At a glance
Curriculum and academics
CFBL teaches the full French national programme, the same curriculum a child would follow in Paris or Lyon, but delivers it bilingually. In the primary years each class spends roughly half the timetable with a French native teacher and half with an English native teacher, so children build genuine fluency in both languages rather than treating English as a single subject. The school is one of a small group of French international schools in London, and unlike the larger Lycée it deliberately caps enrolment at around 700 pupils to keep year groups small.
Provision runs from maternelle at age 3 through élémentaire and into collège, finishing at the end of year 15 equivalent with the Diplôme National du Brevet, the French lower secondary qualification. Families who want a French baccalauréat afterwards typically move on to the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle or a sixth form offering the option internationale. Because CFBL holds homologation from the French Ministry of Education, a pupil can transfer back into the French state system at any point without losing ground, which matters for diplomatic and corporate families on rotating postings.
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Collège Français Bilingue de Londres fees
CFBL publishes its tuition openly. For 2025 to 2026 annual fees ran from about GBP 15,440 to GBP 18,306 depending on the stage, and the published figure includes school lunches, which is unusual in London and worth factoring into any comparison. That sits firmly in the mid band of our London international school fees guide, well below the premium day schools.
Beyond tuition, families pay an advance on fees of around GBP 1,200 on enrolment, which is set against the final term. The school invoices in instalments, usually one per trimester. There is no separate capital levy of the kind charged by the largest internationals, and bus provision is limited given the central Kentish Town location, so most families travel by Northern line or on foot. To model the full first year cost including the advance, use our school finder shortlist and the fee calculator.
Admissions
Entry is most straightforward at the maternelle stage, where the largest intake forms in September. CFBL operates a rolling waiting list and reviews mid year places as expatriate families arrive and leave, so a January start is often possible in the lower years. Priority is given to siblings and to children with a strong French language background, reflecting the homologated curriculum, although the bilingual model means English speaking families settle quickly in the early years.
Apply 9 to 12 months ahead for September entry into maternelle and élémentaire. Assessment is age appropriate and focuses on readiness rather than selection by examination. Collège entry from year 11 equivalent upward is more competitive because places only open when an existing pupil leaves.
Location and who goes there
The school occupies a converted site on Holmes Road in Kentish Town, in the London Borough of Camden. It is a short walk from Kentish Town and Gospel Oak stations, which puts it within easy reach of the French speaking communities in Camden, Islington, Hampstead and Belsize Park. Many CFBL families work in the professions, media and the arts rather than finance, which gives the parent body a different texture from the City focused internationals.
For a wider view of where international families settle and how the school sits among Camden and north London options, start from the London city hub, which maps neighbourhoods, transport and the full curriculum landscape across the capital.
Collège Français Bilingue de Londres reviews
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Frequently asked questions
How much are Collège Français Bilingue de Londres fees?
For 2025 to 2026, CFBL tuition ran from roughly GBP 15,440 to GBP 18,306 a year, with school lunches included in the published figure. Families also pay an advance on fees of about GBP 1,200 on enrolment, set against the final term.
What curriculum does CFBL follow?
CFBL follows the French national curriculum under homologation from the French Ministry of Education, delivered bilingually in French and English. Pupils finish with the Diplôme National du Brevet at the end of collège.
What ages does Collège Français Bilingue de Londres take?
The school takes children from age 3 in maternelle through to age 15 at the end of collège. There is no sixth form, so families continue to a lycée or an international sixth form afterwards.
Where is CFBL located?
CFBL is on Holmes Road in Kentish Town, NW5, in the London Borough of Camden, a short walk from Kentish Town and Gospel Oak stations.
When do CFBL applications open?
Apply 9 to 12 months ahead of a September start, especially for maternelle, which has the largest intake. The school keeps a rolling waiting list and can sometimes offer mid year places in the lower years.
