History

In 1975, Lady Anne Henderson-Stewart founded Le Jardin d’Enfants Bilingue and in 1983 La Petite Ecole Française in Notting Hill Gate, London, providing a French education to children of all nationalities. La Petite Ecole Française was one of the first London primary schools to be approved by the French Ministry of Education (“homologuée”). In 1999, Sir David Henderson-Stewart, then owner of La Petite Ecole Française in London, was awarded the title of Knight in the Order of Academic Palms for his contribution to the dissemination of French culture in Britain. In 1985 La Petite Ecole Française moved to the current premises of La Petite Ecole Bilingue – Oxford Gardens in a large Victorian house in the leafy streets of North Kensington.

Based on her experience in London, Lady Anne opened La Petite Ecole Bilingue in Paris in 1995 thereby launching her pioneer project of a truly bilingual school, teaching children both the official programme of the French Education Nationale and the British National Curriculum. La Petite Ecole Bilingue- Paris recently celebrated its 20th birthday and enjoys a reputation of academic excellence in Paris which is celebrated by the overwhelming positive feedback its receives from secondary schools about its pupils.

In 2007, Lady Anne Henderson-Stewart decided to hand over La Petite Ecole Française in London, to devote herself to a bilingual school project, at the request of many parents. Thus, in 2010 she opened La Petite Ecole Bilingue in London at its Oxford Gardens premises. Furthermore, to meet the growing demand from parents another school La Petite Ecole Bilingue in Kentish Town opened in 2012.

At the demand of a local community of parents, La Petite Ecole Bilingue de Bordeaux opened its doors in September 2017.

Today La Petite Ecole Bilingue comprises a total of 4 schools based in London (Oxford Gardens and Kentish Town), Paris and Bordeaux. Lady Anne Henderson-Stewart oversees these schools and ensures that they are consistent with each other in their pedagogical approach and that there is a strong bond between each school for the betterment of our children’s education and development.