LYCéE FRANçAIS CHARLES DE GAULLE

:''This article is about a London school. For the Turkish school of the same name, see Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, Ankara.''
The 'Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle' is a large French primary and secondary school situated in South Kensington, London.

Contents

History

2007 nepotism row

Prominent alumni

External links

History

The Lycée Charles de Gaulle was founded in 1915 near Victoria station, and provided a full education for 120 students. In 1920, the Lycée relocated to Cromwell Gardens, opposite the Natural History Museum. Sustained growth saw it relocate for the third time where it currently resides to buildings directly opposite the Natural History Museum on Cromwell Road, South Kensington, adjacent to the French Consulate in Knightsbridge.
In 1980, the school was officially named The Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle - a reference to the famous French statesman, who had taken refuge in the Lycée whilst in exile from Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Bombing raids on London, perhaps directed at the leader of the Free French Forces, destroyed a wing of the Lycée, which was rebuilt to provide students with modern science laboratories and multipurpose classrooms, as well as a spacious lobby at 35 Cromwell Road.
Due to limited room at the South Kensington site, the Lycée expanded by opening two primary school adjuncts, based in Wix and Ealing, in 1993 and 1995 respectively. Since May 1997, the Ealing adjunct has been known as the École André Malraux, named after the French author, adventurer and statesman, André Malraux.
It caters for some 3,500 pupils between the ages of 3 and 18, and teaches predominantly in French. Usually referred to simply as "the Lycée", the school is an important centre for London's sizeable French community as well as one of the most academically-successful French schools outside of France. Its curriculum and management are overseen by the French National Ministry of Education through the Agency for the Teaching of French Abroad (AEFE). In addition to serving the French community in London, 12% of pupils at the Lycée are British, placed in the school by parents wanting their children to benefit from a bilingual education. The Lycée has a proud multicultural and international makeup, with a further 12% of pupils forming an array of 48 different nationalities.
The vast majority of the teaching done at the Lycée is in French and caters to French curricula and indeed, as far as ''quatrième'' (at the age of 14/15), all pupils are taught entirely in French. From ''troisième'' onwards (equivalent to Year Ten or freshman year), pupils can opt either to stay in the ''French Section'' and study for their Brevet and their Baccalauréat or to transfer to the smaller ''British Section'' (60 students per year) and work towards their GCSEs and A-levels.
The Lycée Charles de Gaulle has the highest average mark for the Baccalauréat Général outside of France, followed by the Lycée Claudel in Ottawa.

2007 nepotism row

On April 19th 2007, a protest took place on the school premises in support of the ''Conseiller Principal d'Éducation'' (Head of Students' Affairs) Thierry Grépinet.¹

Mr. Grépinet, 44, with 26 years' experience in education, was denied renewal of his London contract, as Natalie Routier, wife of Deputy Headmaster Yves Routier, was allegedly chosen by Headmistress Martine Vallette to replace him against the opinion of a general staff meeting.

Amid suspicion of nepotism in the top ranks of the school's administration, 120 teachers (80% of the academic staff) and more than 400 students decided to go on strike to express their concerns. At least 800 students also signed a petition asking for the immediate reinstalment of Mr. Grépinet.


¹Evening Standard, Page 7, April 19th 2007.

Prominent alumni

★ Gyles Brandreth, former Conservative MP and British political commentator

★ Jacqueline Bisset, actress

★ Kay Dick, British novelist and literary critic. ^[2]

★ Thomas Garland, architect

★ Linford S. Haines, contemporary literary critic, author, lecturer, as well as a former actor and musician.

★ Mica Penniman (aka Mika), London based, Beirut born singer

★ Edward Leigh, Member of Parliament

★ Bill Tchato, professional footballer

★ Daniel Topolski, writer

★ Murray Head, Musician

★ Charlotte Rampling, Actress

★ Joely Richardson, Actress

★ Darius Guppy, Best man at Earl Spencer's wedding, convicted fraudster

★ Lady Olga Maitland, former Member of Parliament

★ Catherine Oxenburg, Actress

★ Anita Newcourt MBE, Manager of the Royal Suite, Heathrow airport

External links

★ Official Website

★ Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle alumni website (Association des Anciens du Lycée Français de Londres)

★ The Daily Telegraph's coverage of the April strike