L'Ecole de Battersea

Inspection of L’Ecole de Battersea Trott Street, Battersea, London SW11 3DS

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Inspection dates: 16 to 18 September 2025

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years have an excellent start to their education. The school fosters nurturing, professional relationships between staff and children, when they join school. This helps them get settled in quickly. Story time is a thoroughly enjoyed part of the day. Children in the nursery delight in joining in with the sounds, songs and rhymes they encounter when sharing books with the class. Pupils are happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils meet the school’s high academic expectations. There is a clear and unwavering focus on developing language and communication in both French and English. Pupils are encouraged and helped to become fluent in both languages. From the early years onwards, frequently pupils switch between speaking English and French naturally. Pupils at earlier stages of learning to speak English receive exceptional support. Consequently, they quickly become confident communicators in English.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They take pleasure in helping each other. For example, older pupils enthusiastically volunteer to read to those younger. The school uses the curriculum to teach pupils to be patient and consider others. For example, all pupils from Year 3 onwards learn fencing. The school uses the fencing curriculum to teach pupils important values, such as self-discipline and teamwork.

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better?

From the early years onwards, the broad and rich curriculum is organised expertly. The school aligns learning in French and English in a sophisticated way. For example, the curriculum is arranged skilfully so that subject knowledge pupils learn in French is revisited in English. Frequent recapping of content helps them to remember important information long term from the early years. Pupils are very well prepared to continue their education either in an English or French secondary school.

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better?

Highly successfully, the school equips pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to read in English and French. When pupils join, the school checks their knowledge of phonics letter sounds in both languages. Phonics teaching in English and French is cleverly aligned to help pupils learn to read in both languages simultaneously. If pupils struggle, they receive precise additional help to keep up. Consequently, pupils learn to read confidently and fluently.

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better?

Teaching closely checks how pupils learn. Effectively, the school uses this information to adjust subsequent teaching and spot where pupils need further support. The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. Considerately, the school collaborates with parents, carers and external professionals to understand pupils’ needs. Teaching is tailored and adapted appropriately to support pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum alongside their peers. 16 to 18 September 2025 Pupils are attentive and focused on their learning. This begins in the early years, where children settle into school routines very quickly. Lessons are purposeful and calm. Learning takes place uninterrupted by low-level disruption. Pupils attend school well and arrive on time. The school monitors pupil absence closely. If it becomes a concern, the school takes quick, decisive action to ensure attendance

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better?

The school prepares pupils for later life exceptionally well. The school uses the extra-curricular offer to encourage pupils to explore their interests. Leaders seek pupils’ and parents’ views to provide an extensive range of opportunities. For example, this year the school decided to provide an after-school cookery club and a Spanish club, following suggestions from parents and the school’s pupil council representatives. The school strongly and successfully focuses on developing strong character traits. For instance, pupils are supported to develop their self-confidence in many ways. This includes ensuring all pupils speak publicly in whole school assemblies and represent the school at sporting events in Year 6. Successfully, the school embeds core principles of respect and the importance of treating everyone equally. Pupils are encouraged to appreciate difference and value diversity.

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better?

The proprietor body has an in-depth understanding of its role and responsibility. It provides highly effective support and challenge for school leaders. The proprietors and leaders ensure the independent school standards are met in full. There is an appropriate accessibility plan in place in line with Schedule 10 of the Equalities Act 2010. The school places high importance on staff satisfaction. Frequently, leaders consult staff about matters that may impact their workload. Leaders take staff, parents’ and pupils’ views into thoughtful consideration when making decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 16 to 18 September 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 135277 DfE registration number 212/6411

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School details

Inspection number 10391741 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £17,220 to £20,250

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School details

Email address battersea@lecoledespetits.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 to 24 November 2022 16 to 18 September 2025

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Information about this school

 The school caters for boys and girls age 2 to 11 years old. The school provides pupils with a bilingual education. It follows the French curriculum and combines this with the English national curriculum. The French inspectorate inspects the school regularly.  The school is exempt from the requirement to deliver the statutory learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage. The school has taken the decision not to admit 12-year-olds.  Since the previous inspection, there have been changes in the leadership structure. The school joined the ‘Globeducate’ international network of schools. The previous proprietors are members of the proprietor board. The chair of the proprietor body is a senior leader of ‘Globeducate’.  The school is located at Trott Street, Battersea, London SW11 3DS. The proprietor body and principal also lead L’Ecole des Petits School located in Fulham, London.

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Information about this school

There is a headteacher in post at each school. The schools are registered separately with the Department for Education.  The previous standard inspection of the school took place in November 2022.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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 evaluation 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.  Inspectors held meetings with representatives of the proprietor body, the principal and the headteacher.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 16 to 18 September 2025  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 central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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Information about this inspection

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  To check compliance with the standards, inspectors reviewed documentation and toured the premises. Inspectors also visited the playground and dining hall to view behaviour.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Eleanor Ross His Majesty’s Inspector 16 to 18 September 2025 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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