In Kentish Town (North London), CFBL is an all‑through independent school for about 700 pupils aged 3–16, built around genuinely bilingual French-and-English teaching. Founded in 2011, CFBL occupies a beautifully refurbished Victorian building dating from 1874, designed by Edward Robert Robson. The school follows the French Ministry of Education curriculum while delivering 50% of primary teaching in English and 35-40% of secondary teaching in English, creating a unique dual-culture educational experience. With 60+ nationalities, an Outstanding Ofsted outcome (Sept 2025) and a clear onward pathway into the Winston Churchill campus of Lycée International de Londres after Year 10, CFBL suits international/bilingual families seeking rigour in a warm, medium‑sized setting. Fees for 2025-26 range from £15,440 to £18,306 per year, including lunches.
CFBL was established in 2011 to provide students with the best of French and British educational cultures while preparing them for life in the modern world. The school operates as an independent English charity under a board structure combining elected parent trustees and external members, and holds partnership status within the AEFE network of French schools abroad. This dual governance reflects the school's bicultural mission: it maintains homologation from the French Ministry of Education while operating under English independent school regulations.
Tolerance and openness sit at the heart of CFBL's philosophy, evidenced by a community spanning more than 60 nationalities. The school emphasises personal development alongside academic achievement, encouraging students to interact, be creative, and take initiative. At a maximum capacity of 700 pupils, CFBL deliberately maintains a small-to-medium scale to foster what the school describes as a warm and friendly atmosphere. The Victorian building, fully refurbished in 2010, provides a distinctive setting near Hampstead Heath, Primrose Hill, and Regent's Park, blending heritage architecture with modern educational facilities.
The headteacher, David Gassian, leads a teaching staff characterised by native speakers from both French and English-speaking backgrounds. In primary, each class is taught half the time by a French native teacher and half by an English native teacher. Secondary pupils choose between a multilingual stream and an intensified English stream, with several subjects taught exclusively in English across both pathways. This bilingual model aims to produce genuinely bicultural learners rather than simply adding language lessons to a monolingual curriculum.
Its culture is described as less like a traditional French school and more community-led, placing real emphasis on art, music and co-curricular life. Class orchestras featuring instruments from xylophone to guitar, the annual Hackney concert, and Radio Récré (a student-run bilingual radio station accessible via SoundCloud) exemplify this vibrant co-curricular ethos. Nearly 50 extracurricular activities span academic, artistic, athletic, and cultural disciplines, including STEM clubs focused on robotics, coding, and science experiments.
CFBL follows the French national curriculum, leading pupils from Petite Section (age 3) through to 3ème (Year 10 equivalent). Pupils typically sit the Diplôme National du Brevet at the end of 3ème, with the school reporting a 100% success rate with distinction in recent years. However, state-comparable performance data for primary Key Stage 2 or GCSE is not available, as the school operates outside the English national assessment framework.
The French curriculum is known for its academic rigour, particularly in mathematics, sciences, and essay-based humanities. CFBL's bilingual delivery means pupils develop literacy and analytical skills in both French and English from an early age. Primary pupils receive equal instruction time in each language, building dual-language fluency during foundational years. By secondary, the proportion shifts slightly toward French, reflecting the requirements of French national examinations, but substantial English-medium teaching continues across subjects including sciences, history-geography, and arts.
Class sizes are defined by policy: 24 pupils per class in Petite and Moyenne Sections, 27 in Grande Section, and a maximum of 30 in primary. Secondary class sizes follow similar limits, allowing for small-group teaching and dedicated teacher attention. The school emphasises that these smaller classes enable personalised support and help pupils reach their full potential.
The school holds accreditation from the French Ministry of Education and partnership status within the AEFE network, ensuring curriculum standards and teaching quality align with French national expectations. The most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2025 awarded CFBL Outstanding across all categories, a significant endorsement of educational quality, safeguarding, leadership, and early years provision.
This progression partnership offers continuity for families committed to the French system through to age 18. Alternatively, some families transition pupils into English independent or state sixth forms, though the school does not operate its own post-16 provision.
From CP (Year 1 equivalent) onwards, pupils must be able to speak French to keep up with bilingual teaching. The school welcomes all nationalities but requires functional French proficiency for entry beyond early years, reflecting the linguistic demands of a curriculum taught substantially in French.
CFBL's Victorian building provides a distinctive learning environment, with fully refurbished spaces including equipped science laboratories, a modern library, and dedicated areas for arts and sports. While the listed building imposes some spatial constraints, primary and secondary courtyards offer outdoor space for breaks and lunchtimes, and a multipurpose indoor hall supports PE lessons.
The school does not have dedicated on-site sports facilities, but uses a multisport dome located a 10-minute walk away. Here, pupils access a wide range of activities including handball, netball, basketball, gymnastics, athletics, cricket, and badminton. The PE department offers bilingual teaching (half the staff are native English speakers) and organises sports projects throughout the year, including an annual Sports Day for both primary and secondary sections. Pupils also participate in swimming, kayaking, yoga, fitness, and hockey as part of the varied programme.
Arts provision is notably strong. Class orchestras, performances at events such as the Hackney concert, and exhibitions showcasing student work in music, dance, and fine arts feature prominently in school life. Pupils have won accolades in various competitions, and the arts are celebrated at a community level that differentiates CFBL from more traditionally academic French schools.
Radio Récré, the students' bilingual radio station, serves as both a creative outlet and a pedagogical tool. Pupils develop journalism skills, practice public speaking, and build self-esteem through producing and presenting content in French and English. This kind of initiative reflects CFBL's commitment to personal development and initiative-taking beyond formal curriculum requirements.
Afterschool clubs and wraparound care are available, supporting working parents. School lunches are included in fees (four per week for early years and primary; five per week for secondary), with menus reflecting the school's bicultural character. The school provides a digital infrastructure including Pronote for grades and communication, and Eduka as the academic platform and payment portal.
The location in Kentish Town, within the London Borough of Camden, offers proximity to green spaces including Hampstead Heath, Primrose Hill, and Regent's Park. The area has long hosted a significant French community, easing settlement for newly arrived French-speaking families. Transport links are strong, with Kentish Town station and nearby King's Cross St Pancras International providing access across London and to continental Europe.
CFBL operates a non-selective admissions process, but competition for places is significant due to the school's limited capacity and popularity among bilingual families. Registration for the 2026-27 school year opens on 10 October 2025 at 10:00 AM, and families are advised to complete the online pre-registration form as quickly as possible to benefit from the best availability.
The Admissions Committee meets approximately once per month to allocate places according to a clear oversubscription criteria hierarchy:
Children of staff members.
Siblings of current pupils.
Children with at least one parent working for a KT Educational Charitable Trust (KTECT) company that contributed financially to the school's foundation.
Children transferring from a French Ministry-accredited school in the UK at the end of that school's offered provision.
Pupils transferring from an AEFE or Mission Laïque Française-recognised school in the UK.
Pupils transferring from an AEFE or MLF-recognised school outside the UK.
Once applications meeting these criteria have been processed, any remaining places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, underscoring the importance of early application. Families are notified of outcomes within four working days of an Admissions Committee meeting. If unsuccessful, applications remain active for all subsequent committees during the current school year, but families must reapply from October for the following year.
All nationalities are welcome, and the school currently educates pupils from 35 different countries. However, from CP (Year 1 equivalent) onwards, children must speak French to access the bilingual curriculum effectively. For early years entry (Petite Section), children must be at least three years old.
New students must pay a non-refundable application fee of £198 (£165 + VAT) and, if offered a place, a non-refundable registration fee ranging from £858 to £1,980 depending on year group, plus an advance of £1,200 on first-term fees. The school does not offer discounts on fees, but families experiencing financial need may apply for support through the French Scholarship Foundation (FSF), an independent charity offering assistance to families of any nationality with students at CFBL. Additionally, selected secondary students may receive up to £2,500 per year in fee reductions via a donation from KTECT.
The school's location in Kentish Town, Camden, draws families from across North and Central London, as well as some from further afield attracted by the bilingual offer. No catchment area applies, as CFBL is an independent school. Families typically include French expatriates, bilingual British-French households, international professionals seeking bilingual education, and others valuing the bicultural curriculum.
CFBL offers an unusual model: genuinely bilingual French–English teaching in a medium‑sized, internationally diverse North London community. For families committed to the French curriculum but seeking meaningful integration of English language and British educational culture, CFBL offers an exceptional option. The school's 2025 Ofsted Outstanding rating, 100% Brevet success rate with distinction, and guaranteed progression to Lycée International Winston Churchill provide reassurance on academic quality and pathway clarity.
The Victorian building and urban setting impose some constraints on facilities compared to campus-style independents, but the school compensates with off-site sports access, strong arts provision, vibrant extracurricular life, and proximity to London's parks. Small class sizes, native-speaking teachers in both languages, and a culture that celebrates creativity and initiative create a nurturing environment for pupils to thrive academically and personally.
Prospective families should be clear-eyed about requirements: functional French is essential from Year 1 onwards, fees are substantial (£15,440 to £18,306 per year), and competition for places is keen despite the non-selective policy. Early application is critical. Families must also accept that the school follows the French academic calendar and examination system, which differs from English norms.
For the right family—particularly those with French language at home, international careers, or a commitment to bilingualism and biculturalism—CFBL offers an outstanding environment where children develop fluency in two languages, academic strength across both French and British traditions, and the confidence to navigate a globalised world. The school's ethos of tolerance, openness, and personal development within a diverse, warm community makes it a compelling choice for London's bilingual families.
Ofsted judged CFBL Outstanding across every area in its September 2025 inspection. The school reports a 100% success rate on the Diplôme National du Brevet with distinction. CFBL offers genuinely bilingual French-English education to 700 pupils from over 60 nationalities, combining the rigour of the French curriculum with British educational culture. Small class sizes (maximum 30 in primary, similar in secondary), native-speaking teachers in both languages, and strong arts and extracurricular provision support well-rounded development.
Registration opens on 10 October each year (10:00 AM for the 2026-27 school year). Complete the online pre-registration form on the school website as early as possible, as places are limited and competition is significant. The Admissions Committee meets monthly to allocate places according to oversubscription criteria (staff children, siblings, KTECT families, pupils from French-accredited schools). You will be notified within four working days. If offered a place, you must pay a non-refundable application fee of £198, a registration fee (£858 to £1,980 depending on year group), and a £1,200 advance on fees. From Year 1 onwards, pupils must speak French to access the bilingual curriculum. Visit cfbl.org.uk/en/admissions or contact admissions@cfbl.org.uk for full details.
For 2025-26, annual fees are: Petite Section £15,440 (VAT exempt); Moyenne/Grande Section £18,306 (includes £2,866 VAT); Primary £15,882 (includes £2,462 VAT); Secondary £16,162 (includes £2,462 VAT). These fees include lunches (four per week for early years and primary; five for secondary). New students also pay a £198 application fee and a non-refundable registration fee of £858 to £1,980 depending on year group, plus a £1,200 advance on first-term fees. Additional costs include school supplies, PE kits, secondary textbooks, extracurricular clubs, and the Brevet exam fee (approximately £40 for Year 10). Financial aid is available through the French Scholarship Foundation for families in need, and selected secondary students may receive up to £2,500 per year via KTECT funding.
No, CFBL educates pupils from age 3 to 16 (Petite Section through 3ème, equivalent to Year 10). The school does not offer sixth form or Baccalaureate provision. After 3ème (Year 10), pupils have an assured route into Seconde at the Winston Churchill campus of Lycée International de Londres, moving towards the French Baccalaureate. Some families alternatively transition pupils into English independent or state sixth forms after Year 10.
CFBL is fundamentally a bilingual French-English school. Primary pupils receive 50% of teaching in French and 50% in English, with each class taught by both a native French teacher and a native English teacher. Secondary pupils receive 35-40% of teaching in English across both the multilingual and intensified English streams, with several subjects taught exclusively in English including sciences, history-geography, and arts. From Year 1 onwards, pupils must speak French to access the curriculum. Additional modern languages (typically Spanish or German) are introduced in secondary as part of the French national curriculum. The school's bilingual model develops genuine dual-language fluency rather than treating English as a foreign language add-on.
CFBL operates a non-selective admissions policy and does not use entrance examinations or academic assessments to allocate places. However, competition for places is significant due to limited capacity. Places are allocated via oversubscription criteria prioritising staff children, siblings, children of KTECT-linked families, and pupils transferring from French-accredited schools. After these criteria, remaining places go first-come, first-served. All nationalities are welcome, but from Year 1 onwards pupils must speak French to keep up with the bilingual curriculum. Early application when registration opens in October is essential for the best chance of securing a place.
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