At a glance
The primary sections
Lycee Charles de Gaulle Primaire is the primary level of the Lycee Charles de Gaulle, the long established French school featured on the London city hub. Rather than a single building, the primary years are spread across the main South Kensington site and a set of feeder primaries placed around the capital so that French families in different parts of London have a school within reach. Each delivers the French primary programme, the maternelle for the youngest children followed by the elementaire years to CM2.
The Ealing site, the Ecole Andre Malraux, has run as the western satellite since 1997 and welcomes around 250 children from age 3 to 10. The Fulham site, Marie d'Orliac, is the largest of the feeders with around 700 pupils, and offers a choice between a French path with intensive English and a bilingual path with French and English parity. The Clapham site at Wix runs a distinctive 50:50 bilingual partnership with an English primary. All of these primary sections feed into the secondary classes of the lycee, so a child can begin in a London neighbourhood primary and progress to the Baccalaureat at the main school without changing system.
Weighing the Lycee primaries against another school?
Put up to three London schools side by side on curriculum, fees, stage range and location with our free compare tool.
Lycee Charles de Gaulle Primaire fees
Lycee Charles de Gaulle Primaire fees follow the lycee scale, which sits well below most London private primaries in our London fees guide because the French education system is partly state supported. The primary years carry lower fees than the secondary and Baccalaureat years, and the exact figure varies by site and by year, so confirm the current primary scale with the school directly.
Beyond tuition, budget for an enrolment or registration charge, lunches, and the usual trips and activities. Because the primary sections are day schools, there are no boarding costs, and the lycee structure makes them one of the more affordable ways into a high quality French primary education in London. To set a particular site against other options on cost and stage, open our compare tool.
Admissions
The maternelle and the early primary years are the most in demand across all the sites, so registering well ahead matters. Priority is often given to families already within the French system or transferring from another AEFE school, and availability differs from one site to another depending on local demand. Some sites operate bilingual streams with their own intake patterns.
Families relocating to London should contact the admissions team early to find which primary site has space in the year group they need, and to understand whether a French path or a bilingual path would best suit their child. Mid year moves are possible but depend on space in sites that are usually full.
Location and who goes there
The primary provision spans several neighbourhoods. The main South Kensington site sits in the SW7 heart of London's French quarter, while the feeders place the school close to the French communities of Ealing in the west, Fulham in the south west and Clapham in the south. This spread is deliberate, putting a French primary within a manageable commute for families across a wide arc of the capital.
The community is overwhelmingly French and francophone, the densest concentration of French families in London, with English speaking families joining the bilingual streams at sites such as Marie d'Orliac and Wix. For how these neighbourhoods compare on schools, commute and cost, see the London city hub and our London fees guide.
Lycee Charles de Gaulle Primaire reviews
GlobalSchoolGuide does not yet hold verified parent reviews for these sites. We publish reviews only once they are submitted by named families and checked by our editorial team, so you will not find an invented star rating here. If your family has attended, you can help other relocating parents by sharing an honest account through our school reviews hub.
No school pays to be listed on GlobalSchoolGuide and no fee changes a placement on this page. Our profiles are built from public sources, inspection material and the schools own published information.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Lycee Charles de Gaulle Primaire fees?
Primary fees follow the lycee scale, which is lower than most London private primaries because the French system is partly state supported. The school publishes its current primary scale on request, so confirm the figure directly when you enquire.
What are the Lycee Charles de Gaulle primary schools?
Besides the primary classes on the main South Kensington site, the lycee runs feeder primaries across London, including Andre Malraux in Ealing, Marie d'Orliac in Fulham and Wix in Clapham, each teaching the French primary programme.
What ages does Lycee Charles de Gaulle Primaire take?
The primary sections take children from age 3 in the maternelle through to age 10 or 11 at the end of CM2, after which pupils move up to the secondary classes of the lycee.
Do the Lycee primaries offer bilingual teaching?
Some sites offer bilingual options. Marie d'Orliac, for example, offers a French path with intensive English and a bilingual path with French and English parity, while Wix runs a 50:50 bilingual partnership with an English primary.
When do Lycee Charles de Gaulle Primaire applications open?
The maternelle and primary years are the most in demand, so register well ahead. Places depend on the site and the year group, and relocating families should contact admissions early to find availability across the primary sites.
