EIFA International School London

EIFA is a French-English bilingual school in Marylebone, opened in January 2013. Around 150 children aged 2 to 14 with a 50/50 day in both languages and paired native teachers in the primary years.

The school follows the French National Curriculum enriched with the English National Curriculum, and most students hold dual nationality. Fees run roughly GBP 21,000 to GBP 28,000. Ofsted rated it Good in June 2024.

Parents talk about nurturing teachers, a calm atmosphere without the usual London exam pressure, and children arriving with no English who become bilingual within a year or two. The small size gives a familial feel and cultural celebrations are a real part of the calendar. Best fit for Francophone or Franco-British families in central London who want both languages held at curriculum level in a low-pressure setting.

• Parents consistently describe EIFA as nurturing and small-class. One parent praised the "nurturing environment" with empathy and pastoral care, and another noted the school feels "like a big family" because class sizes are small.
• Bilingual structure is the headline draw. The 50/50 French-English split runs from age 2 to 18, with the Bilingual IB Diploma in years 12-13 the senior-school offer.
• Several parents valued the absence of typical London-prep stress. One wrote there is "no atmosphere of stress or competition over tests, grades, or admissions" relative to other London schools.
• Mumsnet activity on EIFA is minimal. One thread asking for parent feedback in 2023 received only one follow-up reply, suggesting the parent forum footprint is small.
• Limitations: not a prep for 11-plus or Common Entrance; the IB Diploma route may not suit French families targeting the French Baccalauréat; central-London setting limits sports and outdoor space. Last Ofsted rated Good (June 2024).