International schools can offer an expected standard or familiar surroundings in a new country. Similar to private schools, international schools tend to be quite expensive and offer a range of qualifications like international baccalaureate.

Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle
Address: 35 Cromwell Road, London, Greater London
Tel: 020 7584 6322

The French Lycée is favoured not only by French nationals, but also by many expat families and foreigners (from more than 50 countries!). This is due to the specificity of the French education, which has the largest network of French schools in the world, where parents can expect their children to follow the exact same curriculum whatever country they might move to (Madonna sent her children Lourdes and Rocco to the French Lycée in South Kensington before to move to New York and choose also the French Lycee over there).

This is by far the largest foreign school in London, that educates more than 3,500 pupils between the ages of 3 and 18 and teaches predominantly in French. The Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle is one of the best French school abroad as shown by outstanding results to the French Baccalauréat: 90% of the students passed with honours in 2010. There is also a British Section for those attending A-Level exams, ranked 15th in the Financial Times schools league table in 2008 (60% received A+A* in 2010, the national avarage being 27%).

Due to its popularity, the Lycée is crowded and had to move and expand numerous times since it was created in 1915. It opened two primary school adjuncts in the mid-1990's, based in Clapham (Ecole de Wix) and Ealing (André Malraux). In 2008 they opened another primary school in Fulham (Marie d'Orliac) which allows to vacate some of the primary section from the main South Kensington site (opposite the Natural History Museum) to accommodate more children in secondary education. In addition there are two other French primaries not affiliated to the Lycée (but subsidised), Jacques Prevert in Brook Green and L’Ile aux Enfants in NW5.

The Lycée does reserve places for French nationals just moving to London with children previously educated in the French system. The admission criteria give preference to:

1. siblings,
2. already educated within the French system,
3. French nationals arriving from France,
4. French citizens in London,
5. other francophone families and foreign families

Tuition fees are between £1400-2000 per term (3 months) for the primary school and £1700 for the secondary section (£3000 for the British section). In addition you will have to pay £650 for the first registration and fees for exams.

The British government is encouraging the opening of bilingual primary schools and you can find a full list on the website www.avenuedesecoles.com [French].

The American School in England
Address: Coldharbour Lane, TW20 8TE England
Tel: 44 1932 565252
Also known as "TASIS England", this school was founded in 1976 in the village of Thorpe, Surrey, south west of London. The school consists of programs for pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. There are approximately 750 students and 100 full-time faculty.

Southbank International School in London
Address: Southbank Hampstead, 16 Netherhall Gardens, London NW3 5TH; 36-38 Kensington Park Road, London W11 3BU; 63-65 Portland Place, London W1B 1QR
Tel: 44 (0)20 7243 3803
An independent school with several locations in the City of Westminster, Kensington, this international school caters to 3 to 18 year olds. It is an International Baccalaureate World School, authorised to deliver all three of the IB Programmes.

International School of London : London
Address: 139 Gunnersbury Avenue London W3 8LG, United Kingdom
Tel: 020 8992 5823
Begun in 1972, this school was one of the first schools to offer the IB Diploma. The ISL Schools now enroll over 1200 students across their three campuses in Chiswick, West London; Working, Surrey; and Doha, Qatar.

Marymount International School of London
Address: George Road Kingston Upon Thames KT2 7PE, United Kingdom
Tel: 020 8949 0571
This catholic college-preparatory boarding and day school for girls offers schooling in grades 6 to 12. It serves students from over 50 different countries on a 7-acre campus.

North London International School
Address: 6 Friern Barnet Lane, London N11 3LX
Tel: 44 (0)20 8920 0600
The independent co-educational school offers International Baccalaureate (IB) Organisation in addition to British national curriculum. The establishment comprises senior, junior, preparatory and nursery departments in the North Finchley and Friern Barnet areas of north London, educating children from the ages of 2-18.

St Clare's International School
Address: St. Clare's, Oxford - 18 Bardwell Road - Oxford OX2 6SP
Tel: 44 1865 552031
An international boarding school in Oxford,this school offers English language courses, Liberal arts courses, IB teacher training courses and the entire International Baccalaureate Diploma programme. There are over 40 nationalities represented amongst the student body.

Deutsche Schule London
Address: Douglas House, Petersham Road, Richmond / Surrey, TW10 7AH
Tel: 44 (0)-20-89402510
This is a German international school that offers instruction in German in English.