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City guide

London

United Kingdom

London is one of the largest French cities outside France. Between AEFE schools, royal parks and free museums, the city is surprisingly gentle on families, once you know how it works. Here are the first landmarks, while we build the full guide.

Currency
Pound sterling (£)
Language
English
Time vs Paris
1h behind
Emergencies
999 (medical advice: 111)

FIAFE network

The Accueil for French-speaking families

In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.

Londres Accueil

Since 1983

Since 1983, Londres Accueil has been welcoming French-speaking families settling in London: practical advice, activities, guided visits and a yearly integration forum to start your London life on the right foot.

Where to meet them

Drop-in session on Tuesday mornings at the Institut français in South Kensington (13 Cromwell Place).

Visit the association's website See the FIAFE page

What they offer

  • Yearly integration forum for newcomers
  • Guided visits and cultural outings
  • Practical guide and members newsletter
  • Coffee mornings and francophone meetups

Other support networks

Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.

  • UFE

    UFE Grande-Bretagne

    The British chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger (network founded in 1927): mutual aid, social events and practical talks (pensions, tax, schooling) for the French in London.

    Visit the website
  • Français du monde – ADFE

    Français du monde – ADFE Royaume-Uni

    The UK section of Français du monde - ADFE (a recognised public-interest association) defends the rights of French residents in the UK and helps with paperwork, from Brexit matters to daily life.

    Visit the website Email the chapter

The French business network

The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.

CCI France International

French Chamber of Great Britain

The leading Franco-British business network in London: networking events, a jobboard and hands-on support to find work or start a business, a real help for a spouse looking to (re)build a career.

Visit the website CCI country page

AEFE network

Accredited French schools

Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.

💰 Compare school fees
  • AEFE direct management

    Lycée français Charles-de-Gaulle et ses écoles annexes

    Nursery to final year (ages 3 to 18)

    📍 South Kensington (annexe schools across town) · 3,250 pupils

    School website 📅 2026-2027 calendar
  • AEFE partner

    Collège français bilingue de Londres (CFBL)

    Nursery to age 15 (end of collège)

    📍 Kentish Town · 715 pupils

    School website
  • AEFE partner

    Lycée international de Londres Winston-Churchill

    Nursery to final year (ages 3 to 18)

    📍 Wembley · 710 pupils

    School website
  • AEFE partner

    Jeannine Manuel School

    Nursery to final year (ages 3 to 18)

    📍 Bloomsbury (Bedford Square) · 615 pupils

    School website
  • AEFE partner

    L'École des Petits & L'École de Battersea

    Nursery to age 11 (primary)

    📍 Fulham and Battersea · 360 pupils

    School website
  • AEFE agreement

    École française de Londres Jacques-Prévert

    Ages 4 to 11 (primary)

    📍 Brook Green (Hammersmith) · 250 pupils

    School website
  • AEFE partner

    École internationale franco-anglaise (EIFA)

    Nursery to age 12

    📍 Marylebone (Portland Place) · 160 pupils

    School website
  • AEFE partner

    La Petite École française

    Nursery to age 11 (primary)

    📍 North Kensington · 130 pupils

    School website
  • AEFE partner

    École bilingue

    Nursery to age 11 (primary)

    📍 Paddington

    School website

Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr

Tutoring and private lessons

To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.

  • Axiom Academic

    Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.

    Discover Axiom Academic

  • IB Tutor

    Tutors specialised in the International Baccalaureate: online lessons in every IB subject, to aim for top grades from MYP to the diploma.

    Discover IB Tutor

Schools and education

Two systems live side by side: the British one, where children start Reception at age 4, and a strong network of French schools, from the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington to the CFBL in north London.

Good to know

  • State schools are free; admission depends on your address, through the borough (catchment area).
  • AEFE-accredited French schools are in high demand: start the process several months before September.
  • The school year has three terms, each with a one-week half-term break in the middle.
  • Uniforms are the norm, including in state schools: plan for the back-to-school budget.

Children's healthcare

The NHS is free for residents but works very differently from the French system: everything goes through your local family doctor, the GP.

Good to know

  • First thing on arrival: register the whole family with a GP (registration is based on your address).
  • Call 111 (or use it online) for anything non-urgent; A&E is for serious emergencies.
  • Vaccinations and baby check-ups go through the GP and health visitors, tracked in the local red book.
  • Many expat families add private insurance to shorten specialist waiting times.

French-speaking community

You will hear French in every South Kensington playground, but the community lives far beyond it: Kentish Town, Clapham, Ealing and Wimbledon each have their own little France.

Good to know

  • The Institut français in South Kensington is a home base: children's library, cinema, kids workshops.
  • Facebook groups of French-speaking mums in London are very active, from pram swaps to nanny tips.
  • Londres Accueil, part of the FIAFE network, walks newcomers through their first London months.
  • French bookshops, parishes and francophone cafés complete the network.

Family outings and events

This is the great London luxury: a huge cultural offering, often free, and parks everywhere. Even in the rain, kids are never bored.

Good to know

  • The big museums (Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Tate...) are free and very child-friendly.
  • Royal parks, city farms and playgrounds: there is always greenery within fifteen minutes.
  • Local libraries run free rhyme times for babies and toddlers.
  • Watch for half-term programmes: workshops and camps pop up at every school break.

These landmarks change fast: the MumExpat community will keep them up to date.

Coming soon: the full London guide.

Verified addresses, paediatricians recommended by mums, a family agenda updated every week. Join the waitlist to discover the London page first.

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