a real part in wellbeing too: a student-led Health Committee delivers age-appropriate sessions on topics from basic hygiene to stress management across year groups, and a Diversity Committee runs Culture Day and Black History Month initiatives. A Peer Tutoring scheme lets older students support younger ones academically. For a school drawing families from many countries, that emphasis on belonging and mutual respect matters, and it helps children who join partway through their schooling settle quickly.

Co-curricular life is unusually rich for a school of this size, and much of it carries a distinctly international flavour. The after-school Activity and Sports Programme alone lists more than 30 named activities.

Music and the arts run deep. Students can join the LIL Band, the Choir, or a student-led Music Club exploring singing, songwriting and production, and the calendar builds towards a Music Day, a Talent Show and the annual tHrIVE Arts Festival celebrating student creativity. A partnership with the Brent Music Service choir widens access to ensemble singing, musical theatre workshops run with Arts International, and the Manufacto Project, a craftsmanship collaboration with Hermès and Goldfinger Design, brings professional makers into the creative programme. The results are recognised beyond the school gates: students took first prize in the 3D category of the ISA National Art Competition in 2025.

Sport uses both on-site and neighbouring facilities. The Paul Daisley Hall provides an indoor gym, an outdoor Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) handles ball sports, and the annual Sports Day takes over the 103-hectare Fryent Park a short walk away. Rugby runs under the Serge Betsen Rugby banner, football feeds into the AEFE Football Tournament for younger French-Track year groups, and a student-led Basketball Club rounds out team provision. The competitive edge is real: students were crowned world champions in the Rocket League category of an international e-sport tournament in 2025.

Global citizenship and leadership form a third pillar, and this is where the school's identity shows most clearly. LILMUN, the school's three-day Model United Nations conference, sharpens debate and diplomacy; an Elocution Club builds public-speaking confidence in the upper years; and student-run media, including the LIL Media Club publication and the LIL Webradio podcast, give young people a platform. The Service Learning Programme takes Year 12 students on international trips to countries such as Laos and Nepal, and Language Trips offer immersion in China, Germany, Guatemala and Spain. More than 100 students work towards the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, and the IB's Creativity, Activity, Service strand keeps community engagement central to the sixth form.

STEM and academic clubs are equally specific. An Engineering Club teaches Python programming, a Writing Club established in 2022 welcomes bilingual writers into competitions, and students have won medals in the British Biology Olympiad and bronze in the Euroclassica classics contests. For younger children, the LIL Break Camps cover holiday care for ages 3 to 11 with sport, creative play and themed weeks. The school's trophy cabinet is well stocked too, including the ISA Senior School of the Year Award in 2022 and a Franco-British Coup de Coeur Award in 2021.

Fees are published per year for 2026-27 and include both VAT and lunch, which makes comparison with schools that quote termly, lunch-excluded figures a little easier. Primary tuition sits at around £19,448 a year, Reception at £24,062, and the International Track for Years 7 to 13 at £30,713. French Track fees for the collège and lycée run lower, at roughly £19,448 to £20,841, so the annual cost depends materially on which track a child follows. A registration fee of £1,800 applies for a first child, reducing for subsequent siblings, alongside a smaller application fee and a refundable deposit. Nursery and pre-reception fees are set separately; families should confirm current figures with the school.

Financial support exists but is modest in scale rather than transformational. The Churchill Academic Excellence Scholarship is a merit award worth £3,000 a year for up to three years, subject to annual review, and the means-tested Lycée Churchill Bursary Programme offers £3,000 per student for up to two years. A separate FECT Bridge Scholarship supports pupils moving up from a partner French primary into secondary. A 5% tuition discount applies from the third child onwards. Prospective families should treat these awards as helpful contributions rather than substantial fee remission, and plan on close to the full cost. Awards are reviewed annually and are not automatically renewed, so continuity of support depends on a family reapplying and meeting the criteria each year.

The campus sits in Wembley Park, one of the better-connected corners of north-west London. Wembley Park Station, on the Metropolitan and Jubilee Lines, is a five-minute walk, putting Baker Street roughly 12 minutes away and Bond Street around 19; direct buses connect Wembley Central and Wembley Stadium in a few minutes, and mainline services from Marylebone and beyond feed into the area. The APLIL parents' association runs a welcoming programme for new families, including support for children travelling together.

Wraparound and holiday care are well covered. The Activity and Sports Programme provides after-school activities, and the LIL Break Camps offer holiday provision for younger children through the year. Early Years benefits from an on-campus Forest School programme using the school's outdoor space. For nursery fee details and the government-funded hours available to eligible families, see the school website and our guide to nursery funding. School hours and the current status of a proposed shuttle-bus service are best confirmed directly with the admissions team.

This is a bilingual French school first. The French Ministry curriculum, the French Baccalauréat pathway and the AEFE network shape the school's core identity. It suits francophone families and those committed to full bilingual immersion far better than families wanting a conventional English education with a little French added.

No England GCSE benchmark. Because 16-year-olds sit IGCSEs and the French Brevet rather than English GCSEs, there is no England GCSE ranking or league-table position to compare against other schools. Parents who rely on league-table positions at 16 will have less to go on until the sixth-form results appear.

Financial aid is limited. Scholarships and bursaries are capped at around £3,000 a year and run for only two or three years. Unlike some long-established independents, this is not a school offering large means-tested awards, so families should budget for close to full fees, which reach roughly £30,700 for the International Track.

Check the latest inspection report. A routine ISI inspection took place in April 2026, but its full report is not yet publicly available. The last published inspection on file is the June 2023 ISI regulatory compliance visit, at which all standards were met. Ask the school for the current report when weighing your decision.

Lycée International de Londres Winston Churchill is a young, confident and genuinely bilingual school that does something few London independents attempt: run the full French national curriculum and an international IGCSE-and-IB pathway under one Art Deco roof. The sixth form delivers, ranking in the top 12.1% in England for A-level results and second in Brent, with a strong IB record and international university destinations to match. Co-curricular life is rich and distinctive, pastoral staffing is substantial, and the Wembley Park setting is well connected.

It is best suited to francophone or bilingual families, and to internationally mobile parents who value continuity with the French system or a global sixth-form pathway, rather than to those seeking a traditional English independent measured by GCSE league tables. The main caveats are the limited financial aid and the specialised curriculum, which is a strength for the right family and a poor fit for the wrong one. For families whose priority is a bilingual, globally oriented education in London, it is a compelling and well-run choice.