How many bilingual schools in London
Greater London supports roughly 30 day schools that teach more than 25 percent of the week in a language other than English. That count splits into three distinct groups. The largest is the French network, anchored by the Lycee Charles de Gaulle, Ecole Jeannine Manuel and the eight CFBL-affiliated sites that together educate just over 6,200 children, the densest French school population outside metropolitan France. The second cluster covers the embassy-funded national schools: Deutsche Schule London in Petersham, the Vicente Canada Blanch Spanish School in Portobello, the Japanese School in West Acton and the Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish weekday schools in Wimbledon. The third group is the newer wave of privately founded immersion schools, including Kensington Wade for Mandarin, La Petite Ecole Bilingue, Chepstow House for French, and the bilingual streams attached to ICS London and L'Ecole Bilingue Notre Dame de France.
London's bilingual market matters because it serves both expat families and a growing class of internationally minded British households. Roughly 60 percent of pupils across the cluster hold British passports, a much higher share than at the city's English-medium international schools. The DfE counts French as the most commonly studied non-English first language in fee-paying London, well ahead of Spanish, German and Mandarin.
Language mix and fee tiers
Fees in bilingual London are structured by ownership model, not by year group. Subsidised national schools occupy the lowest tier. The Lycee Charles de Gaulle charges French residents around GBP 5,200 and non-residents around GBP 11,500 a year, the only secondary school in central London where a full international education comes in under GBP 12,000. Deutsche Schule London sits at GBP 12,400 to GBP 16,200, similarly part-funded by the federal German Foreign Office. Vicente Canada Blanch operates as a free Spanish-government school and charges only voluntary contributions.
Private bilingual schools occupy the mid and premium tiers. Ecole Jeannine Manuel runs from GBP 23,800 in the petite section to GBP 30,400 at sixth form, comparable to ACS Cobham. CFBL, La Petite Ecole Bilingue and Marymount's primary stream cluster at GBP 18,000 to GBP 24,000. Kensington Wade Mandarin runs GBP 22,800 a year. The premium tier above GBP 30,000 captures the immersion sixth form options and the bilingual sections inside ICS and Halcyon. For a wider London fee picture see our London fees deep dive, which now carries a dedicated bilingual breakdown.
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Illustrative example schools
The schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each has at least a decade of recorded outcomes and a clearly stated linguistic model.
Lycee Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington remains the anchor of French London. Approximately 3,750 pupils, half of all bachot examinees taking French national exams in the UK, and a feeder pipeline into Sciences Po and the Grandes Ecoles.
Ecole Jeannine Manuel London in Bedford Square offers a fifty-fifty French-English bilingual programme from age three to the IB Diploma, with one of the strongest IB outcomes in central London at an average score above 38.
Deutsche Schule London in Petersham is the only school in the UK offering both the Abitur and the IB. It draws families posted from Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich plus a growing cohort of dual-national British-German children who use it as a route into German universities.
Vicente Canada Blanch Spanish School in Portobello is government-funded by Spain and free to attend, teaching the Spanish national curriculum to age 18. It is the most common entry point for Spanish, Latin American and Iberian-heritage families in west London.
Kensington Wade in Notting Hill is England's first dedicated Mandarin immersion primary, opened 2017. It teaches half the curriculum in Mandarin to age 11 and is fast becoming the dominant Mandarin pathway for non-Chinese-speaking households.
For an editorial pick see our global bilingual school guide.
Where bilingual families live
French families dominate South Kensington, Chelsea and Notting Hill, anchored by the Lycee on Cromwell Road and the original CFBL site in Kentish Town. The cluster is so dense that the Mayor of London quietly refers to South Kensington as Petite France in census briefings. German families settle in Petersham, Richmond and the South Hams commuter belt near DSL, with a secondary cluster around the Goethe Institute in South Kensington. Spanish-speaking families spread across Notting Hill, Portobello and Acton, often within walking distance of the Cervantes Institute. Japanese families remain heavily clustered in Acton, Finchley and St John's Wood, partly because the Japanese School and the Japanese supermarkets sit in the western boroughs. A new Mandarin-heritage cluster has emerged around Kensington Wade and Notting Hill since 2018.
Admissions calendar
Bilingual school admissions in London run on two distinct calendars. The Lycee, Deutsche Schule and Spanish School follow continental enrolment cycles, opening main applications in January for September entry, with confirmation by April. Late applications are reviewed in June and July subject to space, and the Lycee in particular reserves about 15 percent of its September places for last-minute postings from French civil service and corporate transfers.
Private bilingual schools follow the UK independent timeline. Ecole Jeannine Manuel, CFBL and Kensington Wade open registration twelve to eighteen months ahead, with assessment days held the autumn before entry. Sixth form bilingual entry, particularly at IB-offering bilingual schools, runs to a separate October to March cycle. For a fuller picture, the London city hub covers the full admissions year.
Frequently asked questions
How many bilingual schools are there in London?
Greater London hosts roughly 30 bilingual day schools, of which around 12 are dedicated French institutions, eight cover other major European languages such as German and Spanish, and the remainder are newer Mandarin, Arabic and Italian immersion settings.
Which is the largest bilingual school in London?
The Lycee Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington is by some distance the largest, educating around 3,750 children from maternelle through terminale, taught in French to the French national curriculum.
How much do bilingual schools in London cost?
Subsidised national schools such as the Lycee, the Spanish School and Deutsche Schule London charge between zero and GBP 16,200 a year. Private bilingual schools run GBP 18,000 to GBP 35,000, depending on age group and immersion intensity.
Do bilingual schools in London follow the English National Curriculum?
Most teach two curricula in parallel. French and German schools follow their national curriculum plus English language and English literature. Newer immersion schools such as Kensington Wade follow the English National Curriculum half the week and teach the other half in Mandarin.
When should I apply for a bilingual school in London?
Apply 12 to 18 months ahead at private bilingual schools such as Ecole Jeannine Manuel and Kensington Wade. The Lycee, DSL and Vicente Canada Blanch open main entry in January for the following September with confirmation in April.
