Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle

Inspection of Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle 35 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2DG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Sixth-form provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in early years have an excellent start to school. The school knows exactly what it wants children to know and be able to do to be well prepared for future learning. In other year groups too, the school is very ambitious for all pupils. It wants all pupils to achieve highly, academically. Pupils receive the support that they need to meet these high expectations. Pupils learn well and achieve strong outcomes in national and international tests and examinations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wide and rich range of extra-curricular experiences. Pupils take part in many competitions and sporting events with other schools, including internationally. The school ensures that all pupils have equal access to these opportunities. The school fosters a sense of community across all four of its sites. For example, there are times in the school year when the whole school comes together to enjoy performances arranged by pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about diverse cultures and traditions and the importance of treating everyone equally. They also learn to share their opinions and to debate their ideas in respectful ways. As a result, pupils treat each other considerately. They behave respectfully and maturely. If incidents of bullying arise, these are dealt with appropriately and swiftly. The school makes sure that pupils are kept safe and they feel safe. Pupils are happy here.

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better?

The curriculum is highly ambitious. Mostly, pupils are taught the French national curriculum. Skilfully, the school aligns this with appropriate content from the national curriculum for England. The school has decided on ambitious endpoints in different subjects. This is because it wants pupils to achieve highly at every stage of their education. The school prepares pupils very well for their chosen future pathway in the sixth form and beyond. Subject knowledge is organised logically so that it builds cumulatively over time. Regular revisiting of important concepts helps pupils remember key information long term. For example, in early years, children sing lots of songs involving counting. This learning about number is reinforced frequently, for example when children join in with counting objects when listening to stories.

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better?

Teaching checks that pupils remember important information. The school uses this information effectively to find out whether there are any gaps in knowledge or misconceptions. It then adjusts what happens next in learning to help pupils to connect ideas together. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to learn the curriculum. The school works constructively with parents and carers to help build up a full understanding of pupils’ needs. The school also enlists timely help and guidance from experts in SEND. These include therapists and medical professionals. This helps to ensure that pupils with SEND receive tailored adaptations to support their learning. 1 to 3 October 2024 Pupils have deep and detailed knowledge of the curriculum. They are adept at connecting ideas together from different subjects. For example, pupils in Year 1 draw on their knowledge of physical education, science and geography to discuss

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better?

ideas about the way astronauts move in space. Pupils are also very well supported to draw on their existing knowledge to help them make sense of current learning. For example, pupils in Year 10 draw on knowledge they secured in Year 8 to help them to solve calculations involving ratios.

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better?

Reading is given high priority. The school checks carefully pupils’ knowledge of phonics and reading whenever they join the school. Pupils learn to listen for and recognise letter sounds accurately in both French and English. The curriculum offers a structured approach to teaching reading, including teaching of phonics in a systematic way. Pupils receive effective additional support with reading if they need it. Pupils become confident, fluent readers swiftly.

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better?

Pupils are attentive and focused on learning. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Consequently, learning takes place uninterrupted. The school makes expectations about regular attendance clear to parents and pupils. Leaders and the proprietor analyse absences. Where absence is a concern, the school takes swift and appropriate action to address it.

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better?

Pupils access a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. These include those in the early years and sixth form. Clubs include origami, singing and street dance. Pupils are encouraged to lead on and actively contribute to the wider life of the school. For example, some of the clubs are organised and led by other pupils and students in the sixth form.

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better?

Pupils in Years 10 and 11 receive access to high-quality careers advice and guidance. Students in the sixth form are taught about a wide range of post-18 options including apprenticeships, and pathways at national and international universities. They receive one-to-one help and support with making future choices if they need it.

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better?

The school recently changed the curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE). The leaders and proprietor ensure that the curriculum meets the requirements of the independent school standards. The curriculum content is well thought out and age appropriate. It includes, for example, information about consent, healthy relationships and online safety. However, some areas of the provision to support pupils’ personal development are not securely embedded. For example, the PSHE programme is not fully implemented in all year groups, including the sixth form. Pupils in Years 7 to 9 receive limited information about careers. As a result, pupils have gaps in their understanding of important ideas, including about different careers and options.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, proprietors and leaders have made effective changes to the school. They have regard for the workload of staff when changes are made. They engage with staff and seek their views on this matter regularly. 1 to 3 October 2024 Leaders ensure that the independent school standards are fully met, and that the school complies with the statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements of the early years foundation stage. There is an appropriate accessibility plan in place in line with Schedule 10 of the Equalities Act 2010. Safeguarding and pupil safety are given high priority. Leaders create a secure safeguarding culture in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Some areas of the provision to support pupils’ personal development are not securely implemented. This includes the PSHE programme. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge of important concepts, including about different careers and options. The school should make sure that the PSHE curriculum and careers programme are implemented fully.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 1 to 3 October 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 100547 DfE registration number 207/6391

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School details

Inspection number 10341982 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 3462

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sixth form

Annual fees (day pupils) £8,089 to £16,923

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sixth form

Email address secretariat- proviseure@lyceefrancais.org.uk

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 15 to 17 November 2022 1 to 3 October 2024

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Information about this school

 This is an independent day school for boys and girls aged two to 19 years old. The provision for two-year-olds opened after the previous standard inspection.  The school is exempt from the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage.  Most pupils are bilingual in French and English and study for the Baccalauréat following the French curriculum. The British section provides the opportunity for pupils from Year 10 upwards to gain English GCSE and A-level qualifications.  The school operates from four sites. These are: – the main site located at Cromwell Road, London SW7 2DG, where pupils are educated from early years to the sixth form, at – Andre Malraux Primary School, at 44 Laurie Road, Ealing, London W7 1BL – Wix Primary School, Wix’s Lane, Clapham, London SW4 OAJ – Marie D’Orliac Primary School, 60 Clancarty Road, Fulham, London SW6 3AA.  The school is responsible to the French Ministry. The proprietor is the French

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Information about this school

State.  The school does not use alternative provision.  Since the previous standard inspection, a progress monitoring inspection took place in September 2023.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and senior leaders at each site. An inspector also met with a representative of the French Ministry.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, physical education, geography and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a 1 to 3 October 2024 sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors checked the premises and scrutinised health and safety documents for each school site.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online surveys from staff, pupils and parents.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Adam Vincent His Majesty’s Inspector 1 to 3 October 2024 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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